What would the world be without passion? I pondered this question, not because I was in the throes of a heated love affair – that happened eons ago and we are still happily married – but because of a slew of luxurious experiences I had over the past two weeks. First off was a sumptuous five-course meal at Masque, the ‘wildnerness-to-table’ restaurant, in Mumbai’s Shakti Mills, at which I was not a regular. Although I knew that co-founders Aditi Duggar and Prateek Sadhu (also head chef who worked for a time at Copenhagen’s famed Noma) were passionate about food, I didn’t quite realize how much heart and soul they have poured into this ambitious enterprise till I revisited it recently.
Foraging seasonal ingredients from across India, they feed the discerning diner. When I went, it was Kashmir inspired fare – lotus root pancakes, green apple and tomato, morels with potatoes and passion fruit churros. As part of its experiential take on eating out, I was whisked into the kitchen to try the first course. Chef Sandhu poured a Peruvian dressing called Tiger’s Milk on grated guava, which he explained was a mix of lemon juice, green chilli and coriander, topped off with black salt, which he drizzled with a bit of oil in a wooden bowl. Biting into the guava, I was thrilled that Mumbai’s dining options now stretch wider than ever before.
Passion was also the genesis of SOVA, a luxury Ayurveda hair and skin care brand founded by my dear friend Vasavdutta Gandhi and her niece, Sneha Daftary. Both are known for their incredible hair (Sneha runs a well-known south Mumbai salon) and I had always wondered about the secret behind their cascading tresses. Well, it turns out the two had been testing ingredients for close to three years and have come up with a range of natural products. Who knew! They said they based their research on natural ingredients, but using science — adding in proteins and amino acids. I happily tried everything — from the masques to the shampoos, conditioners and oils – and I now feel like a walking ad for one of those hair care brands one sees on TV. “I was travelling so much and sick of the way my hair looked,” Vasu said, tossing her thick mane back like a movie star. They had a fashionable launch in Jaipur, attended by everyone from Chief Minister Vasundhara Raje Scindia to assorted local nobility and socialites, and it affirmed that people want nature-based luxury steeped in science. Made in India by two women entrepreneurs — a wonderful plus!
Another man who followed his passion is Shishir Mehta, founder of Scentido, India’s first niche perfume boutique. I went for the store’s opening as a favor to my friends Priya Nathani and Priya Gaekwar, and was gob smacked when I entered. Outside reigned the chaos of a busy Mumbai thoroughfare, replete with honking and ongoing metro work. Inside was an oasis of chic bottles – each one an olfactory ode to the elusive scents. Mehta told me of his passion for perfumes, the rarer the better, and of his vast personal collection, built over the years. He was so enthused by his pursuit that after he sold his business, he decided to open a store that houses only specific, hard to obtain brands. Among these are Roja Parfums, Escentric Molecules, Berdoues, Aedes De Venustas, Jovoy, Jeroboam and other labels so exclusive that most people (including me!) haven’t even heard of them. I snapped up the Berdoues Maasai Mara, a combination of bitter orange and chamomile, artemisia, patchouli and vanilla. If only the city smelled as splendid.
Albert Einstein famously said that he had no special talent and that he was only passionately curious. Thanks to the determined people I spent time with over the past weeks, I am now secure in the thought that I have the option to be a discerning diner with luxurious locks, and that I can smell divine (and different) in the bargain.
This fortnightly column tracks the indulgent pursuits of the one-percenters.
