Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Pic/Anurag Ahire

Fishy Business
A woman takes her time to choose fresh catch from vendors at a roadside market in Goregaon on Monday.

An emotional farewell

Chef Anahita Dhondy's name has become synonymous with the Irani cafe-themed F&B chain SodaBottleOpenerWala (SBOW); she was all of 23 when she started
off as a chef-manager at the Delhi outpost. Now, eight years later, the chef is bidding adieu to her first job, she told this diarist. About her emotional journey, she recalled, "My interview with founder AD Singh was for joining Olive, but the conversation drifted to Parsi food and I found out that they were already planning an Irani café. I was on board in four days." She remembered being a nervous culinary graduate taking on a kitchen. "But my team was so supportive. My days would start at 8 am and end at 1 am. I learnt a lot from them," she said, adding she's proud that her and her family's recipes are part of the brand. What's next, then, for the chef who's been sharing her tips and tricks with netizens? Dhondy shared she'd like to use a break to upskill. "I will continue doing the weekend menus with my mother, and collaborate with small entrepreneurs and bring their offerings to different cities," she signed off.

Morning glory in Mahalaxmi

It's difficult to find a moment of peace and pause in a bustling city like Mumbai. But in the heart of its chaotic industrial estate in Mahalaxmi, the folks at the G5A Foundation for Contemporary Culture have managed to capture a soulful moment of harmony. They have started a pre-dawn session, Morning Riyaaz, inviting a limited number of audience members to tune into performances by classical musicians, way before the city wakes up. The first show on Sunday witnessed vocalist Pelva Naik serenading the audience on the G5A rooftop, accompanied by the occasional chirping of birds and a gorgeous sunrise. "The idea is to highlight the rigour and practice that informs the artist's journey. Riyaaz is an integral part of the devotion that this journey entails, and the morning riyaaz sets the tone for it. Through the series, we want to evoke and pay homage to this pre-dawn discipline," founder and artistic director Anuradha Parikh said. Write to them at info@g5afoundation.org to attend these intimate baithaks.

Bravo, home chefs

The lockdown has led to the evolution of countless home chefs. And budding women chefs now have a chance to showcase their chops at Powai's Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel which is inviting them to send in their favourite recipes, ahead of International Women's Day. Executive chef Gautam Mehrishi said, "They can send their own recipe, family favourites or anything that highlights their personality. Around four winners will be part of the women's day Sunday brunch at Lake View Cafe." Got what it takes? Write to them at yaga.shetty@marriott.com, or post on social media, tagging them with #CapesOnLadies #WomensDay, by March 1.

V-day love for police

This Valentine's Day, a few Mumbaikars decided to paint the town red in a different way. Around 25 volunteers from We The People Foundation headed to Juhu, Amboli, DN Nagar, Oshiwara and Versova police stations to shower police officers with love and gratitude. The result was a group of smiling and pleasantly surprised cops, shared Gelvin Fernandes, Maharashtra President. "It was our founder, Jason Temasfieldt's idea. Cops have been out there throughout the pandemic, protecting us. The idea was to appreciate them for their service, and bridge the gap between the public and the police, as people are scared of approaching them. We gifted them roses and cards." Sweet.

Mapping Mumbai's cycling routes

With a growing interest in cycling among Mumbaikars, a cycling map of the top 20 routes of the city is being curated. Subhajit Mukherjee, ambassador, Majhi Vasundhara Abhiyan, a state government initiative to mitigate climate change, told this diarist that they are inviting recommendations from cycling enthusiasts at topurgent@gmail.com. "Principal Secretary (Environment), Government of Maharashtra, Manisha Patankar-Mhaiskar suggested we work on a map. We'll compile the recommendations into an app that will direct users to the nearest cycling routes," he added.