We held a proper Holi party at Village Underground in Shoreditch on Sunday 24th March 2013.
It was a glorious, exuberant, colourful, joy-filled mess. Everyone from the tiniest little children to the most elderly aunty-jis had a fantastic time.
Over 300 of you showed up to our (sold-out!) party to see our master storyteller Vayu Naidu weave her magic. She told us how Holi breaks down barriers and brings people together, regardless of background, religion or social status. At its heart, this lovely, barmy festival is a chance to forgive past transgressions and extend the hand of peace.
Then the moment arrived – and we released almost 70kg of gulal (coloured powder) into the waiting crowd.
It went a little wild. We danced, and threw powder, and burst balloons full of gulal over each others’ heads, and chuckled at how barmy we all looked. It was magical.
Watch the video, and see for yourself. And if you like the look of our Holi party – do come and celebrate with us in 2014.
With each new café that we open, we write a story deeply rooted in Bombay history or culture. This story, known to us as the founding myth, informs all aspects of the restaurant’s design. We spend months researching the Bombay of the period and combing the city for the right furniture, both vintage and new. In a way, you walk across our thresholds into our stories.
Bedecked in their annual finery of baubles, tinsel and lights, our cafés are ready to receive you for your Christmas celebration. So too are our chefs, who have assembled a most excellent array of festive fare for your table.
Our soft launch will run from 27th November to 2.30pm on 5th December. And to express our gratitude for being among our first guests, all food can be enjoyed at 50% off across breakfast, lunch and dinner – yes, really.
Stop by any Bombay tapri (street stall), café, or home, and you will likely find yourself with a gently steaming glass of chai in hand. Before the invention of chai, Bombayites drank kadha, an ayurvedic remedy for coughs and colds made of boiled water and spices like cardamom, cloves and nutmeg. Eventually locals started adding tea leaves, milk, honey and sugar to their ‘kadha’. Chai was born.