The Well-Fed Bong

Hakkasan created a bit of a flutter when it launched in Bandra, making much of its Michelin starred past. Dimsum wielding sibling Yauatcha took a few months longer and made less of a splash, but that's where I found myself a few days ago for dinner. And again today for lunch. Yauatcha claims some fame for its dim sums, so after I manoeuvred past its colourful macaroon display, up the stairs to its high, whitemarbled bar dim sum was the first thing I ordered. A poached dimsum in schezwan sauce dutifully landed up (it would have been beautifully presented if the lights had allowed me to see much more than a dim outline). As the dinner progressed, crispy vegetable cheung fun, chicken soup dim sum, asparagus and a succession of others followed. Somewhere down the line, Singapore noodles and fried rice also joined in. First, there was the drink. Bar prices have been floating up in Mumbai for a while, but this hipster hangout from London has clearly decided not to discriminate in t...

A friend of mine tempted me to Versova the other day with the promise of a new launch. One generally avoids going there if one can, what with Juhu chokepoint and the Metro digging things up but, as I reminisced fondly -  it was once a centre of much social life. Versova has long been a dining and drinking hub. The anchor was Legacy of China, but the entire strip always sported an eclectic collection of cuisines and drinking holes from Avadhi kababs to Kerala appams, from quaters of whisky to wine bars. The three bodies in question were Prashant, his wife and I – and the launch in question was that of Trikaya , unrelated to the ad agency or  the buddha's three bodies . Around the bend from WTF, Mia Cucina and Urban Tadka, this is a pan asian restaurant recreated from the remains of a forgotten lounge. The brand is originally from Pune , establishing its first Mumbai footprint with a handsome dimlit blondewood space; a loaded bar armed with plenty of beautiful people. Running ...