MIRCHI & MIME
As someone who grew up in a family where weekends were dedicated to good north Indian (or Punjabi) dining-out experiences, I am still on the fence about the slow rise of “modern”, “progressive” and “molecular” Indian cuisine in Mumbai.
While I can appreciate the ingenuity and aspirations of restaurateurs trying to make Indian food cool again, there’s no way I’ll eat at places like Jiggs Kalra’s Masala Library, Vineet Bhatia’s Ziya, the more accessible and all-vegetarian SpiceKlub or Floyd Cardoz’s The Bombay Canteen (both in Lower Parel) more than once a year. But I am already planning to go back to Powai for another round at modern Indian restaurant Mirchi & Mime, just a week after my first visit and here is why you will too.
The good stuff
It’s largely free of gimmicks—there are no test tubes filled with pani puri, no methi thepalas being passed off as tacos or dahi bhallas disguised as scoops of ice cream. Some mocktails do come in mason jars, but most drinks and dishes are served in simple but sophisticated crockery and glassware. The space itself is a bit like Copper Chimney 2.0 with a large open kitchen and vintage kitchen gadgets and tools lining the walls. The buttoned banquettes and cushioned chairs are comfortable, and large French windows and chandeliers give it a Parisian vibe.
Sink into a couch and nurse any of the superb martinis (Cucumber & Green Apple with Smirnoff, Rs.250), juleps (Shikanji with Bacardi, Rs.250), margaritas (Mango & Chilli, Rs.400) or sours (Indian Masala with Absolut, Rs.350) with starters from the Tawa, Tandoor or Sigri sections. Our must-haves include Tandoori Quail (at Rs.285, the meat is more tender and moist than any of our tandoori poultry favourites in the city); an addictive Shakarkhand Chaat (sweet potato chaat, Rs.185); and the softest, melt-in-the-mouth Paneer Seekh Kebab (Rs.185).
The service is stellar. Upon glancing through the menu for the first time, you might be confused by the ordering techniques listed, but be patient because the young and bright waitstaff have hearing and speaking disabilities. There were a couple of extra dishes on our table but no complaints—the food is so good you may actually, like us, want two plates of the Pathar Paneer (Rs.185).
The not-so-good
The desserts are all pretty disappointing. Our Sugarfree Sitaphal Pannacotta, shaped like a bar of soap, even tasted like soap because it used far too much Splenda or aspartame. The Nutella & Toffee Tarte Fine was too simple—hazelnut spread on flaky khari biscuit-like pastry. The Eton Mess with really good berries, meringue and cream was served too warm and there was nothing desi about the Desi Cheese Cake, other than its heaviness.
Talk plastic
Vegetarian dishes from the soups, salads, Tawa, Tandoor and Sigri sections are priced at Rs.185, while non-vegetarian plates range from Rs.185-Rs.315, with the exception of a few, which range from Rs.675-Rs.1,150. Vegetarian curries and one-pot meals (for one or two diners) cost from Rs.275-Rs.315, while meat and seafood mains range from Rs.315-Rs.675. Fixed lunch menus are Rs.575 (vegetarian), Rs.675 (non-vegetarian), and Rs.975 (seafood). The desserts are priced at Rs.185.
Mirchi & Mime, Transocean House, Lake Boulevard, Hiranandani Business Park, Powai, Mumbai (022-41415151). Open daily for lunch from 12.30-3pm and for dinner from 6.30-11.30pm.
ARTS IN MOTION
With its ceiling-to-floor glass facade, polished wood flooring and ballet bars, the slick new outlet of Arts in Motion will make you forget you’re in one of Mumbai’s most congested thoroughfares: Linking Road.
The good stuff
If there’s too much bhangra, baarat-style dancing, fake-jiving, raising-the-roof and robotic bopping in your dance repertoire, it might be a good time to enrol at Arts in Motion’s 1,200 sq ft studio at Khar, Mumbai. The dance and fitness company was founded in July 2004 by the dance-obsessed Aanchal Gupta at her father’s defunct workshop in Sion.
If the main-road location and the wide-open space with a 12-ft high ceiling, kitted out in the finest foam-cushioned, all-wood dance floor isn’t enticing enough, remember it’s the perfect place to watch synchronized choreography precise enough for Kylie Minogue’s music videos.
Gupta, who has trained with Shiamak Davar and Salome Roy Kapur, doesn’t conduct any classes herself. Instead, she offers studio space to popular dance instructors for styles like Latin and ballroom (Bosco Fernandes), jazz funk (Akshat Sharma), belly dance (Veve Dance) and b-boying (Freak N Stylz crew) as well as exercise specialists like Amit Lalwani for kickboxing, and Rupesh Pednekar for Bollybics, a trade-marked AiM cardio class set to fast-paced Hindi film music. Gupta hosts percussionist Taufiq Qureshi for djembe lessons.
The not-so-good
We signed up for a 1-hour walk-in session (Rs.750) of the Aerial Dance class as a trial for a long-term commitment, and spent only about 10 minutes suspended in air doing very basic poses that didn’t feel like they’d be useful on the dance floor or for at-home aerobics. We were asked to “stretch” any way we like while we waited for our turn to monkey around on the Lycra rope. The mix of different dance styles and fitness routines is more or less the same as offered by most neighbourhood gyms and health clubs.
Talk plastic
Most classes are priced from Rs.175-300 per person per hour, with the exception of the Aerial Dance class, which is priced at Rs.650 per person per hour. Most walk-in classes (without enrolling) will set you back by Rs.450 per person per class. Three-month summer dance programmes, leading up to a stage performance, are priced from Rs.3,500-3,800 per person for over 16 hours of classes and practice sessions.
Arts in Motion, 57 Rajdoot Building, First floor, above Vandana fabric store, Linking Road, Khar (West). For details, visit www.facebook.com/ArtsInMotionStudios
