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They will rock you When the hip-n-happening brigade descended upon the city and charmed party-goers
They have one thing in common, their love for parties and their presence in almost all the hip-n-happening bashes. Perhaps that’s why this party brigade qualifies to be present at the newly launched sports bar in Chandigarh. Meet the king of all remixes, DJ Aqueel, svelte MTV VJ Anousha Dandekar and Ranvijay, pretty Kim Sharma and hunk Ashish Chaudhary who shared notes on sports and more. News maker She has always been making news, be it for wearing those teeny weenie clothes in Mohabbatein or her fights with co-stars or her link up with cricketer Yuvraj Singh, this girl surely knows how to handle it all and that too quite efficiently. Of course, she likes cricket but unexpectedly its Bhajji, aka Harbhajan and the cricketing legend, Sachin Tendulkar and Kumble who make it to her favourite list among the Indian team. "Once in a while I like to watch sports but I am more game for girlie’ things," says the star, clad in a magenta pink sporty outfit. All set to sizzle the big screen once again, Kim has three releases lined up. "Two with Jimmy Shergill, Khafa and Chodo na Yaar and one all girls action movie, Boomerang another one with Rahul Bose, directed by Rajiv Verani." How important is it to have a meaty role, we ask. "I will rather do a substantial film that has me in a small role than be a lead heroine in a crappy film," she clarifies. Admitting her impulsiveness and temper, Kim who started modelling very early and could only go to school till class XI, says she loves reading fiction in her free time. Apart from acting, it is producing films in future that Kim is interested in. Like son, like dad He creates magical tunes, but more than music it is sports that he digs. " Besides cricket, football, horse racing, bungee jumping, it’s bowling that I like most, courtesy my son. He likes bowling the most," says Aqueel. Out of action for almost two years now, Aqueel is all set to rock the party circuit once again with his all-new remix album of 10 songs with two mixes each of every remix. "For the past two years I was busy with my club, ‘Poison’ in the suburbs of Bandra in Mumbai," he claims. Matinee idol She was a surprise package when she performed her matkasn-jhatkas in a jazzy number in Mumbai Matinee and impressed everyone with her acting prowess in Virrudh, opposite John Abraham. She comes across as a bubbly and lively sports lover but of a different kind. "I was born in Africa, educated in Australia, stayed in London and now in India, all cricket crazy countries yet cricket is not my cup of tea," she quips. "I like netball, handball, swimming, volleyball and beach sports." On a humorous note, Anousha claims shaking a leg on Aqueel’s numbers is what she likes the most. For Jalandhar boy Ranvijay, MTV Roadies that proved to be a turning point in life, the love for sports has always been there. From being a national-level basketball player to doing all kinds of sporty tasks while on Roadies, Ranvijay enjoys every bit of sports. "Adventure sports, specially bungee jumping, biking, rock climbing and zorbing, set my adrenaline level high," says Ranvijay. As for his career graph, well, very soon the Punjabi munda will be seen in a Mahesh Manjerakar’s Big Bazaar — a film based on the story of workers after the shutting down of mills in Mumbai. Full of beans
Tall and handsome Ashish Chaudhary, who started his career with daily
soaps on small screen, is full of beans. Turning all heads with his new
look, he finally broke the ice, "I am doing a film called White
Water, based on the story of salt workers in Gujarat and the
character demands this outlook." Dhamaal with Sanju baba,
Arshad, Javed and directed by Inder Kumar is on the offering besides
Vikram Bhat’s Speed, Kis Se Pyar Karun and Kuch Love
Kuch Drama with Neha Dhupia, Amrita Arora and Rajpal Yadav. Though
the actor has quite a handful of projects in his kitty, he has no
regrets being one of the kinsmen in the multi-starrers. "I believe
in characterisation of roles on the lines of Hollywood. Of course no
body can take away the super stardom from bigwigs like Amitabh or
Shahrukh, but I never had any qualms doing smaller roles," he
claims. For the new sports bar, well Ashish is game as long as it has
great music, lots of drinks, a pool table and an excellent ambience.
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Picture Perfect Few years ago, hardly anybody who is somebody in Bollywood would come come to the city. Films were shot in and around Chandigarh, but mostly Punjabi films. But now the picture is fast changing. Thanks to the metropolitan character and culture of the city. In fact, the city is fast becoming the centre of attraction, not just for the local and foreign tourists, but also for Bollywood’s famed directors and Almost every three months, a movie is being shot in Chandigarh and its surrounding areas. And the trend has been going on since 2004. The past few years had seen big banner movies to small budget one being shot here. After this, another multi-star brought a flood of Hindi and Punjabi film stars and crew that included Dharamendra, Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor and The other Hindi films shot here included Dosti, Shortcut, Apne, Jane Bhi Do Yarro, Naamste London and recently The Party. In the Punjabi film category, one saw movies like Desh Hoya Pradesh, Yarra Nal Bahara, Pind Di Kudi, Dil Apna Punjabi, Mannat and Rab Ne Baniyaan Joriyaan being shot here. “The trend is providing great opportunities for Chandigarh-based artistes,” says Sunil Babbar, well-known director, who has launched countless local artistes in his films. In his latest commercial film The Party, nearly 60 local artistes took part. Agreeing with him, child artist Pragati Trikha says: “Chandigarh is well-designed and has so many places to offer for shooting.” A student of Class VI in Sacred Heart School, Sector 26, she has already acted in the company of top film stars, including Shah Rukh Khan, Priety Zinta, Bobby Deol, Akshay Kumar, Kareena Kapoor, Lara Dutta and Rani Mukherjee. She has also played the role of a schoolgirl in Veer Zaara. Talking over the phone actor Jatin Garewal who is based in Mumbai now, says: “The drift will further encourage the setting up of acting schools and theatre academy. In the process, it will become easy for directors and producers to hunt for talent.” The city’s importance as the shooting destination can also be gauged from the fact that Bollywood actor Anupam Kher is setting up an acting institute in the city. In fact, Yash Chopra, Chairman of the Chandigarh Advisory Tourism Forum, had suggested the setting up of such an institute. Besides this, film city project has been envisaged to attract film crews and will have a multi-media park of the international standard. The Chandigarh Administration officials agree that there is indeed a need for such a project as film units are increasingly picking as their destinations.
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Striking the right note He plays Pied Piper to popularity. Every time his dexterous fingers move over the keyboard rhythmically, fame comes dancing to his tunes. Other musicians also play Casio, may be even better — you can argue. But Abhishek Jain is just six-and-a-half. And that’s what makes the melodic difference. It may sound music to your ears. But the young guy studying in Class II at Chandigarh’s St Stephen’s School has already played his way to recognition at the district-level Independence Day function in Nawanshahar. This is not the end of the musical voyage that started some two years ago with a live performance at Banga, near Jalandhar. Inspired by the success of pal-pal dil key paas, he went on to create magic out of music for 35 minutes non-stop at a summer camp. You have to listen to his genre of music before realising how good he is at striking up a tune. Mellow notes of some old yet not forgotten tune, flowing out of the instrument, flood the air as he make an adaptation. Sitting behind the instrument, Abhishek does not take his fingers off the key board as he looks at you with intent eyes before crooning in a tuneful voice: “I just listen to the songs on the radio or television and practice till I can play them rightly”. Good. But is he planning to take up music as line of work? “Nay,” he asserts with a charming smile playing on his tender lips. A bit philosophical for his age, he adds: “Music is more of a hobby. I will keep on playing, no doubt about it. As for profession, I want to fly into the airlines business as a pilot, when I grow up. Or else, become an advocate” Standing next to him, his mother Sheetal Jain and father Sandeep Jain, an advocate in the Punjab and Haryana High Court, say in unison: “We are just not pressurising him into anything. He has the liberty to do whatever he likes. At the same time, we are providing him with formal coaching in music so that he can scale harmonic heights”. Folks, here seems to be a lesson for all. Give the child the best without forcing him to accept, and the best will come back to you, eventually!
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Cool Stuff This season Nautica, a leading global lifestyle brand, has launched their Spring Summer 2007 collection with a variety of pieces to keep the Nautica man and woman cool, comfortable, and fashionable. For spring 2007, Nautica combines functionality and fashion to create innovative garments. From a great selection of short sleeve woven shirts to a wide array of bottoms, the collection meets the needs of the active man and woman while keeping them effortlessly stylish. The Nautica collection has been inspired by the sun-bleached colors of spring that is easy to match with other items. It presents new styles in each of its distinct summer ranges, each unmistakably from Nautica yet conveying its own story and style. Lifestyle products Fedders Lloyd Corporation Limited, an air-conditioning industry in India, has announced its foray into the consumer electronics and home appliances segment under the brand name Lloyd. Fitting into the lifestyle needs of every family, the Lloyd range includes air conditioners, microwaves, DVD players and LCD TVs that offer unrivalled technological innovations with the ‘Crystal Wave Technology’. Available in more than 30 models across all markets in the country, the products will be manufactured in the company’s state-of-the-art facilities. Cricket & chicken The ICC Cricket World Cup-2007 has kicked off and KFC the world’s largest chicken chain has announced the lucky winners of the ‘Yeh Contest Hai Fixed’ World Cup promo. From this area Chandan Gabba of Phillaur will soon be on their way to the West Indies. The winners will get a 10-day, fully-paid trip to the West Indies and exclusive tickets to some of the important Indian matches in the Caribbean. Bon Voyage Voyages Television announced the launch of its’ telecast in India. A premier lifestyle channel globally, Voyages Television offers a 360-degree approach to planning your holiday. A free to air channel in India, Voyages Television offers programming which is designed to not only entertain viewers, but also provide them with relevant information about various holiday destinations across the world. Experience the magic of holidays with Anupama Verma, Maria Goretti, Sameer Malhotra, Christine Zedek, Amrita Saluja, Kuki Gerawal, Sunaina Guliya, Anchal Saxena and many more…. Sony revolution Sony’s sleek new VAIO L series is an all-in-one Panel PC that doubles as a state-of-the-art home entertainment system. Equipped with the VAIO Sound Reality audio chip and 3W high quality speakers the series can play your choice of music with phenomenal sound quality. The product is an incorporation of the features of the desktop and notebook PCs and is a slim- stylish frame that can replace a whole lot of gadgets in your home. The built-in 1/6-inch VGA CMOS MOTION EYE camera and microphone and 15.4” Wide Clear Bright LCD are its other features. The series boosts of the latest in computing technology that includes an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor. Available in select Sony stores, at Rs 89,990. Get businesslike Do you carry your office with you in your bag? Are you always ready to go? Important things to carry, still wondering how? Your worries are about to be over. JanSport introduces their new office collection for today’s professionals and globetrotting business travelers. It’s comfortable, flexible and helps you fit your laptop with ease leaving space for more. The detachable shoulder strap with breathable mesh and fleece-wrapped comfort zone will not only make it look stylish but also ease off that weight from your shoulders up to 50 per cent.
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Though the ongoing World Cup is all about the unexpected, city eateries offer meals that sure will leave you satiated, says Rajiv Bhatia
With all the joints geared up for the World Cup, a mix of drinks and snacks with their names bearing resemblance to the cricket world is not very uncommon. You can dig into a Hat trick Wicket or a Catch Out Kebabs in the non-vegetarian platter.
Catch the action live at Himani’s, Sector 35. A LCD screen capturing the real action and with waiters sporting the uniform of Indian cricket team, the place is a perfect place to unwind and cheer the team. Says, Ankit Gupta, managing director, “We are offering mocktails and cocktails with names like Antigua shots, Barbados beauty and Caribbean punch”. The joint remains open till the results of the match is declared and yes what’s more they offer special discounts every time our men score a century. And, not only that you even get a discount on the days our team plays a match.
You can also dig into a Blaster Toss (boneless pieces of chicken tossed with red wine) or a 190 Not Out (Batter fried fish marinated with Indian spices crispy). Cricket Ka Maidaan and Stumped Corn (baby corn marinated with curd) are some other must trys! Aroma Hotel, Sector 22 is also offering an interesting variety of ice creams and other desserts to go along with cricket big knockouts, tells Man Mohan Singh Kohli. So foodies, if you want to cheer the team every time they hit the boundary or hurl up the ball in the air, you know where to head!
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The pair, who broke up in January after nearly four years of being together, was seen spending quality time with each other at the Whisky Bar in the Sunset Marquis Hotel in West Hollywood recently. According to In Touch magazine, the Charlie’s Angels star and the Sexy Back singer were again spotted surfing together during the same weekend at a Malibu beach. Couple of charity Hollywood’s hottest couple Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated $100,000 of their money to help construct the first modern medical facility in Duk County, Sudan. They made the donation to the Duk Lost Boys Clinic through the Jolie-Pitt Foundation. The clinic will open in the spring and serve more than 150,000 persons. $20m for Britney’s ex-hubby Singer Britney Spears has
agreed to give estranged hubby Kevin Federline about 20 million dollars
in the divorce settlement. K-Fed will get 2 million in cash and half of
Spears’ earnings during their two year marriage. In the out of court
settlement, Kevin will also be entitled to half of the ‘money made
from selling their Malibu marital home’. Spears checked out of
Promises rehab in Malibu on March 20, after successfully completing her
treatment in the centre. The Toxic singer’s life has seen an amazing
change after her month long stay in the rehab. However, reports have
been staring that Britney’s stay has been a short one, for usually the
Promises program is for 45 days. Shilpa grows taller Celebrity Big Brother winner Shilpa Shetty has reportedly been chosen as the new face of Marks & Spencer. The actress, who gained public admiration after she reacted wisely to the racial abuse in the Channel 4 hit show, had recently attended shoot sessions. A source said the actress spent the entire day trying on clothes, and that Shilpa is perfect for the campaign, for she is stunning and the British crowd loved her. The contract is said to be close to 150,000 pounds, and if the campaign is a success then Shilpa maybe roped in again for another set of promotional programmes. — ANI & IANS
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A warm cup of cheer Kandla Nijhowne We seem to be having an extended winter of sorts. It’s been raining fit to drown a duck, and the other day, I saw big, whacking hailstones shooting past the windows at the speed of Olympic sprinters. As the nights draw in, nothing’s more delightful than sipping a steaming hot drink while snuggled up watching the idiot-box, or hibernating under the quilt. My favourite pastime is to simultaneously pick up my steaming mug as well as the phone, and nag my kids long-distance! Hot chocolate, coffee and alcoholic punches infused with Christmas spices are soul-warming. Here’s another claim we can gloat about. The term ‘Punch’, comes from a corruption of the Sanskrit word ‘panch, meaning five essential ingredients. Perhaps this should be declared our national drink!! Rum Punch 2 cups brewed tea (no milk) 1 cup each of orange and pineapple juice 1 cup dark rum ½ - ¾ cup sugar Method Leaving the rum and the chopped garnish, tip all the other ingredients into a deep pan and bring them to a rolling boil. Reduce the heat and keep it simmering for about 30 minutes. After that add rum. Heat through once and pour into glasses, floating some of the fruit and mint. Flu at the Door This is just the thing when you have that achy feeling and there’s a bug
Mix all ingredients and stir until they are blended. Serve immediately. Pooh’s Nightcap A delightful kiddy-drink, immortalised by Winnie, the Pooh, as his favourite. Method Warm the milk, chocolate, sugar (to taste), and cinnamon, stirring occasionally till the chocolate and the sugar have melted. Allow a few minutes of simmering so the cinnamon imparts its richness to the drink. Strain into mugs, propping up a cinnamon stick in it. Add a dollop of whipped cream and end off with some chocolate shavings strewn over the top.
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Beauty Studio
Do’s & Don’ts
This column appears fortnightly Q& A I have been using over the counter medications for the past three months to fight acne, nothing seems to work. Please help. You can control most breakouts and flare ups with over the counter products provided you educate yourself on products and your skin condition. A treatment with azelaic acid or benzoyl peroxide will usually be sufficient for mild to moderate acne. These slow the growth of acne bacterium. There are lots of creams, gels, lotions and potions. Most contain a powerful bleaching agent benzoyl peroxide and come in different strengths 2.5% , 5% and 10% . Start with 2.5%. Although there might be some mild irritation first, this usually gets better as the skin becomes more tolerant. If all this fails, then make an appointment with the dermatologist. I went to the beauty counter, I was told if I cleanse, tone and moisturise everyday my spots will go. Is this true? If only life were that simple! Spots are not caused by dirt, so no amount of cleaning and toning can get rid of them. The increased production of sebum that leads to a narrowing of the sebaceous glands is the real cause of acne. However, if you are fighting acne-prone skin, cleansing is essential. Use a cleanser that will remove make up, oil build up, dirt and other debris from the skin’s surface and preparing it for other acne-fighting treatments. Medicated cleansers are great for acne-prone skin, but there are all natural products that also get the job done. Tee Tree oil is good for spots and is well recognised as helping spots in a similar way to benzoyl peroxide. The purer the oil the better when it comes to dabbing on stubborn or freshly brewing spots. It can help control the severity of the spot. Pammy Kaul is a UK-based beauty therapist. Email your queries to lifestyletribune@gmail.com
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Czech-mate After making the Indian audience dance to her rhythmic steps in sizzling ‘special’ numbers, Bollywood’s ‘biggest item bomb’ Yana Gupta is creating melodious waves in the music industry by announcing her plans to release an album. Music to ears, eh! Well, the familiarly-foreign actress-cum-model is also penning down the secrets of her looks in a book on fitness and nutrition. For, the young scuba-diver-cum-bungee jumper believes in ‘sharing her beauty hush-hush’, openly. And though her phone has repeatedly been ringing with offers from producers asking her to lend oomph and glamour to their films, Yana doesn’t plan to give up on her ‘item’ roles completely, or her part as a television anchor.“I am just being choosy,” she insists. Also, the single-again blue-eyed beauty of many hearts has no plans of tying the knot again. Also, she hates keeping in touch with old ‘boyfriends’ though they keep calling her up. “Don’t look back,” is all she says with that Yana glint in her eyes.
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No more craving for Chinese cuisine, finds Smriti Sharma
While the cuisine was introduced to keep the business going during Navratras, tells Radhey Mohan, manager of the restaurant, the idea has really picked on. Well, a full course Chinese and Thai cuisine sans onion and garlic, sure sounds tempting
“All the dishes are prepared in a special section for vegetarian food”, tells chef Bhaskar. “Garlic and onion have been replaced with ginger”, he adds. So go ahead and relish your favourite Chinese delicacies even now.
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This Merchant Navy officer prefers cooking to sailing Rajiv Bhatia Cooking his way to the hearts of people for four years now, Avkash is oft known as the man who is bringing an Indian touch to the Portuguese palate. The head chef at Saboar Da India (taste of India), a popular Lisbon-based Indian restaurant, Avkash left behind a career in merchant navy to pursue his love for cooking. Working as a Deck Training Officer on passenger ship, Al-Madina, he says when on board he often felt cut off from the rest of the world. And, that’s when he decided to undertake a voyage to the world of spices and aromas. “I love to experimenting and creating new dishes”, he smiles. On completing his cookery course in Portugal, he worked in various restaurants as a chef and learnt more about the Portuguese cuisine. Talking about the taste of the Portuguese, he says: “They relish non-vegetarian food be it breakfast, lunch or dinner”. He further shares that Portuguese rarely cook at home and prefer biting into a meal in a Portuguese restaurant that costs only three euros. Well, but when it comes to Indian delicacies then money is never the binding factor. Costing 30 euros per meal, the Portuguese foodies however feel that it is worth every penny spent. With their penchant for spicy food, says Avkash, “We use onion and tomato sauces and olive oil to give the dishes an indian taste”. On Portuguese palate, he says that most of his customers prefer a light breakfast of alfaesa (salad) with red wine or a glass of beer. “They are very health conscious”, he adds. For dinner, Peito de Frongo (a chicken dish), an assimilation of tomato & onion sauce and white milk cream is a favourite. Another of his much-relished preparation is meetha chicken corma and meetha chicken samosa. In love with both the cuisines, he says that the Portuguese food unlike the cuisine from here is mostly boiled and non-spicy food.
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Dosti
with Bollywood A guitarist, cricketer, model and an avid reader, Yuvraj Siddhartha is now set to make his debut in the tinsel world. Busy shooting for Prakash Jha’s movie titled ‘Dil Dosti’, the budding actor shares his future plans with Lifestyle. A graduate from St. Stephen College, Delhi, Yuvraj’s first brush with acting happened when he performed with rock stars and theatre personalities in Europe. Back home, modeling offers poured in for the youngster who is known for his Greek-Indian looks in the film circuits now. A fan of Hollywood flicks, he looks up to actors like Johnny
Depp, Al Pacino and Tom Cruise. Kill Bill and De Vinci Code are a few of his favourite movies. Talking of Bollywood, he looks up to Amitabh Bachchan as an idol and feels acting a role should evoke from one’s spirit and not mere looks. Making foray into the tinsel world with Jha’s film, which casts Shareyas Talpade and Nikita Anand in the lead roles; Yuvraj considers the experience and guidance of the veterans as his learning ground. A strong believer of the philosophy of Karma in Bhagwad Gita, Yuvraj feels that hard work would be his key to the tinsel world. Also, in his kitty is a role in Ravi Chopra’s forthcoming flick.
— Dharam Pal
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Health
Tip of the day Flat foot usually continues till the age of five or older. Flexible flat foot continuing into adolescence may cause pain along the bottom of the foot.
— Dr Ravinder Chadha |
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Lights! Camera! Action! Chandigarh is dazzling under the arc-lights with stars from the tinsel world descending on the city’s horizon.
In 2004, Veer Zaara, a super-hit film, was shot in 14 different locations here. It was a delight for the movie buffs as it had brought actors like Shah Rukh Khan, Preity Zinta, Amitabh Bacchan, Hema Malini and Rani Mukherjee to the city. 
For all those cricket buffs who have been sitting glued to the television waiting for the action, it’s time to drive down to the city restaurants and savour more than just the action. Get together with friends to cheer the men in blue over a delectable meal, says the restaurateurs. 
And, for all you veggies, there is Guglee Khumb or the Boundary Bahar. And, well you can slurp down the lip smacking delicacies with a chilled glass of Caribbean punch.
Another delectable offering comes from The Yellow Chilli, Sector 9, Panchkula, who have made elaborate arrangements for the occasion. Relish an array of veg and non-veg dishes with names inspiried from the cricket arena. “In the pipeline is a pasta food festival”, says Jasmeet Singh Bindra, managing director.
Actress Cameroon Diaz and ex-beau Justin Timberlake have sparked off
rumours of their reunion after they were spotted enjoying each other’s
company in Los Angeles.
A source close to the pop singer said
that during the rehab stay, Spears’ estranged hubby Kevin Federline
extended his support to help her cope with the treatment. As for the
couple’s two sons, well it seems that the way K-Fed took charge of
them after Spears went into rehab has proved to the singer that he is a
good dad.
Method
Acne and spots are a part of growing up. Nobody can escape from puberty without an odd flare-up. Genetics are to be largely blamed for acne; if zits are in your genes, then nothing can stop them. Stress, hormones, environment and lifestyle also cause break outs. Acne can be very distressing, especially since it often occurs in areas where it is most visible. Before acne causes psychological stress and socially disabling, an early effective treatment is the only answer.
A four-course Chinese meal with your favourite piping hot soups and hakka noodles during Navratras is surely a treat for the city folks. Crafted specially for the Navratras, the delectable offering from Purple Rice, Sector 35, is making even fasting tempting.
Begin with the soups, a velvety corn soup (a version of sweet corn soup) and lemon coriander soup is what you can savour. Move to the tempting starters that includes Thai spice lettuce wraps and potato corn chilli. For the main course dig into chilli spinach, vegetable choupsey, Thai vegetarian red curry or chilli noodles. For your sweet tooth, Purple Rice offers a fresh fruit platter.