Mumbai: Juhu’s cultural and culinary landscape shifts with luxury beach club entry

Growing in the 1980s and 90s Juhu was the perfect cradle Green canopied streets sea breeze wafting in homes and playtime at Pushpa Narsee Park Juhu was also about cycling in its bylanes identifying every bungalow from 1st Road to 12th Road and spotting celebrities This one time Amitabh Bachchanrsquos car halted at a signal and the superstar rolled down his window and waved backChicken TacosSundays included visits to fivestars like Centaur Hotel 1985 SunNSand 1962 and Holiday Inn 1976 and Novotel since 2009 This era also saw live music venues like Raspberry Rhinoceros and discotheque J49 emerge JW Marriott opened in 2002 Novotel had Gadda da Vida while Sun NSand reinvented itself with Kabab Hut Aqua Haochi and BeachcomberNikkei Tropical PrawnsBut times are a changinrsquo Last month Bastian Beach Club took over the pool area from SunNSand and reimagined it with a St Tropez beach vibe Ranjit Bindra founder of Bastian Hospitality says ldquoMumbai is a beach city without any beach club which is common in other countries How people step out is evolving mdash itrsquos not about selling food and drinks but an entire experience Our entry is a huge change for Juhu because wersquove had SunNSand since 1962 With time change will happen itrsquos important to adapt to peoplersquos needs The sundowner is our prime time and then the music settles after thatrdquo he saysA view of the familiar facadeHaving grown up in the rsquohood we visit with a sling bag full of scepticism A youngster in the thick of the party scene accompanies us ldquoWersquore drunk in orange lightrdquo she observes as we settle into our highchair table by the bar It is the best spot for peoplewatching and moodgazing The setting is seafacing while everything revolves around the pool access to it is an added cost There are bed seatings strategically packed with nonIndians coconut trees a shiny bar backdrop pastel orange and striped plush sofa seating and sandy seating and quirky sculptures The indoors are busy with jute walls loud prints and dimlylit cornersLima Lemon SourWe order Chicken Peruvian Tacos Rs 900 that come in neat folds holding minced chicken beans lettuce drenched in a spicy huancaiacutena salsa Its tropical flavours are enhanced by fiery spice levels The Peruvian Picante Hummus Rs 1400 is milder thanks to a mound of pecan nut mash with chillies sweet and sour raspberries and a pomegranate molasses We were forewarned by the server that isnrsquot regular hummus The texture and flavour pairings are savoured with crackers until the last biteSakura CloudThe Nikkei Tropical Prawns Rs 950 give a punch of mustard cajun spice and tiger milk a citrusy spice drink a core feature in Peruvian cooking For vegetarian fare we order the Mushroom Salvaje Skewers Rs 950 King oyster mushrooms are drenched and grilled in as salsa sauce topped with chimichurri Our cocktail order of Sakura Cloud Martini Rs 1300 has gin sake sweet litchi juice balanced with fresh lemon juice The jasmine cloud adds the flowery language that wins our palatePeruvian Picante HummusThe Pacific Breeze Rs 1710 is on the grassy side mdash lemongrass ginger kaffir lime leaves muddled in coconut water and cranberry juice mdash all showing up for the strong Patron Silver tequila A unanimous favourite is More Chi Than Fa Rs 1870 a Lapsang Souchong tea infusion with Malfy Con Limone an Italian lemon gin and cherry gin The liquid is gentle on the palate making it an easy drinkThe cocktails are in celebration of tropical flavours manoeuvring a tight rein on the ingredients as if holding each of them accountable on their palate performance In Silk Route Collins Rs 1190 we get the same lemon gin infused with lemongrass in the robust company of coconut water and guava as a high ballFor desserts we pick the Choco Udon Rs 800 a decadent dark chocolate cake topped with berries and layered with milk chocolate mousse brownie bites and a butterscotch praline Our spoons fight to the finish The Lima Limon Sour Rs 750 has ice cream lemon vanilla cream cheese apple and a dulche crumble that cools the palate after the fiery foodWhile the experience lives up to its highenergy beach club vibe we realise a new soundtrack is rising Afar into the sunset the Sea Link extension emerges the DJbelted deep house and Afro music echoes back Juhu sits on a cusp set to adorn a spiffy new wardrobe We know that days to drop by to soak in the sound of crashing waves are numberedBastian Beach ClubAt 39 SunnSand Juhu Beach JuhuCall 50333555Changing suburbanscapeWhile Bastian Beach Club is on the same premise as SunNSand Hotel the two function independently In the coming months the hotel will see a massive makeover into a Marriott Autograph Collection propertyVikas DilawariVikas Dilawari conservation architect puts the suburban makeover into perspective ldquoJuhu has always held its own charm What Chowpatty is for South Bombay Juhu is for North Bombay Since its inception Juhu was known for its iconic elements Beach walks to spot iconic hotels Bollywood residents iconic fivestars including SunN Sand Prithvi Theatre that remains a strong cultural hub and the Theosophical SocietyrdquoHe admits that the dynamism of the suburb is changing ldquoHotels are getting competitive and need to reinvent Thanks to the CRZ and the area coming under the funnel of aviation it has not exploded vertically Creativity is required to make this area sustainable and retain its authentic spiritrdquo suggests Dilawari adding that the coming generations may never be able to realise old Juhursquos special character ldquoA good city is one where the past and present are both in proportion like wellbalanced sweet lime juicerdquo We reached out to the SunNSandrsquos team but they were not keen to comment