We'd first heard about London-based Chef Sanjay Dwivedi almost a decade ago through a cousin of his, who described her mad dashes, riding pillion with him on his scooter through London's maze of eateries and markets, as 'totally crazy — like him'
Chef Sanjay Dwivedi
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Coya comes to town
We'd first heard about London-based Chef Sanjay Dwivedi almost a decade ago through a cousin of his, who described her mad dashes, riding pillion with him on his scooter through London's maze of eateries and markets, as 'totally crazy — like him'. At that time the Delhi-born Dwivedi was already earning quite a reputation for himself as chef of Zaika, the first Indian restaurant to win a Michelin star. But today, as partner and chef of the Peruvian eatery Coya, part of Arjun Waney's empire of international restaurants (regular clients include Will.I.Am, Cheryl Cole, Jourdan Dunn, Gerard Butler, and The Jonas Brothers), Dwivedi is a certified success, and one of the few celebrity chefs in the world. No surprises then that his pop-up at a five-star later this week is a much awaited event on the city's calendar.
What does he plan to feed Mumbai? "Coming to India is like dream come true," he said when we spoke to him yesterday, a few hours after he'd touched down. "The concept of my menu combines traditional elements of Peruvian cuisine with French cooking techniques and Asian influences to create what the restaurant has become known for.
The dishes on the menu of the pop-up are light and healthy, which include; Citrus Atún with Yellowfin tuna, stem ginger, maracuya, hazelnut and radish; Quinoa al Tamarindo with coriander, mint and pomegranate; and Pollo al Josper with corn fed baby chicken, aji panca and coriander," he shared.
Does he feel India is ready for Peruvian? "There is no question that India is ready for Peruvian food," said Dwivedi. "There are many similarities between the two; a focus on sharing plates, dishes full of flavour, and simple but powerful recipes. The restaurant's concept has been accepted and loved worldwide and has received many accolades since it was established in 2012. I have overseen the opening of five of the restaurants across the globe, within the UK, the Middle East, and the USA, so myself and team are excited to showcase it in a new continent."
Forks and spoons to the ready.
Bandana Tewari
From Bali with love
She'd been an integral part of Mumbai's fashion and social scene, and so when we caught up recently with Bandana Tewari, a fashion editor, who has re-located to Bali, we were pleased to hear that she hadn't lost any of her zest or joie de vivre. "I'm en route to Copenhagen for a conference of sustainability in fashion," said Tewari, who'd grown up in Nepal, and done her BA in Literature and Masters in Communication in Delhi, before trying out a handful of other jobs until she found her perfect fit in fashion reportage at an international glossy. The move to Bali had been a serendipitous mix of right brain and left brain thinking. Her daughter, a talented musician, had enrolled in a school there and Tewari who'd initially gone to settle her in, decided to stay on and work there. "I just did a huge speech on Mindful Luxury in Oman on Gandhi and fashion," she said, demonstrating that fashion reportage not only does not have brooders, but mind blocks either.
Nice!
Manu Joseph
Serious Manu
Manu Joseph is known as much for his cryptic comments and wry humour in his weekly columns, as he is for his sensitive portrayals of the human condition in his novels. Now word comes in that HarperCollins, which is celebrating its 25 years in India by publishing special editions of 25 chosen books among the few thousands it has published, will include 'Serious Men,' his debut work of fiction which had won the Best Fiction award instituted by a national daily in 2010.
Joseph, who takes a nuanced view of most things, and has often demonstrated his exasperation with stereotypical instances of political correctness, punctuated his delighted announcement of the news on social media, with a characteristic self mocking swipe. "Shit, I forgot to say, "I am humbled"."
Nice!
Chef Gaggan Anand with chef Goh Fukuyama
Gaggan's latest
Word comes in that chef Gaggan Anand, whose eponymous eatery in Bangkok has won the title of best restaurant in Asia for the past three years is all set to team up with Japanese chef Goh Fukuyama, to open a new Japanese restaurant there at the end of this year. What's more, when we last spoke to the avant garde thinker, he reiterated his plans to shut Gaggan down in 2020 and move to Japan to run do a 10-seater omasake bar, where he will only cook on the weekends!
Sanjay B Jumaani
No full stops here
"Not only was he in his 44th year during the election, but notice the dot after Rahul Gandhi's signature," says astronumerologist Sanjay B Jumaani, alluding to the fact that this tiny circular speck might have been responsible for the Congress VP's epic political set backs. 'Who wants a full stop between them and progress?" says the soothsayer, adding that his advice to no less than AR Rahman, the Mozart of Madras, who heeded his counsel and removed the offending pin pricks from his signature, helped him win an Oscar 'within six months of taking them off'!
LK Advani
LK Advani according to Jumaani was not so lucky. "Unfortunately this message did not reach LK Advani," he says. "His years of hard work are resulting in the fruits going elsewhere! A dot is a full stop if put between or after a name or a signature," he warns. Will Raga's fortunes change if he desists from signing in those unwanted halts?
Would that realpolitik and statecraft be so easy!
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