It’s been a rainy morning in Mumbai and a rainy night too. Which is ironic, given that we were at the Trident Nariman Point for a staycation this weekend. Our suite looked on to the sea which looks majestic when it rains. It was dry as a bone when we were there, which was a shame. Everything else was splendid, so one should not complain.
Feeling like Royalty at Trident
It’s 1.25 in the afternoon. I just finished breakfast! Avocado toast with a fried egg as an add-on. This is at a cafe in Bandra, which we discovered recently. I am tempted not to share its name. To keep it as my secret hangout. This cafe has a good lineage. We are fans of its ‘cousins.’ It is nearly impossible to get a place at those. IYKYK, as they say. I think I’ll keep this one to myself.
Avocado toast with a sunny side up added on
The avocado toast was lovely. The avocado was seasoned perfectly, and it had the right amount of salt and tanginess. It was served on a bed of cashew cream on crisp dill sourdough. I followed it with an espresso, which was stronger than it is at the other cafes with which it shares half a name. Its co-owner had told me earlier that they use a slightly stronger roast here.
Don’t I sound like a Bombay Times blind item with all these hints? If you know Bandra well enough, or me, you will work this out. Two tables were occupied when I came in. The folks from one left soon after. The other, opposite me, was occupied by two Gen Z girls. I think one was shooting the food for her page. The other was giving her company. They were relishing their food. I eavesdropped, not that I had an option. Before you go tut-tut, let me say in their defence that they were not loud like Gen Z folks in cafes tend to be. This is the point at which K would have told me, ‘You are such a Bandra uncle!’
What I learnt from them was that the Moroccan goat cheese that they ordered was delicious. It looked so. I will try it next time. They were ecstatic about the salted pecan ice cream that they ordered. And the hot chocolate. Apparently, Mokii is another place with good HC. I also learnt that a character from the show Marvellous Mrs Maisel, who happens to be a favourite of one of the two girls, is the villain in the new Superman movie. I had seen Superman III in 1984. I don’t know if the parents of the two friends were born by then. That does make me a Bandra uncle, though I lived in a city known as Calcutta then.
Scoobooooooooo
I had come to the cafe after therapy. ‘Kitty therapy’. My outie kid (IYKYK), Scooby, is at the vet’s next door. He had gingivitis. The ‘squad’ sprang into action. One booked a dentist’s appointment and arranged for boarding there. The other offered a roomy cage to keep him there. We went to check on him every day. The procedure went off well, we were told. He is healing. It is apparent from the fact that he has been more lively each time that we have gone to meet him. His fur is fluffier and cleaner than ever before. He is a stray who doesn’t groom himself thoroughly, and his coat is usually matted. He is eating better. Earlier, he would eat only when I came here and fed him. Now he is eating otherwise too, and they have introduced kibble into his diet. He will be dewormed and vaccinated before we take him back. The doctors and the staff are very kind.
Contact Posh Vets to take her or/and her friend home. Kitty friend!
They let me in whenever I drop in. I boop the other cats kept for boarding. They get excited on seeing the company. The tiniest is 1.5 months old. I take her out and carry her. She is healthy, skinny and up for adoption. There is another who is up for adoption. The rest have come for treatment.
Toddy is up for adoption too
The story of one is a bit sad. From what I gathered, its owners had brought him for euthanasia as they could not afford the treatment required. The folks at the clinic decided to treat him, and he is fine now. They have given him a home at the clinic. He is the quietest of the lot. Probably because he had had a tough life, he came towards me today and I booped him on the nose, patted him and told him, “You are a very good boy. You are now with people who love you. You are precious.”
You are precious Sandy. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.
