A candid chat with Terence Lewis and Lauren Gottlieb over lunch

Lauren Gottlieb and Terence Lewis share laughs over a meal at Bastian Bandra PicsNimesh DaveWhen we asked Lauren Gottlieb to pick her restaurant of choice for this edition of Lunchbox her response was prompt Can we go to Bastian please Its my favourite Joining her was popular choreographer Terence Lewis While she left a successful career in LA for new beginnings here he chose dance after a degree in hotel management Next month Lauren will judge a youth talent show while Terence will be part of the jury for the Septieme Lune Film Festival in France Throughout lunch their camaraderie is palpable and their passion for food and dance infectiousLauren Have you been here beforeTerence Yes I live next door I also invite people here The ambience isnt overwhelming You dont need to dress upLauren I found friends a support system and comfort zone at Bastian and with Kelvin Cheung chefowner Hes from Canada and Chicago both places common to usTuna Poke and Burrata Salad arrive at the tableLauren This is my breakfastIm a foodieTerence I love to try exotic dishesLauren Live to eat or eat to liveTerence Eat to liveLauren Im the oppositeTerence However the culinary experience is important to meLauren Thats why I have a big booty and you dontTerence laughs I dont eat tuna I used to be vegetarian at one pointLauren Seafood is risky I wouldnt eat it everywhere I dont think theres anything I dont like except pickled veggies maybe I was in Gujarat recently and we ate a thali The foods sweet American food is sweet and spicySuprita Terence how did you go back to being nonvegetarianTerence I was on protein shakes to gain weight Then I had a liver problem it wasnt responding well to artificial protein So the doctor suggested I eat eggs and chicken When I told him I didnt like how animals were raised and treated he said Right now its your life or theirs The switch was tough I dont eat red meatSuprita Do you cookLauren I dont Maybe I should because one day Im going to need it When I do it is crap and I wouldnt subject anyone else to it I dont have a cook either I order out every day I get salads and juicesTerence I like simple food No masala I usually eat brown rice broccoli spinach and lentils a piece of chicken or egg I have cooked enough for a lifetime during my hotel management daysLauren Did you dance during your management daysTerence I had no formal training I would teach from house to house because it paid my fees and gave me pocket money I was 15 then we lived in a slum for 30 years of my life I had crazy energy and was hungry to learnLauren I began learning dance at seven Back home everyone starts at three so I thought I lagged behind Id bawl and beg my mom to let me quit she said that she had paid my fees for the year so I had to finish the recital At my first show maybe it was the lights or the attention but I found what I wanted to do in that momentAnimal Prawns Salmon Jalapentildeo and Pan Seared Himachal Trout arrive We use a knife and fork to try the prawnsLauren Those are Animal Prawns Eat them with your handsTerence The prawns are delicious The texture is so goodLauren I forgot to tell you this I was working on this television talent hunt for college kids two kids were doing Modern dance When I asked them where they learnt it they mentioned your dance academyTerence Very few know the difference between Modern and Contemporary dance They came from different eras tries a spoon of Kale Caesar SaladSuprita Do you watch what you eatLauren I am an allornothing person I work out like a beast and then ease off for some timeTerence I run on the beach before sunrise Theres need and greed and I balance them