Virtuoso Life - May/June 2008 - (Page 46) LUXE REPORT | CITY TO GO kebabs and classic Indian fare with fresh-from-the-tandoor naan and roomali roti. Japanese food is all the rage in Mumbai, and trendy Tetsuma (41/44 Mon Repos, Minoo Desai Marg; 91-22/2287-6578) serves some of the city’s best traditional sushi and noodles alongside an extensive vegetarian menu. Seafood lovers shouldn’t miss a trip to local favorite Trishna (Sai Baba Marg, Kala Ghoda, Fort; 91-22/2267-2176) for tandoori pomfret and king crab legs in Hyderabadi curry. » Drink Take advantage of the balmy summer evenings to enjoy the city’s outdoor seafront bars. Chowpatty Beach’s Salt Water Grill (H2O Water Complex, Chowpatty; 91-22/2368-5485) is famous for its watermelon caipiroskas (a vodka-based caipirinha), while Vie Lounge and Deck (102 Juhu Tara Road; 91-22/2660-3003) promises stunning views of the Arabian Sea from its open-air lounge. Satisfy your libation urges indoors at Indigo (4 Mandlik Road; 91-22/6636-8999), a mainstay of the glamour set located in a spacious converted bungalow. » Shop Scoop up chandelier earrings, bangles, and rings studded with colored stones at the wildly popular Neelam Jewels (101 Sushmore Building, 323 Linking Road, Khar West; 91-22/5643-0855), courtesy of Bollywood-star-turned-designer Neelam Kothari. The Courtyard (SP Centre, 41/44, Minoo Desai Marg) has more than a dozen swank boutiques overlooking the sea, including art gallery Ashish Balram Nagpal and home decor store Moon River. Label-conscious shoppers should head straight to Ensemble (Lion Gate, 130/132 Great Western Building, Shahid Bhagat Singh Marg; 91-22/2287-2882) for Indian and Western clothing by of-the-moment Indian designers such as Monisha Jaisingh and Wendell Rodericks. » Stay The choice hotel for royalty, politicians, and celebrities visiting Mumbai, the 565-room Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, Mumbai has a prime location in the city center overlooking the Gateway of India and is home to Wasabi by Morimoto, prominent Japanese chef Masaharu Morimoto’s first restaurant venture in India. Doubles from approximate $581, including breakfast, a $50 dining credit, and round-trip airport transfers. The 333-room Oberoi, Mumbai presides over the business district with sweeping Arabian Sea views and a Banyan Tree spa featuring ayurvedic treatments such as the Chakra Head and Shoulder Massage. Doubles from approximate $449, including breakfast, dinner once during stay, and round-trip transfers from the airport or train station. BY SHIVANI VORA (MANGOES) LIVIA CORONA/ GETTY IMAGES, (GATEWAY OF INDIA) ESTOCK TRAVEL, (SHOPPERS) DREAMPICTURES/ GETTY IMAGES Sweet Sight of Mumbai Seafront dining and a fruity passion to go mad for. » Go For Mumbaites yearn for May all year: It’s the month of mango madness, when Alphonsos, the world’s juiciest and sweetest mangoes, come into season. Demand for the luscious fruit fills the city, and you’ll find mangoes in many incarnations: overflowing from fruit carts; in creamy lassis with mango bits in every sip, such as those at Bachelors Juice House (45 Sattar Sea View; 91-22/2368-8107); in kulfis – India’s version of ice cream – and as fresh juices. But locals love these mangoes best in their purest form, cut up and plain. You can order them at most restaurants and cafés, just be sure to ask for extra napkins to wipe the juices that will inevitably drip down your chin with every bite. » Eat Rub elbows with the likes of Aishwarya Rai and other Bollywood stars at Olive Bar and Kitchen (14 Union Park; 91-22/2605-8228), where you can tuck into Mediterranean dishes, crispy pizzas, and pastas in the outdoor pebble garden. Copper Chimney (Dr. Annie Besant Road, Lotus Court; 91-22/2492-4488) serves up succulent Clockwise from top: Mumbai in May, the Gateway of India as viewed from the Taj Mahal Palace & Tower, and local flair. 46 V I RT U O S O L I F E
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