Rubina A Khan reviews The Bluebop Cafe, Mumbai: “Italian-American gluttony with live jazz performances.”
The Bluebop Cafe is a new jim-dandy of a bar cafe in Mumbai, serving Italian-American cuisine along with a musical side of jazz blues and bop, live. Inspired by the musical evolution of jazz, which came to mean jazz music in Chicago, USA, around 1915, and bebop, which is a style of jazz that came to be in the United States of America in the 1940s, Eesha Sukhi, the owner and creator of The Bluebop Cafe, decided to name her first independent culinary space thus.
The Bluebop Cafe entrance | Photo: Rubina A Khan
The restaurant is located right on Linking Road, Khar, and not on some long-winding inner bylane with the dreaded no-entry signages. As you walk into the inviting, verdure (a rare sighting in Mumbai) courtyard with wrought-iron benches and an old Peepal tree leaning into it, you are instantly drawn in. I can just imagine myself sitting on one of the benches on a December night, breathing in fresh oxygen from the Peepal tree.
I loved the Asparagus and Polenta that set the tone for the Italian-American food gluttony ahead – the crunch of the freshly sautéed green asparagus spears, along with the polenta and the manchego cheese was delicious. There’s grits of the American South, and then there’s the vegetarian, Indian version, of the classic Italian polenta right here in Mumbai at Bluebop.
Asparagus & Polenta | Photo: Rubina A Khan
The Spaghetti Aglio Olio was flavoursome, as was the creamy Mushroom Risotto, accompanied by a Citrus Spritzer cocktail. The New York style pizzas, and I’m not a pizza person at all (I owe all my indulgent allegiance to burgers and fries) were great. I tried the Goat Cheese and Spinach as well as the Jerk Chicken pizza and it’s the dough that really makes all the difference to the overall taste as it is made in-house.
The Matcha Mousse is innovative, and the Tiramisu is made for the Indian sweet palate. Bluebop sources all its produce locally and makes a sincere effort to keep its dishes authentic to the regions of Italy and America that they originate from.
The wine-hued walls, patterned flooring, cane-backed chairs with arm-rests and seating booths lend a 70s vibe to the cafe, but not entirely, as the illuminated bar breaks away with its contemporary design, with mixologist Dinesh Mondkar concocting and crafting the heady cocktails. The culinary team is led by Chef Saurabh Raturi, who interestingly, also moonlights as a musician (a guitar hangs above the kitchen entry) when he’s not developing and perfecting a new dish for the cafe. The Bluebop team is knowledgeable, curious and willing to adapt, without a trace of the “I know it all” affectations, in an ever evolving and extremely competitive business.
The BlueBop Cafe is open all days, from 12:00PM-1AM.
Sunday Brunch: 12PM-3PM.
The BlueBop Cafe
318, Linking Rd, Khar West,
Mumbai 400052 India
+91 22 62366444 | 93 722 02586
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As the breeze sprays you with the salty, ocean water, you cannot help but wonder if partying in a nightclub in the Maldivian archipelago is really happening, that too one that has a dress code. From flip-flops and cut-offs and sunscreen, it’s quite the departure for the party on board to evening dresses, heels and makeup! After all, the islands are best known for their pristine, sunny beaches, crystal blue waters, spectacular spas, world-class cuisine and wines, state-of-the-art water sports and incredibly stunning vistas. Of course, all these relaxing activities are limited largely to the island resort you are visiting. In other words, all the action is on the island. So, naturally, one simply cannot fathom the very idea of a nightclub in the Maldives. Sure, there’s dancing and music in beach bars, sunset view bars and even restaurants (if no one’s looking) on the island resorts, but an actual nightclub? Sounds absolutely incredulous and unbelievable! But Niyama by Per Aquum, seems to have changed the game globally, by offering the world a getaway on its vast island playground with Subsix. As the boat approaches Edge, the over water bar and restaurant, swathed in a fluorescent pink hue, near the landing jetty, everyone’s ready to get this party started!
After getting off the boat and sipping on some welcome cocktails, a wooden staircase to the left of Edge, takes you down under. A large door swings open and there it is – Subsix – the world’s first and only nightclub underwater! Nothing you have ever imagined can compare to what hits you when you are inside it, aside from gasps of sheer wonder and amazement. ‘You are in a nightclub underwater’ is a sentence that keeps whirling around in your head as you take in the interiors of the club. The club is built six feet under the surface of the Indian Ocean and spins the term ‘partying’ on its head, giving a whole new meaning to shaking things up under water. Floor-to-ceiling windows on three sides of the structure allow unparalleled views of the marine life that swim by from the inner depths of the blue – Manta Rays, Parrotfish, Turtles, Clown Fish and many more exotic underwater inhabitants. A myriad shades of blue bounce off the ocean, straight into the club, and seem to change colour by the minute, set off by the glimmering lights inside. Fishes and sea creatures swim up to the windows and it all seems like a very ethereal dream!
The design and décor of the club and the bar is on trend and no different from any hip nightclub anywhere in the world, except the fact that Subsix is underwater. The structure was built entirely on land, before being sunk into place, making sure no corals on the house reef were damaged. Niyama encourages people to adopt corals to protect and enrich the environment and since they started their Coral Regeneration Program in 2007, 3000 corals have been added to the house reef. Everyone soon turns into paparazzi mode, taking pictures of the fishes that even hold a pose sometimes! Imagine the delight of one guest who managed to score picture of a fish French-kissing her through the glass! Needless to add, that’s her Facebook profile picture for at least a week, if not more! Just sitting by one of the windows enjoying a signature cocktail, watching the fishes come up to the glass and blow kisses at you, is a sublime experience. It is almost as if you are one with the ocean and its colourful inhabitants. Dancing to the resident DJ’s tunes and burning up a dance floor six feet under water hits you harder than any cocktail made in any bar in the world! International rap star Tinie Tempah, was the first to perform at Subsix when it opened in the last quarter of 2012, followed by DJ Poet who is the official DJ of the band, Black Eyed Peas. Night divers and snorkellers, are often surprised when they see the glittering lights of Subsix on their explorations and feel the pulsating rhythms of the music, but the ocean life seems unperturbed by the humans dancing and swaying to the music. The underwater nightclub experience is definitely the reason Niyama’s residents swing by for a good time, but it is Subsix’s extraordinary view that is far more heady than any of the exotic cocktails on the expansive menu.
Such is the popularity of Subsix’s spectacular ocean life views, that Niyama has started a Prix Fixe lunch menu on Wednesdays and Saturdays to accommodate their guests’ requests. It is an exceptionally well-crafted menu that caters to a global palette, paired with some of the best wines from around the world. From the best grass-fed beef to the best seafood the ocean has to offer, the Subsix menu is created to entice the most discerning patron. The food is prepared by the chefs at the Edge kitchen above and brought down to the diners by the very congenial and charming staff on the days that Subsix hosts lunches.
“You are unique. And so in your skin, just like your fingerprints. The story of your life, whether biological or emotional, can be read on your skin,” reads the opening page of the spa menu. You can choose from a range of therapies of Indian origin to Asian to Tibetan. Not only does the spa offer bespoke massage treatments, it’s a full service salon with Manicures, Pedicures, Blow Dries, Hair Cuts and Styling, Epilation – the works. Velaa scores big with the ladies on this! And it’s not just about the adults; the spa has a Junior Menu too for the little ladies and little men on the resort! That is, if they haven’t tired themselves with all the fun and games at the Kid’s Play Zone whilst their parents enjoyed romantic lunches and walks on the beach. The Clarins team of therapists, as you’d expect from a brand that renowned, are exceptional. Your skin is in paradise as are you with pure harmony resonating within your mind, body and soul! And the treatment beds have a wonderful window into the lagoon below that gently lull you into an even more relaxed state.
Rubina A Khan 