What’s happening in Mumbai’s hotels? A peek into the party circuit and events in the city… By Marcellus Baptista
Beautiful blend
Flair was in the air at Grand Hyatt at the preview of the five-city Blenders Pride Fashion Tour. You heard that guests would witness not just a fashion feast but also some mesmerising music, cutting-edge design and technology. At the preview, models showed off creations by designers Abraham & Thakore, Gaurav Gupta, Little Shilpa, Namrata Joshipura, Neeta Lulla, Pankaj & Nidhi, Rocky Star, Shivan & Narresh, Suneet Varma and Varun Bahl. Also present were actor Boman Irani and author Chetan Bhagat who were in conversation with designers and musicians to decode style in their own inimitable way.
Royal repast
Fine wine and fabulous food was in store for the many guests at the preview of Royal Fables, a heritage exposition at Palladium Hotel. A rich repertoire of heritage inspired art, costumes, jewellery, home accents, handicrafts designed by heirs of Indian royal families and art by artists of royal descent was in store at the Mumbai platform of Royal Fables presented by HBS Realtors. The preview dinner was at Neel at Tote on the Turf with wines from Grover Zampa. Guests sipped Zampa Soiree Brut to start with along with murgh Karachi kabab, gilawat ke kabab, subzani paneer tikka andkesari khumb. Then it was sit-down dinner time with Vijay Amritraj Reserve Collection white wine and red wine complementing the two courses that followed.
Bigger, better, bolder
Re-launching and re-locating is the name of the game. That seemed to be the case at the opening of the bigger, better and bolder 5 – The Restaurant, this time located in Khar. Guests who enjoyed the progressive, casual dining experience and comfort gourmet cuisine on opening night included Rannvijay Singh, Sanjay Gupta, Manasi and Rohit Roy, Parveen Dabbas and Preeti Jhangiani, Manisha and Dabboo Ratnani, Vicky Ratnani, Naved Jaffrey and Shibani Kashyap. The bar was abuzz with the choicest spirits and the kitchen was kept busy with its dishing of a contemporary rendition of European cuisine wherein global favourites are infused with fresh local and seasonal ingredients. An array of soups, salads, bar bites and desserts besides main course items are on the menu.
Hot from the pot!
What is always hot year after year is the annual Oberoi Melting Pot. Hosted by the Consular Corps in Mumbai, Rotary Club of Bombay and The Oberoi, Mumbai, it turned out to be a roaring success this year, too. The many guests were seen traipsing across the Regal Room of Trident to have a taste of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, Ecuador, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Maldives, Mexico, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Turkey. The fabulous spread of world cuisine served by each participating consulate was accompanied by live music. The bonhomie was infectious with globally-minded individuals interacting with one another and contributing to a social cause. Yes, the amount collected went to four charities: Set Beautiful Free, Mahan Trust, Bal Jeevan Trust and Trirathna Prerna Mandal.