The city - sliced, diced and served with a dash of sauce
Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Undercover friends
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Two girls shield themselves from the scorching sun with a stole at King’s Circle in Matunga on Tuesday.
Slink & Bardot 2.0
When the world shuttered in 2020, Slink & Bardot, housed in a charming bungalow near Worli’s Koliwada, closed its doors. And that was the last we heard from the restobar that dished out classic French fare. This diarist is happy to report there will indeed be a second coming. The eatery will soon reopen, but in a new avatar. Restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani has joined hands with his friends for two decades, Vicky Singh. “Although we’ve never worked together, we’ve always shared the same passion for hospitality. Over the past two years, we had detailed conversations of how we could work together and an opportunity presented itself to re-launch Slink & Bardot, albeit in a whole new avatar. That being said, we want people to remember the good times and make new fun memories with us. We plan on opening by mid-May. There will be a larger focus on spirits and flavours without borders,” Singh said.
Sea of change
Turtles, fish, corals, starfish and a blue-tiful sea and earth will greet you if you drop by Juhu Beach. Look out for a marine life-inspired sand art that was created by sand sculptor Laxmi Gaud for Project Mumbai’s Jallosh - Clean Coasts initiative. The project aims to clean up the city’s beaches, rivers and mangroves. “The drive that was planned around Earth Day, saw over 3,000 participants cover 14 locations and gather 15 tonnes of plastic that will be recycled,” shared head of projects Rupali Vaidya. Gaud added that she hoped to portray a happy environment, possible if we join hands to keep our surroundings clean — a clarion call that the bright neon letters proclaiming “Mumbai ke liye kuch bhi karega” illustrated. Wat-err an idea.
Superbikers for road safety
A group of superbike riders got together last Sunday for a unique cause that concerns not just them but every Mumbaikar — road safety. The bunch, comprising nearly 50 Harley Davidson motorbikes, rode from Link Road in Malad to Erangal Beach in Madh Island with banners promoting safe riding. “Mumbai witnessed a near-10 per cent rise in road accidents last year [2021] compared to the previous year, so we thought of promoting safe riding. All our riders did not just wear helmets, but also wore other protective gear such as gloves, knee guards, etc to ensure complete safety. We rode in a double file on the left of the road and ensured nobody overtook anyone,” Alvin Dias, who initiated the event, told this diarist. The ride was obviously approved by the local cop station for which the riders were grateful. “We are thankful to Malad police and senior police inspector Narendra Shinde, who permitted us to undertake this initiative and even provided us a police escort bike to ensure the ride went smoothly,” added Dias. Another rider, Neil Coelho, mentioned: “We further discussed road safety measures over breakfast at Erangal where every biker promised that they will never misuse their powerful machines by overspeeding.”
No regrets
What do you expect when Shanta Gokhale, Dolly Thakore, Jerry Pinto and Paromita Vohra walk onto a stage? Zany life stories, merry laughter and plenty of mic-drop moments — truly, An Evening of No Regrets. Hosted by Agents of Ishq at Sophia Polytechnic, the weekend tête-à-tête was themed on grown-up women telling their life stories. Vohra, who moderated the lively session, shared that the room was choc-a-bloc with people of all ages. In a world where women grow up second-guessing their achievements, it was a lesson in understanding why, as Pinto pointed out, “patriarchy has an outpost in your head”. “Dolly and Shanta sometimes said opposite things. It was nice to see a living rendition of friendship between women who are very different and yet similar in that they were always trying to be themselves, but with kindness,” Vohra said, adding that people appreciated being told the truthful version of their stories. If you regret missing it, head to Agents of Ishq on YouTube for a dekko.
A better experience in the wild
The tours inside Sanjay Gandhi National Park are getting an upgrade. The park’s latest Natural School Initiative uses virtual and real media to promote sustainable tourism. Samarth Parab, nature educator and extension officer, told us that many people suggested the use of more audio-visual inputs. For nature lovers who miss a glimpse of a rare bird or mark, these inputs are helpful. “We’ve combined the indoor and outdoor sessions,” he added. With summer vacations underway, the park is focusing on young environmentalists. “It is a highly interactive session where kids watch something, they learn, and then step out on the field to know better,” Parab elaborated.
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