Dancing in the kitchen

Sitting inside a restaurant suffused with rich gold tones art deco light fixtures and heavy chandeliers choreographer Remo DSouza and wife Lizelle are unmissable for their hipster coolthTwinning in tracksuit and sneakersmdashin fact so comfy was Lizelle that she refused to pull down the hoody even for the shootmdashthe couple has had a long day of shoot with actors Shraddha Kapoor and Varun Dhawan and might have to return to the set of Street Dancer 3D soon after our chat But before that they have a number of things to look into get the graffiti on the wall finalised replace the current design on the tables check acoustics and put the champagne bottle display for celebrities to sign on All this before its launch on July 17Mary Jo FootlooseThe hospitality hustle is all very new to them considering they are now officially the firstgeneration restaurant owners in the Nair familymdashRemo was born Ramesh Gopi So if Ministry of Dance is palpably plush modern and mainstream in its decor and offering of global cuisine they are the edgy alternative force behind itAnd quite a force at that We got the idea six months ago and the space was done up less in than two months says DSouza who chose Andheris New Link Road as the location for the lounge bar given its proximity to his residence With a successful hyphenated career as a choreographerdirector and reality show judge the 45yearold says he is excited about venturing into new territory After all it was his late father Gopi Nairs longnurtured dream to open a restaurantCosmopolitanBut he fell ill and passed away in September 2014 before we could put the thought to action says DSouza Senior Nair was a chef at Jamnagars Air Force mess and DSouza would often make a dash for the mess after school I went there because I was always assured of a lot of food he laughs He recalls being transfixed by his fathers theatrical flips while making rotis which were prepared every day for no less than 500 people If I was lucky to reach the mess in time I would get to taste the food before the officers But the staple was dahi mixed with sugar and purisInterestingly the original location for the restaurant was Gujarat but they later chose to zero in on Mumbai because of logistics The backstory was really a serendipitous sequence of events During a casual conversation with fellow dancer Krunal Shah I bounced the idea of a restaurant It turned out that he too wanted to open one he saysCoconut lime and chilli soupShah who runs his own dance school and has also mentored participants on dance reality shows joined hands with DSouza and got down to business While DSouza might be the face of the venture he admits its Lizelle and Shah whove done all the groundwork and execution But hes quick to add that its not a side hustle or a fallback career for him It is passion he saysTalking about passion its difficult to not discuss dance with the man who started his career as a background dancer went on to assist choreographer Ahmed Khan and later came out of the shadows to become what he is today Its during his days as a struggler that his romance with Lizelle blossomedA traditional Caesar saladBack then I didnt know how to cook so he would whip up masala rice for me Although now Im the better cook between us she says Masala rice however continues to be the couples comfort food In fact the other day after a long round of tastings I saw one of the kitchen staff tucking into dal rice I told the chef I want that and both us ended up simple dal chawal with achaarshe laughsDSouzas two cents are usually given when it comes to food because a couple of the dishes are ones that have been dredged from his fathers repository For instance the mutton curry sSiddharth Chogle sous chef to renowned chef Rakesh Talwar says dishes from memory are the hardest to recreateMexican Wave or chipotle grilled shrimp tomatillo and feta relishWe have tried to take signature Indian and European dishes and tried to give our own touch For instance the Roast Chicken Jus is finished in a tandoor Some items he tells us have been named after dance moves such as the crumbfried Hip Hop Chicken Wings which is smokey sweet and spicyTheres also a dish named after popular dancer duo Dharmesh Yelande and Raghav Juyal The dancers and actors became a household name after their performances in Dance India Dance season 2 and 3 We tried to take the personalities of Dharmesh and Raghav and replicate it in a dish So we have tomato and basil paneer tikka both ingredients representing their characters They are distinct flavours but also go well together which is symbolic of the duo says ChoglePicsSameer MarkandeAt the restaurant DSouza has decided to convert one of the areas into a dedicated studio where dance enthusiasts can come together to jam and showcase their talent I am not here to become a big restaurateur I am happy being where I am but if this labour of love becomes successful Ill be a happier manThe tomato and basil paneer tikka has been named after popular dancer duo Dharmesh Yelande and Raghav Juyal with the two ingredients representing their personalitiesKrunal Shah partner MOD Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates