As Cafe Calma gets ready to open doors, Shalimar Hotel's Advanis talk business

Itrsquos a clear day with no clouds threatening to drench the city On the ninth floor of Shalimar Hotel at Kemps Corner the brand new Cafe Calma is ready to welcome patrons starting next week The al fresco has a lush hydroponic setup and bright yellow and marine bluetiled seating that looks up to the open Mumbai sky A rare offering in maximum city Waiting for us is thirdgeneration hotelier Yash Advani formally dressed in a blue blazer His twin Simran walks in flaunting goldenrimmed vintage glasses that complement her white and beige ensembleDinesh Advani 57 with his twins Yash and Simran who run Cafe Calma and Artisan Gelato respectively at Shalimar Hotel PicAshish RajeTheir father Dinesh Advani chairman of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India joins in last We are quick to note the enviable collection of books in Dineshrsquos office library From books on Rai Bahadur Mohan Singh Oberoi the doyen of hospitality in India to the legendary Conrad Hilton and Charles Kemmons Wilson who started Holiday Inn he has read them all ldquoWhen I got married I told my wife I was already wed Shalimar will always be my first wiferdquo the 57yearold says about his hotel which turns 60 this year Dinesh a secondgeneration hotelier took over the running of Shalimar from his father Sajan in 1986ldquoWhen I came on board Bombay was still really Bombay People waited for 40 minutes to an hour to get a table at Gulmarg our Indian and continental restaurant Our chicken makhanwalla is a classic The population of south Bombay was younger and activity had not yet shifted to the suburbsrdquo recalls Dinesh who introduced the hotel bakery in the 1990s and led many transformations at the bar now known as District LoungeShalimar Hotel at Kemps Corner in the 70sThe senior Advani is full of stories The Oberoi Hotel in Delhi was the first to employ female housekeeping staff Conrad Hilton kept a picture of the Grand Dame hotels The Waldorf Astoria below the glass on his desk with a phrasemdashthe greatest of them all ldquoHe was out to buy a bank but bought the hotel insteadrdquo says Dinesh ldquoAll of them are inspirations to me but the Taj Mahal Palace old wing holds a special place in my heartrdquoIn 2018 his 26yearold twins joined him While initially Simran had no plans to join her father the passion for hospitality rubbed off on Yash quite early on ldquoOn a school trip to Egypt when I was in Class IV I picked up souvenirs for our Egyptthemed room at the hotel Even my essay submissions were usually on hotelsrdquo he laughs After studying hospitality for threeandahalf years at La Roche in Switzerland he joined ShalimarBack in the day their restaurant Gulmarg had long waiting queuesThe bug did not leech off enthusiasm during the lockdown he launched home delis Jintan Asian Kitchen and NRI naans and rolls When they considered opening a third eatery at the hotel Yash started work on Cafe Calma a name inspired by his Spotify playlist of soothing songs ldquoOur family loves travelling trying new cuisines and discussing them down to the last bite Cafe Calma is European with Asian influencesrdquo he saysHis passion project at the cafe is the hydroponic garden from where customers can pick the ingredients for their dishes The cafe has a concise European tapas menu that will be updated regularly Barbequed teriyaki eggplant gets a parmesan emulsion drizzle with parmesan crumble while whipped feta gets a hummuslike blend and is served with cherry tomatoes and sourdough toasted in garlic butter Small plates such as roast chicken tacos tortilla come with a slathering of Mexican salsa roja sauce and green salsaAt Cafe Calma customers can choose ingredients fresh off the hydroponic gardenSimranrsquos journey into the business was accidental While studying business and design in Los Angeles a part of the course took her to Milan On a whim she enrolled for a twoweek basic and intermediate course in gelatomaking at the Carpigiani Gelato University ldquoAfter the course I bought a small gelato maker and once I came back home I started trying out new flavours for friends and family who found these smallbatch artisanal gelatos to be interestingrdquo she says Her father gently suggested that she take up gelatomaking professionally using the space in the hotel left vacant by a salonShe started Nova Artisan Gelato in February 2020 ldquoIt started with one chef a manager and me Then the lockdown hit and we relied on home deliveries and online orders to keep afloat Apart from retail at the store wersquove collaborated with other restaurants and are available at Greenr cafe in Bandra too Therersquos one cloud kitchen in Bandra and the gelatos have now of course made their way to Cafe Calmarsquos dessert menurdquo From a chocolate tart to a Snicker offering that has freezedried gelato neatly packed inside a chocolate shell and drizzled with peanut butter her small batch allnatural gelatos promise to satiate even the pickiest of sweet toothShalimar like other hospitality businesses is still in the process of recuperating from COVID ldquoThis will take a little more timerdquo says Dinesh who is happy to pass the baton to his children ldquoI have taken a backseat letting them handle it not interfering unless I have a certain point of view Food festivals donrsquot work anymore and youngsters are happy with small popups and collaborations The customer has become smarter and looks for personalised experiences and is curious about cooking processes Social media is quick to judge but this is the new worldrdquoChicken makhanwallaIngredients250 gm boneless chicken20 gm yoghurt4 gm red chilli paste3 gm garam masala4 gm elaichi powder5 gm turmeric20 ml mustard oil70 gm tomatoes20 gm cashew paste25 gm cream15 gm mawa5 gm kasuri methi3 gm dry ginger5 gm chopped corianderSalt to tasteMethodMarinate chicken in yoghurt salt red chilli garam masala elaichi powder turmeric and mustard oil Roast or grill in a tandoor or oven Shred and keep aside Boil tomatoes and drain water remove the skin and puree In a wok add oil tomato paste and cashew paste Saute till oil leaves the sides Add cream mawa and kasuri methi Add the shredded pieces of tandoori chicken to gravy Garnish with chopped coriander and cream