What: Gypsy Kitchen – a food and heritage conservation project, to suggest home cooks message them on their Facebook page here.

Why: Your mum/aunt/grandmom have recipes that could give any cooking show a raan for their money? Get them in touch with the Gypsy Kitchen, a brand new initiative that is looking to conserve the tradition of Indian home cooking through a fun dining format. Launched by Riyaaz Amlani, chef Gresham Fernandes (of Salt Water Café, Smoke House Deli) and Ayaz Basrai of The Busride Design Studio, this project will collaborate with home cooks to bring yum food to you in a pop up format at surprise locations in Mumbai. How very aunty-establishment!

When: Nomad's Land begins on May 24, but suggest cooks/apply now through the Facebook page.

This advertorial is sponsored by Neel

If the climb up your five storey lunch dabba is getting tedious, ditch the steel for gold at Indian restaurant Neel, where chef Mukhtar Qureshi whips up three-course corporate lunches that rotate on a weekly basis. The meal costs Rs 1,000 for vegetarians and Rs 1,200 for carnivores, and if you have the bpb #CoupCard (www.coupcard.in), you get 15% off Neel's corporate meal!

Was that the sound of the lunch bell?

This Week's Corporate Lunch Menu (until Sunday)

Starters

Special Vegetarian Platter
(Palak aur Akhrot ki Seekh, Peshawari Paneer Tikka, Beetroot Salad)

Special Non Vegetarian Platter
(Mahi Sarson Tikka, Murgh Chaarbaagh, Khamang Kakdi ka Salad)

Main Course

Vegetarian Main Course
(Hare Pyaaz Mushroom ki Subji, Paneer Badami Salan, Kabul ki Dal)

What: Mamagoto, Gazebo House, ground floor, 133 Hill Road, Bandra (W), call 26552600; and T-34, 3^rd Floor, R-City Mall, Ghatkopar (W), call 66401860, approximately Rs 1,500 for a meal for two.

Why: Asian restaurant Mamagoto in Delhi is (n)oodles of fun with its cut-out TVs in walls, mad pop art and curry bowls. Lucky for you, it’s opening in Mumbai next week – Bandra and Ghatkopar – so go try their delicious rock shrimp tempura, Gomai Salad and Chiang Mai Train Station Noodles. They won’t get their liquor licence until mid-May, so the Wasabi Mary will have to wait. Full review out soon! Psst: If you have a #CoupCard you can get access to your 15% off at both Mamagoto branches. Bonus!

When: Opens on May 2.

We were quick to judge Ambrosia, the new bakery that has set up shop on the Bandra stretch that also houses cupcake shops Butterfly, Love Sugar Dough and Yummy - Not Just Cupcakes, imagining oily puffs and old school pastries with pink icing. But our visit on a sunny Saturday afternoon revealed otherwise, and also led us to a bit of bad news: the neighbouring Butterfly has shut shop. Creamed?  

Turnover a New Leaf

Ambrosia's shelves stock much more than cupcakes and macarons. The savoury baked goods of this shop that also has an outlet in Chembur, were innovative and far from those oil-soaked puffs we imagined. After browsing the menu, we took a whole bunch of goodies back home in a brown paper bag.

A better alternative to the typical veg puff you sample at other bakeries is the vegetarian Turnover. Filled with mushrooms, it's  light and flaky. Another interesting snack we were recommended by the server was the Baked Batata Vada that on the outside looked like a big piece of bread roll, but on the inside was packed with a yum yellow aloo sabzi, which could have been made by your maharaj. The chicken quiche and the loaf of multi-grain bread were well-made, but not something you'd return for.

If you want to know what Havana will be like post Castro, visit Loca Loca, the new Cuban bar in Khar where expected cliches like Fidel posters are checked at the door. Opened in the space where popular bar Wtf! (later Hungry Birds) used to be, Loca Loca is the new offering from Kishore DF and gang, the guys who used to run its predecessor, as well as The Big Nasty.   

We visited last evening to find a dimly-lit bar with pastel blue and lime green walls, cosy leather arm chairs and Latin music. With a floor plan identical to that of Wtf!, the outdoor and inside sections, as well as the bar location remains the same. What’s changed really is the mood of the place, created gently by the canopy of coloured strings on the ceiling in the open-air section, sofas and arm-chair seating, cushioned benches, Cuban movie posters and vintage Cuban buildings hand drawn on walls. It's a peaceful place to get a drink, for now at least, not yet packed like Wtf! and completely loca.   

The smaller inside section that used to be pre-dominantly red is now a warm orange and yellow, and patterned grills occupy one wall. We decided to sink into an arm chair right under a rack full of Cuban hats, overlooking a mosaic-tiled bar lit by a variety of vintage lamps in all shapes and sizes.

Mexican Chaat Over a Friendly Chat

We started with the specials: tropical daiquiris and barbecue food. First came the Loca Cuscurro (crouton in Spanish) which is the bar’s version of a Mexican chaat, a mixture of broken tortilla pieces and salad that looked a lot like Mumbai's street side sukha bhel. It was a good accompaniment to the Watermelon Cubanito, but next time we plan  try a more substantial appetiser. The Loca Omelette with Pork Chorizo was served like a pizza, delicious but could have done with a more generous hand of meat. The drinks for the night were consistently tasty: the Watermelon Cubanito and the Vodka Grape Sangria were both fruity without being cloyingly sweet.

From the barbeque and grills section, we tried the Creole Chicken Skewers, well done and made better by the supporting bowl of chilli mayo. Next up for the vegetarians, potato and cheese sliders. Packed with carbs and caramelised onions, this indulgent snack is perfect to soak up a Saturday night hangover. Other specials on the menu include jalapeno and cheese chicken, chicken cocoa mole and a Tex-Mex menu where you’ll find enchiladas and Fritobit.

At the end of the night, Loca Loca had succeeded in making a good first impression on us, and we'd made a big impression in its armchairs. Head here for comfy seats and chilled daiquiris.

Getting there: Loca Loca, Vora Building, opposite Mumbadevi School, 3rd Road, Khar West, from 7 pm – 1 am, call 9833243071, Watermelon Cubanito for Rs 350, Creole Chicken Skewers for Rs 190, Potato and Cheese Sliders (plate of 4) for Rs 200.

bpb reviews anonymously and pays for its own meals.

What: The Breakfast Club Carter Road at Corniche, Carter Road, Bandra (W), view the Facebook group here, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 9167114918.

Why: Judging from the adorable launch video and former Olive chef Amit Chaudhary at the helm, The Breakfast Club Carter Road seems like a good project to egg on. Slated to launch next weekend, the club promises English breakfast by the sea, a corner for artists, newspapers and scrabble. (Double) word!

When: Starts April 27 and 28, 11 am to 4 pm, for 8 weekends.

What: Loca Loca, new Cuban bar at Vora Building, opposite Mumbadevi School, 3rd Road, Khar (W), from 7 pm to 1 am, call 9833243071.

Why: Cheesy posters of Castro and cigars – thankfully you won’t find these at new Cuban nightspot Loca Loca. Launched in place of WTF! Khar by the owners of The Big Nasty, this bar invokes Cuba through design accents, pretty visuals and textures rather than clichés. Bar snacks featuring barbeque and grill treats, wraps and mini sandwiches can be chased with fresh fruit pineapple and mango daiquiris here. Exotic cocktails or not, it’s still meant to be a value-for-money bar that you can visit after work, says owner Kishore DF.  Full review out soon!

When: High Fidel-ity opens on Sunday, April 21.

“I don't think we did go blind, I think we are blind; blind but seeing, blind people who can see, but do not see.” At Arola last night, we were living this quote from José Saramago’s novel, Blindness. Just like the characters in the book, who are suddenly hit by an epidemic of blindness, we felt as confused and distraught, not fully understanding the scope of the blind-folded tasting session at Spanish restaurant, Arola housed inside Hotel JW Marriott. And fumbling around in the dark with us was a Spanish friend, who was going to help us guess what we were eating. Plus, she goes super well with sangria. Salud!

Say hello to 24-year-old Lucia Gonsalez, who has been living in India for the last six months. She has come from Madrid to Mumbai and works at the economic office of the Spanish consulate, loves Bandra and misses the Spanish tortilla dearly.

“We have to eat blind-folded?” she asked. We said, “Yes.” She laughed and hopped into the rickshaw. You can too, sign up for this blind tasting session at Arola that is, until Sunday April 21.

Tapas That!

Accustomed to eating Spanish food while standing at a bar, Lucia was looking forward to the fine-dine experience. “We don’t even have chairs in many bars, and at few places tapas is given free with drinks (in Granada). That’s what the secret to Spanish food really is – good tapas,” she tells us.

We took our seats (not yet blind-folded), sipped on some wine and bit into Pan Tumaca (bread and tomato), served here with an Indian twist, with Naan. Spread some pureed tomatoes on the bread, drizzle olive oil, rub fresh garlic cloves and season with sea salt, fold and eat. Delicioso! Then the charming Two Michelin Star chef Sergi Arola – the only man in the room without a blindfold - began his three course “game”.

The first course was the most awkward. The food was served, the waiters guided us to our plates, but none of us at the table were certain if we should eat. “Should we eat now?” is what we all kept asking each other, except nobody knew any better. Lucia had already had her first bite! Ten seconds later, Arola asked us to guess the name of the dish. We got it right with Patatas Bravas. Served here in a new presentation that lets you eat this originally messy tapas with your hands, the Patatas Bravas are curled up into little rolls, topped with aioli and stuffed with the red sauce – all equal pieces with equal layering inside.

Arola was not happy, since he likes to win – but he was certain he would beat us in the next two courses.

Dancer in the Dark

Aaand the blindfolds are back on. Arola announces, “for this course, you need to use your fork!” Worried whispers and staccato chuckles all around. While the carnivores ate Chicken Salsify, the vegetarians dug into Asparagus Tempura with Romesco Sauce (a classic dipping sauce served with Spanish spring onions called Calçots, during springtime). The Asparagus dish didn’t meet our expectations after the  first course – but the bigger low was that Arola won! We couldn’t even guess the meat right, let alone the asparagus. The chicken, rubbed in honey soy and sesame, was so tender and juicy that the diners could only assume it was fish. But Lucia pointed out that the dish, though delicious, was not too Spanish in flavour.

For the third and final course, Arola shared many clues, but we still lost. We guessed all the flavours – except the main ingredient and we just couldn’t put it together to know it was Crème Brûlée or Crema Catalana, a popular dessert from the Catalunya region of Spain. To be fair, Arola’s version had orange and lemon flavours, which even threw our lovely Lucia off track. The experience of eating Spanish food made her nostalgic of her grandmother’s cooking, the tapas bars in Granada and flamenco bars in Seville. She kissed us “muchas gracias” for the  meal, turned to the rickshawalla and said “Ek second,” and off she went to Elbo Room – like a true Bandraite.

Getting there: One-hour-long blind-tasting meal will be held until Sunday, 21^st April, from 7 pm and 8 pm, at Arola, Hotel JW Marriott, Juhu. For: Rs 1,800 plus taxes (includes one glass of wine), for reservations call 66933344.

We'd almost seen the blueprint, the bone structure of the cafe at Temperence, many moons ago during a sneak peek at the fitness centre in Bandra. As pretty as it was we didn't love the food, and were glad when its bones were sent for a re-cast. Last week, it re-opened as Cafe Mirabelle and is now managed by the good people over at Yellow Tree Cafe.

Imagining a cherubic girl behind the counter at Cafe Mirabelle, we went carefully around raucous cranes, broken pavements and heaps of cement outside her home to get to the cafe. Luckily, the other side of the evening was more pleasant with free Wi-fi, coffee and mini biscotti, but sadly no cherub.

Off to the Countryside

At Café Mirabelle you can choose to sit upstairs in the main restaurant section,  downstairs for a more living room feel, grab a bar stool outside for a smoke and coffee or find a little table by the leafy landscaping to unwind over Guatemala coffee – our favourite section. Spread out and spacious with  fortress-like walls, this section keeps the din out, and makes for a great place to work without distractions.

One Zumba With a Side of Fries

Ask for the cafe's limited all-day menu and you'll find your index finger running through a small selection of salads, sandwiches, wraps, pizza and side orders such as nachos, French fries, crostini and quesadillas. Maintaining only a few dishes from the Yellow Tree Café menu such as Jalapeno Poppers and Greek salad, the rest is new and put together just for Mirabelle, including dessert such as fudge cake and peanut butter brownie. The menu also indicates a variety of baked over-the-counter goodies such as cheese-garlic croissants and chicken puffs, but these won't be available for some time. The restaurant setting upstairs with its indigo upholstered chairs and barni lamps (but bad music) seems like a space that could serve much more than snacks, and we wondered if a more formal menu will be added here soon.

On the way to Bandra’s newest Biryani haunt Silver Bawarchi, this writer was being subjected to Biryani jargon– Dum style, Bengali style, typical Bombay, boneless, special, with basmati, layered, cooked together and layered. This, by her two friends who claim to have “evolved” Biryani palates, and put her at the bottom of the biryani knowledge handi. &

Lucky that they were accompanying us to Silver Bawarchi, which opened about a month ago and has an outlet in Hyderabad, specialising in Hyderabadi Dum Biryani that boasts an elaborate process of layering the rice and the meat and cooking it over coal. Flavoured nothing like its Bombay counterpart, which is an overkill of spices, the Dum Biryani at Silver Bawarchi is mildly spiced but rich in flavour. Made with Basmati rice and slightly coated with saffron, the dish here features small, easy-to-eat pieces of meat, is dry and uses generous portions of cloves, coriander and cardamom.