There’s nothing quite like Holi. Literally, you have to see it to believe it. We Indians seem to lose our collective minds, abandon all sense of decorum, and chase and pelt each other with coloured powders. As the powders are unleashed, social boundaries are blurred with colour and for that one crazy day, anything goes.
People in the West assume that Valentine’s Day is a Western tradition. But we at Dishoom know better. Last year we learnt the true origins of the festival, explaining how Valentine’s Day (or more accurately, Velan-times Day) started. It was all down to the rolling pin of freedom – the humble velan. This year, the story continues, with a daring rescue of the wife from treacherous villains in the nick of time, allowing the happy couple to celebrate a romantic Velantimes Day dinner together.
Christmas Turkey. Now be honest. Does the thought of it fill you with excitement? Does it make your taste buds stand to attention? Probably not. So we felt the responsibility to turn this uninspiring meat into something amazing. Something that friends would squabble over the scraps of. A Bombay Party in your mouth, so to speak.
A conversation revisited…Cold, rainy morning, not very long ago in a comfortable booth at Dishoom on St Martin’s Lane. A motley crew of Dishoom-wallahs, mulling over ideas for Christmas.
Diwali draws near, and with it fireworks and celebrations. But it’s also worth remembering the story of Diwali, passed lovingly on through generations. A tale of daring, of wonder. Of chariots flying across the sky, of the wise monkey god leaping the ocean. On Sunday 23rd October, we have a fantastic day of events for adults and children alike to celebrate Diwali – face-painting, chalk Rangoli, story-telling and a film viewing!
It was a loopy premise, even for a pop-up. ‘What if an old Bombay Cafe were to take a gentle stroll down to Chowpatty Beach in about 1965 and drop a mild acid tab?’ But now, the crazy colourful summer is fading into grey-brown autumn. Say goodbye to Dishoom Chowpatty Beach one last time.
We’re opening a pop-up Bombay Beach Bar on the South Bank, answering the (previously very hypothetical) question of what would happen if an old Bombay Cafe strolled casually down to the local beach while on a mild acid trip
Judy Sucks a Lemon cocktail recipe – a mix of lemon, a whack of chilli, gin and popping-candy-crazy-crackle – an instant hit and got everyone in the mood for Cornershop’s latest sounds….
