Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

Pic/Ashish Rane

Out of the blue

A flight and a bird spotted in the sky, near Milan Subway in Santacruz east.

Save the palmyra

There was a time when thaad (palmyra tree) was used by Aarey's Warli community to create utility products, jaggery and musical instruments. Thanks to tree-cutting and low replacement rates, these trees are now on the brink of extinction in Mumbai, according to environment enthusiast Sanjiv Valsan. "People have forgotten how to use palmyra for various purposes. The craft is vanishing, and motivation to plant the tree is also low." The Ped Lagao Ped Bachao group which takes care of the city's green lungs is organising a workshop on the art of using palmyra to make baskets, mats, etc, and keep the conversation around palmyra alive, this Sunday. "A trainer from Tamil Nadu will be present. early birds can learn how to take care of the saplings, too," he added. Interested folk can call 9080250653.

SoBo's sweet spot

Cococafe in Fort

Within months of launching as an e-commerce platform in July, Karan and Arjun Ahuja's chocolate chamber Cococart has made an offline appearance in Fort - both as a store and a european-themed bistro, Cococafe. "Arjun realised we could amplify our name with a presence, both, on the street and online. Since Mumbai is our home city, we wanted a flagship store here to pay homage to the place where it all began. We started planning from late August," said Karan.

Karishma Sakhrani, who designed the all-day menu comprising savouries, desserts, Godiva coffee beverages and chic shakes, added, "The menu brings a breath of fresh air into the F&B space in SoBo. with an equal focus on sweet and savoury." The cafe is housed inside the store at Jiji House, Fort.

Time to experience the real deal

A pre-lockdown version of the event

Optikal Asylum is an event that exists at the confluence of art and music, with local artistes showcasing their work while DJs belt out tunes. The event was held on a regular basis before the pandemic put the brakes on it. But it returns to Khar Social tomorrow after a gap of nine months, with 11 artists and three DJs in the line-up. "The feeling [of going live again] still hasn't hit me," confessed organiser Romario Rodrigues of music and events firm, Kranti Art Theory.

Our President, Pranab da

The Presidential Years (2012-2017, Rupa) by Pranab Mukherjee is perhaps the title that Indian readers should be itching to get their hands on, dare we say, even before Barack Obama's tell-all of his years as the US President. The book is a deeply personal one, offering a window into our late president's astute mind and phenomenal grasp of India's diverse political landscape.

Telling us why the book will make for an insightful read, Kapish Mehra (in pic), managing director, Rupa Publications India, shared, "In this book, readers get up close and personal with the people's president and a statesman-politician who placed national interest above partisan politics. According to me, what stands out in the autobiography is the manner in which the former president pulls no punches when it comes to offering his views on contentious subjects ranging from the Congress's decline to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's brand of diplomacy."

Mizu is back

Interiors of the new Bandra outlet

After shuttering its Worli outpost in the early months of the lockdown, we're happy to hear that Japanese eatery Mizu Izakaya is opening in Bandra. Chef and co-owner Lakhan Jethani told this diarist that the new restaurant, which opens doors to the public next week, was due since April. "But COVID-19 happened. We're finally set; we have a live raw bar, so everything will be plated in front of the customer. We will also launch a patisserie for Japanese baked goods and Asian ice creams inside the outlet soon," he added.

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