Kitab Khana - My Favourite Bombay Bookshop

Whenever I am in South Bombay,  I always make a point of visiting Kitab Khana - an independent bookshop with old world charm that stocks an interesting range of reading matter. It was actually Mr Jules that first introduced me to the shop as he used to work just around the corner.  When I was looking for a book about Art Deco buildings in Bombay, he led me to Kitab Khana. For indeed, it stocks an array of informative coffee table books and I have since bought quite a few tomes on such subject matter as architecture, Indian wildlife and Indian handicrafts.

With its intellectual, library-like ambience,  the store has 'proper' dark wooden bookshelves, piles of books on tables as you walk in and a balustraded mezzanine level above you.  It's worth a look just for the interior. The only thing that is missing is a bit of dust!  And there is a little area set aside for children and you will find a vegetarian café at the back (appropriately named 'Food for Thought' - which I have yet to try out).

Mr Jules's Christmas present was purchased on my last trip to Kitab Khana
(well he finds it fascinating, even if you don't!)

Kitab Khana stocks all the classics - from both English literature as well as Indian. And if you want to pick up some contemporary literature from Indian writers (in English), you will find it all here. As well as novels and biographies, the store also has the usual business management, IT, travel, cookery, health and other reference sections that you would find in a modern bookshop. I could honestly spend hours browsing in Kitab Khana.

Look, Mr Men books in the foreground!

Excellent selection of coffee table books

Love the historic characters on the frieze above

Reference books galore

English literature including every Agatha Christie novel

Loads of books about Bombay - my favourite section

No shortage of staff!

Are you being served?

Kitab Khana

Ground Floor

Somaiya Bhavan

45/47 MG Road

Fort, Mumbai, 400001

Tel: 022-22888041/43

The store is right opposite the car park next to Flora Fountain - combine your trip with a visit to colonial Mumbai!

www.kitabkhana.in

Open 10.30 am to 7.30 am every day.

Ubiquitous India : No 2 - The Plastic Chair

I have to admit, I am not being original in observing the ubiquity of the moulded plastic chair in India - it was noted in an article by the BBC entitled "10 things you might not know about India - No 6. Everywhere you go, you see plastic chairs". And it is so true!  There are plastic chairs absolutely everywhere! Plastic chairs at weddings, plastic chairs sat on by guards, plastic chairs on boats, plastic chairs in schools, plastic chairs on the pavement, etc etc etc.  Plastic chairs are also nearly always lined up outside roadside cafes (dabbas). They come in a rainbow of colours and designs. Most are plain, some are fancy. Some are more comfortable than others.

So stackable and manoeuvrable that you can even get a load on the back of a bike!

But why so ubiquitous?  Well moulded plastic chairs are of course cheap; cheap to manufacture and cheap to buy.  They have an amazing space saving, stackable design - so important in crowded India. Plastic chairs are colourful and cheery. They are easy to wash and they are monsoon proof. They are almost disposable and can also be easily recycled via India's plastic recycling plants. Although I suspect they have quite a long life in the first place.  Plastic chairs are great for any 'bulk' situation such as weddings (where guests typically number 1,000 upwards), conferences, pop concerts and ceremonies. 

The use for the Indian plastic chair really is endless.  It is surely impossible to go a whole day in India without seeing a plastic chair....test yourself next time you are out and about!

Here is a selection of photos from my archive ....I didn't even need to make an effort to find these:

Child does her homework on one - Delhi

Ooooh fancy with a flower design - roadside dabba near Karnala

Ganesha Chaturthi celebration at The Pandits

You can cram a plastic chair into the smallest of pavement shops

I found this stack of chairs near our apartment - going somewhere I assume

Comfortable enough to fall asleep in......

Above & Below: Setting up for an impromptu pop concert on Carter Road

I found this mini-stack outside the catering truck on a Bollywood shoot in Horniman Circle

On the top deck of a houseboat in Kerala - these ones are built for extra comfort!

Being used by the police on a roundabout during New Year's Eve traffic management

I was disappointed to observe that instead of having plush leather seating in the
lobby to our own building - we have plastic chairs!

Gourmet Saturday : Marie-Antoinette (Bandra)

Mr Jules and I were lucky enough to be invited over to Marie-Antoinette on Saturday to try out a selection of their delectable patisserie items.  Never ones to turn down cake, you couldn't get us there quick enough!  I was also particularly keen to visit Marie-Antoinette after learning that the patisserie was set up by two expat entrepreneurs.

Marie-Antoinette is Mumbai's self proclaimed 'first uniquely French Patisserie'. True to its word, the eaterie is French owned and purveys all-French food items.  The interior is delightful - the charming wrought-iron bistro furniture, toile backdrops, vintage bone china and colourful flower arrangements are reminiscent of many a Parisian boulevard café. 

Les Macarons....

Just like The Breakfast Club and Good Juicery expat businesses that I have written about previously, - it is again young expats who have been brave enough to set up shop in India. At the age of only 23, Severine Bresson and Marc de Vezin were in fact, on a gap year from their economics degrees at the Sorbonne (no less) when they decided to start a business in Mumbai. Spotting a gap in the market for genuine homemade macarons - small, sweet and colourful and definitely appealing to the Indian aesthetic, they decided to bring Paris to Bandra.  It is common knowledge that establishing a business in this country is challenging - even if you are local - so I utterly respect young Severine and Marc's entrepreneurial spirit and courage.

The menu at Marie-Antoinette has since been developed with a French chef to include a plethora of French classics. As well as the all important macarons, you will find 'Financiers' (gold bar shaped cakes made with almond powder); Madeleines (traditional 17th century biscuits); crème brûlées and choux buns.  The less sweet offerings include French Toast (pain perdus), tartines, quiches and the most famous of all French dishes - the Croque Monsieur.  You will also find a selection of cheeses made in the ex-French Union Territory of Pondicherry. And nothing is 'Indianised!' - no chilli where it is not needed, no masala in your tea, and everything has the correct consistency and size.  Here I have found a true authenticity which is usually so lacking in Mumbai's European-style eateries. 

Mr Jules and I tried three items from the extensive menu: a colourful plate of individually flavoured macarons (including the new 'cheese and cinnamon flavour - don't knock it until you've tried it!), the springy Financier sponges and the crème brûlées (and all washed down with some excellent cappuccinos). 

Interior of Marie-Antoinette - find locals and expats enjoying French delights here

Now, macarons are all the rage in Mumbai at the moment - mostly due to the overwhelming success of Pooja Dhingra's 'Le15' patisserie - with its perfectly smooth, elegant macarons and distinctly Parisian packaging.  But I have to say, I found the selection at Marie-Antoinette to be a little more authentic  - 'rustique' even.  Each mouthful contains texture as well as an explosion of flavour - banana and chocolate, rose, coffee, salted caramel and of course the new cheese and cinnamon flavour - in which the sweetness is pared down by the cream cheese - I loved it! Not being much of a baker myself, I was told that it is the addition of the correct amount of almond powder that creates the right texture and crunch on the outer casing, hence the more 'rustique' appearance. There are currently nine flavours and colours and I think we tried most of them!  

Multi-coloured gorgeousness

The Financier cakes (which are eggless) really transported me back to lovely weekends in Paris - a dense moist cake that goes so well with coffee and the crème brûlées were the best I've had in Mumbai (and I've tried a lot - it's my favourite dessert). A triumph!

Financier Cake

For a corner of Paris right here in Bandra, you need to get yourself along to Marie-Antoinette.  There is a charming garden out front (complete with child-friendly astro turf!) and the vibe is very relaxed. Needless to say...the French delicacies are ...delicious! 

Bon Appétit!

...and again!

View from the mezzanine seating area

whoops...can't get enough!

Upstairs, Tasneem demonstrates her macaron making skills.....and it doesn't look easy!

Nutella flavoured macarons in progress

Soft, squidy insides

French style furnishings

Beautiful gift packaging

Chocolate chip Financier cakes

Tea and coffee is served in 'proper' bone China at Marie-Antoinette.

The perfectly executed creme brûlées

I love the toile backdrops to the outside seating...ooh la la!

Paris-en-Bandra !

Marie-Antoinette
Sherley Rajan Road
Nr Rizvi College
Bandra West

Open Tuesday to Sunday 9.30 am to 11.00 pm
www.facebook.com/marieantoinetteahouse

Sample prices:

Macarons 6 for Rs 275, 12 for Rs 550 and 24 for Rs 1,100.
Salads start at Rs 210
Croque Monsieur Rs 199
Cheese Plate Rs 380
Cappuccino Rs 99

Photoessay: Groups No. 6

Happy Sunday Peeps!

Well I haven't posted anything from my groups series for a while - not since July 2013 in fact.  (see Groups No.5 here) My quest to photograph groups of people has been pretty slow over the last six months, or perhaps I have been missing opportunities due to focussing on other projects (such as my new 'Ubiquitous India' series).

For any new readers, my mission is simple - get groups of people to pose for the camera.  Even better if they are in uniform or at least have a common theme - and really superb if they happen to be a group of five (my magic number for a really good group shot).  Theses photos seem to document Indian life in a unique way whilst portraying to the world what a friendly nation I now reside in.  Cool eh?

Anyway, here are my recent efforts:

Three bakers from the back of Yazdani Parsi bakery in Fort

Hmmm...these uniforms could do with a wash!
Waiters at Punjabi Moti Halwal in Fort (great lassi place)

One of my favourite places to capture uniformed workers - at the petrol pump!
Too bad there is a smudge on my lens

We stopped at for a Macdonalds on the way to Goa - these kids were playing 'Truth or Dare' and dared each other to come over to our table and ask us where we were from (yeah, really daring!)....I asked for their photo in turn.

Outside the same Macdonalds - a group of students on their way back to school after a healthy lunch

Dapper lads in almost identical outfits - Old Goa

From the Dahi Handi festival - a group of supporters for one of the human pyramid teams.
Smiling was a challenge....

A jubilant (and rather over excited) Dahi Handi pyramid team

Another jubilant human pyramid team - this time all female and very pleased to pose for the camera

No reason why I can't take my project outside of India! I found this group of cyclists
at the top of a Gorge in Provence this summer

At Tadoba Tiger Reserve - guards waiting to accompany jeeps in to the park
...couldn't quite get them to stand in line.

An adorable family from a rural village in Tadoba, Maharashtra. Mum, daughter, grandson, grandma, aunties.

Waiting for a bus - rural village in Tadoba

Lovely ladies at Banganga Tank last week

Does this count? A group of cormorants on Lake Ashtamudi, Kerala.

Semi-uniformed porters at the fishing port, Kollam (Kerala)

Fishermen - as above

Jolly fishwives, Kollam fishing port

See also:

Groups No.1
Groups No.2
Groups No.3
Groups No.4
Groups No. 5