BENGALURU: Namma ooru is turning into a hot-bed of activity. The city is buzzing and one can barely keep up with the frenzied activity of launch parties, art exhibitions and performances. There are new restaurants mushrooming every time there is a mild shower! I am reminded about the days of yore, when getting invited and being seen at the right place at the right time (the ‘paps’ ruled the roost in those days) was every budding and fading socialite’s ambition.
It can be amusing to watch the shift in power, as the younger usurpers gain a foot-hold into the scene beyond the ‘velvet-rope’ where the lines between ‘beau-monde’ and ‘bawdy’ get blurred! Sometimes it’s nice to be a fly on the wall and observe the frantic scuttling about; the eagerness to pose, the networking, and making sure that one is noticed. But sometimes the sheer rawness of the scenario unfolding seems to slap one’s sensibilities! All fodder for my new book, but then again, I am an auld Bangalore girl and not prone to opening a Pandora’s box spilling over with secrets! I think the problem starts when younger and older socialites are nothing but…socialites.
When there isn’t a body of work that encompasses you and one doesn’t add value to a gathering, then the fur starts flying. Anyway, a sense of ennui has overcome me a long time ago. I go where I feel happy; where there is a smaller group of people. So when Vishal Nagpal and Maco Ravindran invited yours truly to a precursor to a pop-up that they had planned with the young and talented Pritika Chittaranjan, I jumped at the opportunity. Pritika has her roots in the North-East, and was keen to showcase a world-class dinner using her beloved indigenous produce from there.
The quality, innovation and taste of her supper blew us away. It’s about time we encouraged more talent to ‘pop-up’ like this! I also had the opportunity to attend a very informative ‘The bean, the brew and its people’ coffee seminar followed by a delicious lunch at Grand Mercure. The panel discussion was very interesting and I am grateful that my friend, GM Sachin Maheshwari, insisted I make it. Again, I was delighted to be amidst a niche group of coffee aficionados, where the conversation was as heady as the coffee cocktails. I remember being amongst the first group of people when the talented duo, Jean Mitchelle and his brother outlined their vision of a Parisian Café.
The piazza at UB City was ideal and we spent many afternoons drinking coffee and eating the delicious mille-feuille (a classic French puff-pastry layered dessert made from vanilla custard). Well now, a talented team of new owners have opened another outlet at Indiranagar. Again sensibly, they had called a small group of people over many days to savour their fare. I spotted many diehard fans of the café enjoying the delicious dinner. The week ahead is packed with thrills and frills, and no, I’m not complaining… ’Tis the season!