Mumbai Diary: Monday Dossier

The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce

Shooting back to work

A model and photographer make the most of restrictions being eased under Unlock 5.0, next to Horniman Circle Gardens in Fort on Sunday. Pic/Pradeeep Dhivar

Time to travel?

While quarantine restrictions may be imposed, Indians are still keen to travel within the country, a recent survey has shown. The report released by a leading royalty and rewards programme with responses from 7,500 people from across the country, revealed that 60 per cent respondents were looking to travel domestically within the next six months, while only 20 per cent were wary. But international travel is yet to pick up with 33 per cent saying they wouldn’t travel unless a vaccine is discovered, and 40 per cent preferring to visit only neighbouring countries. And as safety is of prime importance now, 70 per cent view travel insurance as a necessity.

Neigh sayers

With the government announcing Unlock 5, Amateur Riders’ Club (ARC) at Mahalaxmi has opened its doors for non-members by offering riding and training packages. Over 150 people were on their waitlist over the past few months, and the club was eager to start the packages. ARC will permit a limited number of non-member applicants per month. Shyam Mehta, president, ARC, said, “We hope riding and equestrian training packages offer people the much-needed respite, and fitness opportunities, post the extensive lockdown.” Those who have an equine inclination and may want to get rid of the lockdown saddlebags by getting into the saddle, well, hooves to stop you?

Mama mia! They are 25

Long before we could become an armchair traveller, thanks to Instagram and Facebook, the city’s foodies relied on a few trusted restaurants for their pick of dishes from around the world. One such landmark was Juhu’s Little Italy, which completed 25 years of serving pizzas and pasta oozing with fresh sauces. “My father was into the import and export business. He loved everything about Italian cuisine, especially pizza and pasta. He wished to bring Italian cuisine to his country, so he started the restaurant, which was a first-of-its-kind to open in Juhu, back in 1995,” recalled Abhi Mehta (in pic), the restaurant’s current director, about his father and founder, the late Umesh Mehta. Not one to take the 25-year milestone lightly, Mehta’s sister, Alisha has now launched a sister brand, Little Treats Patisserie (LTP). “The products at LTP are vegan/vegetarian. Coming from a very strict Gujju background, as a child, even though I loved eating cakes, I couldn’t really indulge as they were made with eggs. I wanted to offer more options and substitutes for cakes without gelatin and eggs,” said Alisha, who holds a diploma in baking from Le Cordon Bleu in Melbourne. For their vegan products, they use substitutes like soy milk, almond milk and coconut milk; their tarts are dairy-free while the chocolate mousse is dairy- and sugar-free.

Tune right in

Music Mulakatien is a venture aimed at providing education to lesser-privileged kids through the medium of music. Gatecrash is the events firm that started it. But now, the pandemic has stalled on-ground activities. So, the firm has taken the initiative online for the time being, and is looking for musicians who can host digital workshops. “The idea is to put NGOs in touch with artistes, which is the sort of work we do,” Gatecrash co-founder Emmanuelle De Becker told this diarist.

Look ahead in life

This is good period in time to reflect on our life decisions, considering how topsy-turvy things seem to be at present. That’s what Samridh Seth — who’s studying for a Physics major at Boston University — did before penning his first book, Past Dwellers (AuthorsUpFront). In it, he draws from his experiences to give tips on how people can mould into the best versions of themselves. “I explain certain life lessons to help those dwelling in the past to get a clearer path to the future,” Seth said.

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