Anti Tann-Inn

The experts over at Grand Hyatt Mumbai are adding a dash of Nine Hills red wine to rice, and they’re not making risotto. This we found when we went to test drive their spa’s newly launched couple wine treatment. Three words: bibulous, ridiculous, fabulous!

When we first heard about the wine spa treatment, we had vivid images of being soaked in large, crimson-filled vats. The, reality however, was a lot less dramatic.
Even so, we couldn’t help but feel like pieces of meat, being kneaded, oiled, glazed and prepared to be served at a feast.

What: Star suds for men and women from Soap Opera, call 9930842861 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it to order, start at Rs 70.

Why: These soaps are hand-crafted with notes from the renowned Grasse perfumeries in France, and can be customised to carry the scent of your favourite cologne. Available in over 100 shapes from Dali-ish lips to fun chappals, cast these Soap Opera specials in your next shower scene. They’re naturals!

When: You need a lather figure.

Get your fill of pretzel twists at Cosmic Fusion, the newest yoga studio and wellness centre in Bandra, which offers everything from a kriya cleansing room and crystal healing expert to Buddhist chant Sundays and physiotherapist-induced muscle massages. Gimmicky? Maybe. But we like the whole-istic package.

What: Trainer for every terrain, Scrunch fitness, call Zaid on 9821622122/ 9820645592 or visit www.scrunch.in, starts at Rs 800 per session.

Why: From water games to a sweaty set on the beach, the guys at newly launched Scrunch can send in a personal trainer and equipment to help you work out in the setting you like best. On a mountain top too!

When: You want to recover from (the) Rocky Road.

What: Marcus Leatherdale at Matthieu Foss Gallery, ground floor, Hansraj Damodar building, Goa Street, Ballard Estate, entry free, prints start at 2,000 USD.

Why: Even though his subjects reinforce every cliché about rural India - cows and elephants, bananas and sadhus, ripped men in tiny loin cloths – this Canadian-born photographer knows how to wield a camera. His portraits are severe, sharp, spectacular – and all without the help of Photoshop. Read our full review here.

When: Exhibit opens today and runs through February 13.

The Other Mumbai Marathon

If the upcoming Mumbai Marathon seems a little too hardcore for you, we’ve found a frothier (and more frivolous) alternative, a race where beer replaces Gatorade and formal closing ceremonies are bumped off for frat-house hazing rituals.

Street Starts

The Bombay Hash House Harriers, founded in Malaysia in the 1930s and named after a convoluted WWI story, have been organising these marathons in Mumbai for almost three decades now, where between 40 and 150 members (ranging from the age of 8 to 80 years) gather at a pre-decided starting point on the last Sunday of every month to run an 8 to 10 km race. Past venues have included Malabar Hill, Elephanta Caves and Bandra. The next one, on January 31, will begin at Kandivali.

bpb FREEBIE: Subscribers get awesome freebie at Tress Talk. For this and more member deals, enter your email in the subscription box.

Dark chocolate waxing, red wine facial, fig hair repair, caviar de-tan: Tress Talk is like a delicious deli for your body. The only difference is that at this spanking new unisex salon and spa, all the treats are nutritious and the results, wholesome.

Room Service

Founded by internationally-trained cosmetologist Meetah Thakkar and her two partners, Tress Talk features an exhaustive menu of “meals”, each of which can be sampled in one of the salon’s five neat rooms – Ritual Room for hair treatments (Rs 600 and up); Hands and Feet Bar for manis, pedis, nail art and foot massages (Rs 300 and up); Express Room for waxing, threading, etc (Rs 50 and up); Age Lock Room for age-defying treatments (Rs 500 and up); and Keraskin Room for facials and more ( Rs 2,500 and up).

Outside, in a spherical area, hairstylists snip and prune, curl and re-bond, highlight and touch up for Rs 300 and up. Chemical peels are also available for those who don’t believe that nature can nurture. Almost every service, including waxing and facials, extends to men as well.

Piecemeal

Although the expertise and fancy equipment at Tress Talk would warrant it, not all its “rituals” are exorbitantly priced. You can for instance, get a Stress Free Tonic head massage for Rs 200. A shampoo + cut + blow dry will cost you Rs 850, as will the Caviar face and neck de-tan.

Bon appétit!

Getting there: Shop number 3, ground floor, Rajdhoot, 57, opposite Espirit, Linking Road, Khar (W), call 26489642 /43.

Green Trimmings

For more pruning, visit Green Grower’s free one-day plant clinic on January 15. Take in your sick plants and watch them get nursed back to health by horticulturist Anusha Babbar and an expert from Pest Control India. A (green) thumbs up!

Getting there: Green Grower Garden Centre, Mahatma Gandhi Sew Mandir, opposite Bandra Talao, SV Road, 9.30 am to 12.30 pm, call 9322196645, free of cost.

The spotlight falls on an empty stage. On the edge, a solo microphone waits. You walk to the centre, an empty orchestra in your stomach, an itchy feeling in your throat. All eyes are on you. You can barely hold a note, but the song has your name on it. Can you belt it out without being booed, you wonder?

If you suffer from Pre-Karaoke Anxiety Syndrome (we made up the name, but the condition does exist!) visit www.singchana.com to loosen your vocal chords. This new karaoke gaming website allows you to pick from 90-odd tracks, Hindi and English, and sing your heart out. The audience is optional.

Plug Ins

The Sing Chana website is extremely user-friendly, even for cyber-klutzes. All you have to do is sign in, plug in your computer mike, select a song, and start crooning. You will be scored based on your performance, and if you’re good, you might even make it to the Star Singers page.

Mouthing Off

While Sing Chana accommodates pretty much all music categories, not every genre is robust. The rock track list for instance, has only five songs, including Numb by Linkin’ Park and No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley. Predictably, pop and Bollywood are the most populated. But founders Hitesh and Vikram Mehta are working on filling the long pauses. “We’re constantly adding diverse, new songs to the list. Soon, even your grandmother will be able to karaoke to her favourite devotional song!” says Hitesh. Also in the pipeline is a multi-player feature, which promises to make the sing-along competing experience more fun.

What’s really entertaining (read hilarious) though, is listening to user renditions of each song. That does not mean that every song you sing will get archived for public listening. “There are settings that allow you to keep your recorded masterpieces private,” assures Hitesh. So, go on, and sing like nobody’s watching.

Getting there: Visit www.singchana.com, registration free.

What: Organic honey beauty products by Under the Mango Tree, call 9833154478 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , start at Rs 50.

Why: Famous for their yummy artisan honeys, Vijaya Pastala’s NGO is now creating a buzz with its new beauty line. The grainy body scrub and smooth lip balm definitely deserve some face time.

When: It’s time to indulge in fair trade.

There are, we discovered, many fringe benefits to getting a haircut at celebrity coiffeur Savio John Pereira’s new Bandra salon. You may for instance, get served a glass of Burgundy while they work on your bob, or be able to browse through a soon-to-be-introduced shopping rack while you wait for your turn. Best of all, if the perky receptionist we met is to be believed, you could even get a cut from mane moghul Savio himself, and pay him “whatever you feel like” (word on the street is that Savio usually charges about Rs 2,000).