What: Café Zoe, Todi Mathuradas Mill Compound, 126 NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, call 24902065 / 24902066 or view or view the Facebook group here.

Why: With shutters that will go up at 7.30 am, this new brasserie, deli and bar will probably be the earliest riser in the Mill. bpb peeped in to find a 4,000 square foot industrial space with a cool angular bar, deli counter, book shelves, free Wi-fi and treats from chef Viraf Patel (formerly at Salt Water Cafe). Bonus: the menu is expected to be 25% cheaper than Indigo Deli’s. Good morning, indeed.

When: You want to kiss the Todi. Slated to open this weekend, but we suggest you call ahead.

What: Under the Tree’s gardening workshops, to register call 9833921120 or visit the Facebook group here, Rs 850 for a half-day rose class.

Why: Horticulturist and weeder Anusha Bubber is Bandra’s Bob Maali. Starting February 1, she’ll open up her bungalow rooftop to hold workshops on butterfly attraction, rose maintenance and gardens by the sea. Group classes of five to ten (bring your own buds or join a class) will also include music, lemonade, salad and sandwiches.

When: You need lawn-term solutions.

What: Party catering by Silverspoon Gourmet, call 9820044424 or visit the Facebook page here, minimum group size of eight people, canapé menu starts at Rs 800 per head.

Why: Give Neha Manekia a couple of days notice and she’ll organise your entire party. She runs Silverspoon Gourmet, a full service catering company that provides wait staff, cutlery, bartenders and more along with fancy dishes, all of which are prepared in your kitchen. bpb tried and loved ratatouille bruschetta, mushroom mousse and sharp, tangy chicken liver pate.

When: See you cater, alligator!

January 27: DJ Audrey spins house tracks at Aurus, ground floor, Nichani Kutir, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu, 67106666, 10.30 pm, free.

January 27: Gangis Khan (Canada) and DJ Uri (UK) play hip hop at Blue Frog, Mathurdas Mills Compound, NM Joshi Marg, Lower Parel, 61586158, 10.30 pm, Rs 500.

January 27: Chinese New Year menu at Hakkasan, Krystal, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W), 26444445.

January 28: Paul van Dyk (live) - electronic music, Hard Rock Café, Bombay Dyeing Mills Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, 66511209, 10.30 pm, tickets available online, Rs 2,500.

January 28: DJ Reji at Bonobo, Kenilworth Mall Phase 2, second floor, off Linking Road, Bandra (W), 26055050, 10 pm, free.

January 28: August: Osage County- theatre, TATA Theatre, NCPA, Nariman Point, 66223737, 7 pm.

January 28: The Big Beach Basket by the White Collar Hippie, shack on the beach between Hotel Novotel and Hotel Tulip Star, Juhu, view Facebook Event page for details here, 4 pm onwards.

January 29: DJ Henry at Shiro, Bombay Dyeing Mills Compound, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Worli, 66511207, 10 pm.

January 29: Mr. Woodnote & Eva Lazarus, Cool Chef Café, Thadani House, 329/A Village Sea Face, Worli, 32231199, 9 pm.

January 29: The Best in Stand-up Comedy- Ian Coppinger, Sundeep Rao, Anuvab Pal at The Comedy Store, third floor, Palladium Mall, High Street Phoenix, Senapati Bapat Marg, Lower Parel, 43485000, 8.30 pm.

January 29: Farmer’s Market, Bhalla House, 97 Hill Road, opposite St. Andrew's Church, Bandra (W), 10 to 4 pm.

January 29: Someone Else- exhibition by Shilpa Gupta, Chemould Prescott Road, Queens Mansion, third floor, Ghanashyam Talwatkar Marg, Fort, 22000212.

January 29: Sunday Sundown, Escobar, 199 V N Sphere Mall, fourth floor, Linking Road, Bandra (W), 42760000, 4 pm, free.

Let this be the green that accompanies your white and saffron this Republic Day. 

In its fifth cycle, The Sapling Project (see details on http://thesaplingproject.com) will have its truck drive all over Mumbai on January 26, distributing free ready-to-plant saplings. They're aiming at targeting colonies and buildings in need of trees as opposed to the usual plantation drives that target parks and forests. If you insist on paying (because that's just the kind of person you are), you can sponsor a Neem or Ashoka plant for Rs 20. They'll have you commit to caring for it in sickness and in health for two years, following which it can fend for itself. I do.

The sapling truck will make five stops from 9 am to 5 pm (see schedule here). Make way for greener pastures.

Getting there: Visit http://thesaplingproject.com or call 9322131514.

All day eateries are having their moment in the sun and Café at the NCPA, with its outdoor space and palm trees, is quite literally the brightest of them all. We wish we could say the same for the restaurant’s service and food.

As we mentioned in our sneak peek, Café at the NCPA is run by chef Farrokh Khambatta and located in the garden behind Amadeus, flanked and fuelled by an open kitchen. This arrangement, while pretty, lays bare the utter chaos and confusion of the Café’s staff, which we witnessed with amusement and growing exasperation during our Tuesday lunch.

Slippery When Wet

Three different waiters came and gave us three different descriptions of what turned out to be a passable virgin Bloody Mary, described only as “Frozen Snappers” on the menu; we didn’t even bother to ask what “Red and Green” or “Splash” were, sticking instead to what we could decipher independently –oversweet, under-cocoaed chocolate and raspberry milkshake; cinnamon-spiked cold coffee and a fizzy plum and mint lemonade that was the highlight of our meal.

These arrived almost at the end of our lunch, as did mixed green dumplings – sticky and warm, but not nearly as spectacular as the ones we’d tasted during our sneak peek. If it’s Asian you’re looking for, try also tofu and greens in black bean sauce, served with a generous bowl of rice or noodles. Categorised as a “Mini Meal”, this is hearty, satisfying and good value for money, but nowhere close to the magic chef Farrokh Khambatta pulls off at his Asian restaurant Joss.

Poorly Bread

Lackluster too was a chicken burger that came on a nice bun, firm enough to hold the weight of a fat patty smothered in cheese and showered with caramalised onions. Pile on the mustard, grainy and pungent, and you’ll have a pleasant sandwich; on its own, though, the patty is tender but woefully tasteless. Much more flavourful is Black Forest ham, piled onto shards of crusty bread along with cheese, coriander paste and sweet-sharp vinaigrette. Instant fans, we asked what the dressing used was and triggered off a chain of disparate answers from mayo to mustard, none of which seemed plausible. Never mind. 

Dessert came in the form of neatly folded crepe Suzette, pregnant with juicy oranges; and cloying house butterscotch ice cream. A too-sweet ending?

Changes Ahead? 

Maybe not. Chaotic and disappointing as it might be, we’re not ready to write off Café at the NCPA just yet, for it has some good things going, including a great space; proximity to the theatre; and the expertise of one of our favorite chefs, who we’re hoping will find his bearings quick, fast and in a hurry. Amen to that.

Getting there: Cafe at the NCPA, NCPA, Nariman Point, approximately Rs 800 per head.

bpb conducts all reviews anonymously and pays for its own meals.

So there’s this Wall, right, where you can get your carpenter, right after you speed dial your art dealer, to hang up your newest acquisition. Don’t have a dealer, painting or the cash? The Wall can help with all of these. The carpenter you’ll just have to source on your own. Remind us to hook you up with our trusty handy man Sharmaji later.

Launched this month by art collector Kapil Chopra, The Wall is a virtual art magazine (www.thewallartmag.com) that addresses connoisseurs and first time collectors, artists and gallerists in the same space, with user interface that’s pretty enough to stare at. Opt for the full screen view and The Wall pops up in a fun magazine format with pages you can flip though. Licking your fingers already?

Paint Ball

In time for the India Art Fair, the cover story gives a macro view of what to expect at the fourth edition of the festival, padded with lots of pretty pictures. There’s also a cool idiot’s guide to collecting art complete with a fistful of reasonably priced works to pick up (starting at Rs 25,000) and an unbiased pictorial guide on adding value to your collection. In addition to this, there’s a dreamy photo story from inside the folds of a Hyderabad wedding, Q & A with artist Jitish Kallat, reviews of Yoko Ono’s Delhi art exhibit (give this piece a chance?) and author Swapan Seth’s This Is All I Have To Give.

Overall, we think the magazine makes for delicious browsing but could definitely do with better written features (we even spotted a typo). Case in point is the press release-like Sakshi Gallery profile or The Leela (Mumbai) hotel feature that reads a little like a plug. We also wish they’d picked a newer, hipper Mumbai restaurant to profile than Ziya.

The e-zine is currently free of cost and we hope it stays that way or you’ll have to invest in a new monthly plan. Wall pay per view?

Getting there: Visit www.thewallartmag.com, email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , free.

Sex up your career with our free monthly listings of super job openings in the city, from working for a Sunday newspaper to landing gigs at a fashion house and non-profit organisations.

Know of a cool job opening? Send us an email on This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it and we'll list it for free!

Sunday Mid Day

Sunday Mid Day is looking for a Deputy Editor with six years relevant experience and an Assistant Editor/Chief Sub with five years experience. Job will involve news reporting, feature writing and production. Send your resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Westland Publishers

The publishing house is looking for a part time PR executive with two years of work experience. If you’re interested email  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

AXYZ Music

The music label is looking for a Mumbai based intern as Akshai (www.myspace.com/axai) releases his music worldwide on DJ Tiesto-founded Black Hole Records. Need a young, efficient right hand man/woman to follow up on album artwork, music videos, paperwork, marketing and digital/social media. Send your resume to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

If Enid Blyton was commissioned to design an eatery, Freeman & Baker’s new branch at Breach Candy would be it. Think a wonderfully watercoloured world of flowery tablecloths, countryside mural, cake and tea and sandwiches. How marvelous, my dear!

New Editions

Unlike the original outlet in Juhu, the new branch comes with a fatter menu but in a smaller space (three tables only). Freshly prepared soups, salads and pastas have been introduced and the range of meats and cheeses has been widened. Owner Vishal Mehra recommends Mediterranean fattoush and smoked chicken salads; French onion soup and vegetable broth; Greek Fetuccini Athena pasta and zucchini roulade. Also check out the rare meats like pepper chorizo, emu steak, and Japanese quail that Freeman and Baker specialises in as well as Gouda cheese flavoured with wasabi or with nettles and garlic. 

Deli Routine

Freeman & Baker also offers a nice range of packaged health drinks and fresh in-house protein shakes for the (muscle) masses, and plans of serving soup-salad or pasta-salad mini-meals are in the making. The prices don’t set you back by too much either; Rs 300 for a mini-meal makes for a satisfying lunch. Bon appetit!

Getting there: Moksh Zip, ground floor, Akash Ganga building. 89, Bhulabhai Desai Road, opposite TATA Garden, 2364012.

That Oprah wore Sabyasachi in Jaipur is old news, but here’s something about the overexposed fashion designer that you may not know – he is now retailing hair bands and high heels, bustier and bangles. And all of them, dear reader, are utterly, butterly delicious.

Higher Up!

Sabyasachi by Sabyasachi launched early last week, a new store above Kitsch, Kala Ghoda that retains the main design elements of the flagship space (located in the same building) but is brighter and less formal. Here, countless clocks are replaced by a large couch; bridal wear gives way to a billowy white poet’s shirt straight out of Shakespeare in Love.

Invent-ory

In our review of the flagship store, we had griped that Sabyasachi isn’t innovating anymore. This new space, dedicated to Western wear and accessories, rubbishes that complaint. The motifs used here are classic Sabyasachi – blooming flowers and mottled colours – but they are re-imagined to fit on a thick fuchsia hair band, or an A-line shirt that looks like a tent on the hanger but is miraculously flattering once worn.

Also see thick piles of cloth-covered bangles, in gingham checks and zardozi flowers, prints and pearls, sold as sets in pretty boxes – an entire Sabyasachi outfit that you can wear on your wrist; or sky blue platform heels with printed soles.

Sticker Shock