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Shoba Narayan

freelance journalist/author based in India writing on travel, food, culture, identity, women, art, and luxury.

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Books, The Milk Lady of Bangalore

The Milk Lady in Paperback

Asia, Chennai, Destination, Fragrance, India, Luxury, Publication, Spa/Luxury, Topic, Travel

Jasmine perfume in Madurai

Europe, Hotels, Publication, The Telegraph UK, Topic, Travel

Sandhotel, Reykjavik, Hotel Review

Asia, Destination, Drink, Food, HT Media, Profiles, Restaurants & Chefs, Travel, Wine & Champagne

What’s cooking, Gaggan Anand?

Columns, HT Media, Jewellery, Luxury, The Good Life/Mint Lounge

A woman’s love affair with jewelry

Columns, HT Brunch, HT Media, Relationships

He said, she said…

The war of words in a post-marital apocalypse… Why do you call me names that come out of the blue? You keep asking for a divorce but is that really an option? Continue reading He said, she said…

Shoba NarayanJune 9, 20192 Comments
Asia, Destination, India, Travel

About bread in Bhopal for Food 52

The Royal Persian-French Bread That Made Its Way to India Continue reading About bread in Bhopal for Food 52

Shoba NarayanMay 30, 2019Leave a comment
Columns, HT Brunch, HT Media, Relationships

The wedding hashtag

The wedding hashtag as challenged by Aunty Mona. A hashtag is like a Hindu priest. Continue reading The wedding hashtag

Shoba NarayanMay 26, 20191 Comment
Columns, HT Brunch, HT Media

Whose wedding is it anyway?

Let’s be clear: The grand wedding is not about the bride and groom, it’s about the parents who raised them to be ready for holy matrimony!
Continue reading Whose wedding is it anyway?

Shoba NarayanMay 15, 2019May 12, 20193 Comments
Gadgets

Tom Bihn travel carry on review

Bottom line: This is a travel carry-on that doesn’t cripple you on cobblestone streets Continue reading Tom Bihn travel carry on review

Shoba NarayanApril 30, 2019May 25, 2019Leave a comment
Columns, HT Brunch, HT Media, Relationships

Parent trap: Passing on the hurt

Of all the hurts that life doles out, it is the pain from the ones closest to us that stings. Continue reading Parent trap: Passing on the hurt

Shoba NarayanApril 30, 2019May 25, 20191 Comment
Books, Monsoon Diary

Thank you, Vanity Fair….

Ruth Reichls New Memoir Is a Delicious Insider Account of the Gritty Glamorous World of Food Culture Continue reading Thank you, Vanity Fair….

Shoba NarayanApril 30, 2019April 30, 2019Leave a comment
Columns, HT Brunch, HT Media

Nothing Personal about comments

The comments rush out like a tsunami, flattening young and fragile egos (Getty Images) Continue reading Nothing Personal about comments

Shoba NarayanApril 16, 2019Leave a comment
Columns, HT Brunch, HT Media, Travel

Train Travel in India

What is it about train travel that evokes so much love and nostalgia amongst Indians? Continue reading Train Travel in India

Shoba NarayanMarch 31, 2019May 25, 20192 Comments
Asia, HT Brunch, HT Media, India, Kolkata, Travel

Seeking Jamdanis and nostalgia in Kolkata

Travel: Kolkata: As much as the city changes, its soul remains the same Continue reading Seeking Jamdanis and nostalgia in Kolkata

Shoba NarayanMarch 24, 2019May 25, 2019Leave a comment

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Older posts

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Mango season is here. #mango #fruit
A relaxed lunch. A break from the day. . . . . . . . #hijras #lgbt #lgbtq #men #women #fashion
A wonderful vintage champagne tasting at Le Cirque restaurant at the Leela, Bangalore. Here are the tasting notes that I uploaded on my page at Vivino, the app. My favorite champagne of the evening was the Bollinger RD 2002. Floral aromas of lavender, violets. Lots of berry notes. Great structure with a good balance of acidity. This was the only glass of champagne that I finished. My second favorite wine of the evening was the Veuve Cliquot La Grande Dame 2004. Was kicked to discover that both Bollinger and Veuve Cliquot are female-run houses. I wanted to like the Drappier 2005 more than I did. Because they don’t use sulfur. It was decent but not my favorite. The Don Ruinart 2002 was a stunning surprise. When we first drank it from the glass, it was restrained, even subdued with very flat aromas. All of us around the table decided that we didn’t like it. Fortunately, I didn’t finish the glass and two hours later when I smelled and tasted it again, it seemed like an amazing new champagne. Very elegant, structured, with complex notes of spices, stone fruits and light floral notes. I didn’t like the Cristal very much. Perhaps 2009 is not a great vintage for Champagne. The Dom Perignon 2004 was as you would expect. Very classic notes of brioche, butter, tobacco, and all the aromas and flavors that you can recognize anywhere. If I were to buy champagne, I would definitely buy the Bollinger again. Thank you Devesh Agarwal of the TWC for organizing such a terrific evening. . . . . . . . . . . #domperignon #cristal #champagne #drappier #veuvecliquot #ruinart #bubbly #bollinger
A foolish corn stalk arches to the sky. Hopefully offering its seeds to fleeing parakeets. Not knowing that it is but a child of leftover popcorn seeds thrown by hasty teenagers into a mud pot on my balcony. before they went to the movies. . . . . . . . #garden #gardening #corn #popcorn #outdoors #balcony
Kissing a ladybug on a jasmine flower. Clematis flower actually. . . . . . #bees #honeybee #ladybug #insects #flowers #flowerstagram #bugslife #jasmine #clematis #kiss
Sky fliers. Pond herons.
Is this honeysuckle flower? I have this at home but don’t know the name. . . . . . . #flowers #flower #flowerstagram
Tuberose, green mangoes, marigolds, red roses and arecanut blossoms. What a beautiful combination of flora and fauna. India is a high touch culture. We string flowers into garlands instead of just dumping them into vases. I should carry something like this to peoples homes instead of the usual flowers. . . . . . . . . . #flowers #flowerstagram #floral #decor #decorationideas #mango #rawmango #roses #tuberose #garland #marigold #wedding #weddingflowers #decoracioninteriores #weddingsutra #entrancedecor
Evoking the silk route and that lyrical place we call Kashgar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #20yearsofsabyasachi @sabyasachiofficial #theworldofsabyasachi #kashgaarbazaar #sabyasachijewelry #sabyasachijewellery #indianfashion #fashion @sabyasachiaccessories @louboutinworld @louboutininternational #clxsabyasachi #shoes #glamping #resortcollection @anuahuja1
Sabyasachi show closing. I sat next to a Bangalore boy whose wife, @anuahuja1 as it turned out was the show’s director. Thanks, Andrew, @apiers of @pier_st.barth for explaining the show to me and saying that “if you had to see one fashion show, this is fu&$@ng as good as it gets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . #20yearsofsabyasachi @sabyasachiofficial #theworldofsabyasachi #kashgaarbazaar #sabyasachijewelry #sabyasachijewellery #indianfashion #fashion @sabyasachiaccessories @louboutinworld @louboutininternational #clxsabyasachi #shoes #glamping #resortcollection
They say it takes a village. The people behind Sabyasachi, the brand- and the man. His mother has that intangible quality called presence. And his Dad has what James Bond might call “live and let live.” With Payal, his warm sister and his parents at the brand’s 20th anniversary. Thanks for the permission to post pics of the parents. I am staring quite idiotically at the shutter as always. . . . . . . . #20yearsofsabyasachi @sabyasachiofficial #theworldofsabyasachi #kashgaarbazaar #sabyasachijewelry #sabyasachijewellery #indianfashion #fashion @sabyasachiaccessories @louboutinworld @louboutininternational #clxsabyasachi #shoes #glamping #resortcollection
Bhopal, Bhopal. What wonders you hold. And how come so few people know. Spent a few days eating,drinking and travelling here. Saw ancient caves and retreated to well, the lovely Jehan Numa Palace and Retreat. . . . . . . . . #bhopal #bhopaldiaries #madhyapradesh #madhyapradeshtourism #udaygiri #jehannumapalace #jehannumaretreat #hotels #palacehotel #india #offthebeatenpath #offthebeatentrack #ancient #tourism #travel #shiva #shakti

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