The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Rane Ashish
Taking flight
Two women enjoy their swim in the pool at a Bandra five-star
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A new chapter
Chef Rahul Akerkar
In 2021, when chef Rahul Akerkar’s Qualia shuttered, it broke a lot of hearts. This diarist was pleased to hear that the veteran chef, often credited with introducing European fine-dining and chef-driven concepts to Mumbai, is back in the game. The Aditya Birla Group has announced a foray into the premium casual dining space, in collaboration with the chef. The group plans to build casual dining chains in India, the first of which will come up in Mumbai in the next quarter. With a European backbone, the fare is an ode to his mixed Indian and European parentage, as well as his travels, shared Akerkar. “As I have always done in the past, you can expect our menu to champion local produce with cooking relying heavily on the char and grill, while the bar programme will feature well-crafted cocktails and a wine list that is affordable and complements the food,” he said.
Ringing in the blues
Poster of the Season (right) — the Mahindra Blues Festival poster by (left) Aashti Miller
If you — like this diarist — have spent a few years in Mumbai, you probably know that windows here are more than mere recesses on walls. They strangely focus on rest and recreation. Illustrator and architect Aashti Miller — who recently created the buoyant poster for the Mahindra Blues Festival — identifies windows as vantage points in space-constrained cities. “Apart from laundry, you will spot bikes, musical instruments and newspaper piles in box windows. The poster required me to capture the spirit of Mumbai and the charm of blues. The brief was simple, a characteristic that actually facilitates any creative process,” she said. About the ideas she pondered and worked on to put together the bright artwork in blue and yellow, Miller shared, “I was born and raised in this city. Most of my art is a love letter to the sights and sounds of this place. The festival presented an opportunity to explore that relationship. In the context of Mumbai’s fast-paced life, blues offers safety. It’s a genre people tend to fall back upon to disconnect from the hustle and bustle.” She added that the fishing boat in the picture is a tribute to the water communities of the city. “I had to recognise the people and groups integral to the city’s being and becoming. I have used the blue colour to effect the ocean and in contrast, I have used yellow to bring home the night and day situation.”
For a better digital future
Andheri-based data company Sapio Analytics is working on an educative service called The Anonymiser Hackathon, an initiative supported by the West Bengal government. Darshan Raval, who manages the service at the firm, said, “The government holds an enormous amount of data. But there’s a growing need to make this data available to entities beyond its custodians. This hints at the requirement for an anonymiser layer before private information is shared with a larger group of people. Without the layer, data privacy might be challenged.” To develop such a layer, the hackathon is currently inviting innovators in the field of technology. “The teams that successfully complete the innovation, will be included as inventors alongside our firm. We will also file for their patent,” Raval added.
Now showing: A canteen and a deli
If you stand facing The Bombay Canteen in Kamala Mills anytime soon, you will find a giant advertisement to the top left. The ad reads: You have been to the canteen, it’s time to dine at the Deli. The can in canteen is represented through a picture. Did Yash Bhanage, founder and COO at Hunger Inc. Hospitality and others know about the ad before it went up? “No, we had no clue. When one of our managers sent me a picture of the board, I laughed. As a founder, I have always believed that all boats rise with the tide. We have stood the test of time here and think that more neighbours coming to the place is a good thing.” About a response ad in the works, Bhanage said, “Keep your eyes peeled for it. Something might be coming up.”
New boyce in town
Alejandro Luis Manzano of Boyce Avenue. Pic Courtesy/Instagram
The buzz of Lollapalooza is yet to subside, and there is another American pop band crossing over. This diarist recently heard that the Florida-based cover band, Boyce Avenue, will be in town on February 17 as part of their India tour. The trio of Daniel, Alejandro and Fabian Manzano will be stopping over at Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru on a short trip. From Be somebody to When the lights die, the emotions will flow. Valentine’s week just got better for many pop fans.
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