This Class is Now in Session

A few years ago, you were happy that your favourite restaurant brought out a new menu every season, and your neighbourhood bar offered happy hours. But you’ve gotten so much more picky since then, haven’t you? Now when you’re offered the specials, you ask for a side of the chef’s bio data and demand to know which year the grapes were stomped in, how old the cheese is and just how happy the clams on your plate really are.

Naturally, restaurants in Mumbai are thinking up different ways to enhance your dining experience, the newest of them seems to be chef-run culinary classes at the restaurant, with “secret recipes” and “off-the-menu” used as bait. It started out with a few eateries offering live demos last year, but now it seems like every restaurant from Indigo to Olive Bar & Kitchen has a sign up board. As Busaba’s owner/chef Nikhil Chib readies to do his live kitchen session this weekend, we list some of the more recent eateries who are asking you to cook before you eat.

Busaba’s Live Cookout With Nikhil: At this demo and cooking class, chef Nikhil Chib will teach how to make his Busaba favourites, including sauteed morning glory, stir fried basil chilli chicken and green papaya and raw mango salad. Culinary tales from his voyages will be thrown in, followed by lunch at the restaurant.

On November 5 from 1 to 3 pm at Busaba, Mathuradas Mill Compound, Lower Parel, Rs 750 per head for the session and lunch, call the restaurant on 9920933387/ 67478974 to register.

Chez Vous’ The Happy French Cooking Class: Every Saturday, 5 chefs from Chez Vous bistro teach a group of about 16 people, further divided into groups of 4, how to make 2 vegetarian and 2 non-vegetarian dishes. Join in to see how it all adds up. Focus is on participant interaction rather than chef demos, they promise. It’s not our favourite restaurant in Mumbai, but this might actually be fun.

Next one on November 5 from 4 pm to 6 pm at Chez Vous, next to Eros, Churchgate, view the event page here, to register call 9920409099.

The Tasty Tangles’ Cooking Demos: On certain hump days, Chef Dsouza (attend the demo and you can call him Chef Aloo) does demos for hot noodle soup, Bakmi Goreng with prawns and other Asian treats. Includes CD with recipes.

Next one on November 2 from 4 pm to 6.30 pm at The Tasty Tangles, Pinnacle House, level 1, PD Hinduja Marg, 15th Road, Khar (W), call 67094444 for details on the next demo, Rs 999.

bpb’s Culinary Workshops: Every month, bpb ties up with a chef to do fun, interactive classes held at restaurants, exclusively for subscribers. Past tutorials have been burrito and margarita class at Sancho’s, apple baking workshop at JW Marriott, pizza tossing at delItalia and more. Stay tuned for a super class with The Four Seasons, coming soon.

For workshop updates sign up for our newsletter on www.bpbweekend.com.