Mumbai Diary: Saturday Dossier

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

Oonchi hai building

Fans are clearly raising the bar for Bhai as Salman Khan celebrates his 54th birthday at his Bandra residence on Friday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar

Sandhu bids adieu to Arth

Executive chef at Khar restaurant Arth, Amninder Sandhu has decided to move on after two years, she tells mid-day in an exclusive chat. After a stint at Taj Lands End, Bandra, Sandhu found her place in the sun when she made gas-less cooking glamorous at Arth, where she presented an entire menu, and all utterly delectable, with no use of LPG. "I've been wanting to start my own business for a while," she said, adding that Friday was her last day at Arth.

"Yes, I feel a certain heaviness that comes with leaving [something that's close to the heart] but I'm also excited about experimenting with new ideas," she added. mid-day has tracked Sandhu's every career move, calling her out for her rate talent way before she became the toast of the city's F&B scene. So, be certain that it's here again that you will get the details on her next venture. Until then, all we will say is, break a leg Amninder.

The mithai wins big

Released in October, restaurateur and chef Rachel Goenka's book Adventures with Mithai offers a sneak-peek into 50 Indian sweets with a modern makeover. Think barfi-flavoured cheese cake and cardamom mousse sprinkled with motichoor laddoo. Now, the book has walked away as winner in the Best Pastry Cookbook category at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards 2020.

"I chose mithai as the subject for my first book because I wanted to showcase to the rest of the world just how versatile Indian sweets can be and lend themselves to contemporary flavours," Goenka told this diarist. "I am completely over the moon since this is my first book and I am so proud to see it recognised," she added.

Walking the fine line

A petition is doing the rounds on social media that says, Stop Internet Shutdown in India #NoNetBandi. A closer look reveals that it has been floated by Kunal Kamra, known for taking on political developments on social media and through stand up. "When a lawyer friend brought it to my notice that we have shut down the internet more times than even Syria, I was shocked to learn that. We are turning into the countries we have criticised in the past," he told this diarist.

While Kamra has always voiced his opinion on social media, we wonder if he is taking on the role of an activist. He interrupted quickly and said, "I'm a stand-up comedian, not an activist. But every now and then, when someone suggests something credible that fits my view, I use my social media to amplify it. All other work including my podcasts are done as a comedian and content creator. Entertaining and engaging the audience is still my priority".

Making a mark in Mumbai

From Katy Perry to U2, the city has witnessed some great musical acts this year. But 2020 also promises to be exciting as three big acts are expected to come down not for a concert, but to engage the audience with talks as part of a popular annual gathering to be a held at Worli's NSCI Dome.

The line-up includes Australian beatboxer Tom Thum, American rock violinist Lili Hadyn of the group Opium Moon, and Cameroonian Grammy Award-winning jazz bassist Richard Bona. With such diverse backgrounds, it will be exciting to watch them share their stories on stage.

Crib champ turns 10

The crib at Malad's Tank Lane in the Orlem neighbourhood is an attraction every year. Made by a team of professionals, it spans 40 by 28 feet and stands on the road. It's now celebrating its 10th anniversary, having bagged the Best Theme Crib in Mumbai by the Mobai Gaothan Panchayat (MGP) previously.

Bonny Pereira, who was in charge of the project, said, "Our theme is Simplicity Found In A Stable. Jesus Christ is supposed to be the Son of God but was born in the stable. We felt it would be a good message — that to be great, you need to start being humble."

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