Phoenix Market City has to be my favorite mall in Pune. It allows me a glimpse of a past life. And I can literally lose myself window shopping at the various international brands, munching on a pretzel or donut or sipping a cup of gourmet coffee. It has a Starbucks, and now even a Dunkin’ and a Burger King. Not to mention Chili’s! That says it all for me, really.

When I got an invite for a bloggers’ meet to be held at Phoenix, there was no doubt how I was gonna respond to it. I was going! Metros like Mumbai, Bangalore and Delhi see a lot of bloggers’ events, but they are few and far in between in Pune. They are almost always pretty exclusive. So I was stoked to be invited.

I spend a lot of my time online, read ‘most’. So meeting people in person is a golden opportunity, especially when it is a group of passionate bloggers who ‘get’ you. No man, or woman, is an island, after all.

I was greeted by the hosts and we convened at Yo! China where drinks and appetizers were ordered. I tried a pineapple mojito which was just right for this summer heat. The Chili Paneer was soft and just spicy enough. The crispy vegetables were lightly tossed in sauce flavored with Sichuan peppers. Yo! China also has an impressive dimsum menu.

What I liked about this event was that there were bloggers from various niches, and it made the conversation pretty interesting. Aashna of BeyondThatBouffant styles outfits for plus sized or curvy women and does makeup tutorials. Noopur of StyleModa is a fashion designer, and so is Madhumita. Aleena is a veteran makeup artist and personal stylist and blogs at The Style Chair.

Trisha has her own design label. Overall, there was a pretty prolific group at the table.

After swapping tales and some lively talk, we moved to BluO for some bowling. Friday night was just getting started.

Bowling alleys in Pune have come a long way. Remember that little place in the basement, next to the old ABN Amro Bank off MG Road? Even the one at Amanora seemed small to me.

The toughest critic will find nothing to complain about at PVR BluO. These are full sized lanes with all the works. You get bowling shoes and socks from the counter, enter your name on the console, choose your ball, and start. Now whether you get a strike, or a gutter ball, depends entirely on how you bowl, doesn’t it?

BluO is perfect for having a good time with friends and family because you can order any kind of food you want and eat/ drink while playing. The decibel level is a bit high, sort of like a disco. But after a while, you get into the spirit as the pins fall and the scores light up the screen. There are massive TV screens and the IPL match was on.

 

BluO also has karaoke rooms, but I didn’t get a chance to check them out. I did see groups of people in these rooms, so obviously they seem popular.

There was a generous dinner spread with salad, pasta, chicken items and veg fare. The Paneer Lababdar was a spicy gravy with soft rich paneer. The pastries were delicate and moist. I especially enjoyed the butter scotch and dark chocolate ones.

Thanks to Phoenix Market City, I had an awesome evening and night out. I am so looking forward to more blogger meets and making new friends.

When was the last time You headed out to Phoenix Market City?