As a child, Kalyan Y, sous chef at Monkey Bar, took a three-tier stainless steel tiffin box to school. His mother would make him whatever he liked, but he would seldom get to enjoy it. His tiffin was the most popular among his friends and they would make a dash for it, even before the recess bell rang. Resultantly, he would dig into his friends’ lunch boxes, soon getting introduced to a world of other kind of foods that he began to not only enjoy but also insist his mother to make. Bringing back those simple memories of sharing food is Monkey Bar’s MoBox, a concept of a mobile crate, packed with small portions of your favourite dishes. “There are four versions—Starter MoBox (priced at Rs 750 plus taxes), Mega MoBox (Rs 990 plus taxes), Dessert MoBox (Rs 650 plus taxes) and Do It Yourself Cocktail MoBox (Rs 400 plus taxes),” says Kalyan adding, “Today, with instagram and its inevitable #instafood hashtags, we’ve really lost the simple joys of sharing. That’s what we’re trying to bring back.”
Neatly sectioned and colourfully presented, each pre-set MoBox is of a different size. The variety in each differs too. Mushroom Galoutis, Pumpkin and Tofu Curry, Chicken Chimichurri, Crab Rangoon, Rum-scented Carrot Cake and more can be choosen. “Today, we’re led by visual cues, so the MoBox is meant to be a sensory delight, both from the perspective of using multiple serving dishes, (copper mugs/glass jars/ mismatched crockery), to the flavours of each of the featured dishes. It’s a box that’ll fill your stomach and satisfy your soul,” says Kalyan.