I wanted to make the day special for my husband. I asked my colleagues to help me choose a great place for a fancy, romantic dinner. One of the suggestions was Jamavar at Leela Palace Kempenski.
The name instantly struck a chord and I had made my decision. I looked up the internet to get their numbers. Made a reservation a day in advance. Since his b'day fell on Saturday, I didn't want to take any chances or make him wait for a meal. I was in touch with Franklin at the hotel. He said they could help with arrangements and i was only too happy to take all the help they were giving. We had our discussions about the arrangements and the 'shoo-shaa' that I wanted. He even called me back after checking with his colleagues, just to confirm that 'it would all be taken care of'.
On 23rd evening, we landed up at Jamavar. We were taken to a lovely table in the outdoors, separate from the rest, facing the lawns and elegantly decorated. The gentle Indian instrumental music playing in the background added to the beauty of the place. I couldn't help noticing the lovely lanterns that adorned the walls and the bespoke silver cutlery that was laid out on the table. This was just the beginning of a beautiful evening, i thought. We ordered our drink, and some starters. The food was good. Not bad, but not excellent either. Just good. We had some grilled vegetables for starters, a mocktail, rotis and kulchas and Dum Aloo Kashmiri. The Dum aloo kashmiri was not at all up to the mark. It was just boiled potatoes in tomato gravy. As the helpings were generous, we didn't bother to order rice. But we didn't mind it much. The excellent hospitality and non-intrusive, thoughtful service more than made up for it.
Half way through, the surprises began: a large beautiful bouquet was brought to to our table. When I gave it to Satti, he was surprised. And happy. And excited. When it had sunk in, it was almost time for us to leave. Just before we left, the cake came... a huge, delicious chocolate cake with a happy birthday song from the guys... It was just awesome. I was grinning from ear to ear!
What I loved about the place was the wonderful coordination and the attitude - I didn't have to as much as make eye contact with the guys to remind them about the arrangements. And the timing and thoughtfulness as well - just perfect. They selected the table for us to ensure that the celebration was as private as it could get. Elegant decoration for our table came with compliments. When we leaving, 3 of the guys came and wished my husband a happy brithday!
I left a thank you note for Franklin and the others. They made the evening so special for us that we'll remember it for many years to come.
