Mumbai Diary: Tuesday Dossier

Fishy BusinessA woman takes her time to choose fresh catch from vendors at a roadside market in Goregaon on MondayAn emotional farewellChef Anahita Dhondyrsquos name has become synonymous with the Irani cafethemed FampB chain SodaBottleOpenerWala SBOW she was all of 23 when she startedoff as a chefmanager 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 ldquoMy 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 cafeacute I was on board in four daysrdquo She remembered being a nervous culinary graduate taking on a kitchen ldquoBut my team was so supportive My days would start at 8 am and end at 1 am I learnt a lot from themrdquo she said adding shersquos proud that her and her familyrsquos recipes are part of the brand Whatrsquos next then for the chef whorsquos been sharing her tips and tricks with netizens Dhondy shared shersquod like to use a break to upskill ldquoI will continue doing the weekend menus with my mother and collaborate with small entrepreneurs and bring their offerings to different citiesrdquo she signed offMorning glory in MahalaxmiItrsquos 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 predawn 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 ldquoThe idea is to highlight the rigour and practice that informs the artistrsquos 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 predawn disciplinerdquo founder and artistic director Anuradha Parikh said Write to them at infog5afoundationorg to attend these intimate baithaksBravo home chefsThe lockdown has led to the evolution of countless home chefs And budding women chefs now have a chance to showcase their chops at Powairsquos Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel which is inviting them to send in their favourite recipes ahead of International Womenrsquos Day Executive chef Gautam Mehrishi said ldquoThey can send their own recipe family favourites or anything that highlights their personality Around four winners will be part of the womenrsquos day Sunday brunch at Lake View Caferdquo Got what it takes Write to them at yagashettymarriottcom or post on social media tagging them with CapesOnLadies WomensDay by March 1Vday love for policeThis Valentinersquos 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 ldquoIt was our founder Jason Temasfieldtrsquos 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 cardsrdquo SweetMapping Mumbairsquos cycling routesWith 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 topurgentgmailcom ldquoPrincipal Secretary Environment Government of Maharashtra Manisha PatankarMhaiskar suggested we work on a map Wersquoll compile the recommendations into an app that will direct users to the nearest cycling routesrdquo he added