The family elders – my mom in law, maternal uncle, aunt in law – and I went to Masala Kraft restaurant in the hotel for lunch. We had the Parsi set veg and non veg meals. These are a part of the #finalcourse menu which is available at the Masala Kraft right now. The restaurant is going to shut down after 20 years of its existence to make way for Loiya.
The staff led by Ms Shalaka took great care of us. Chef Kurush made us an off the menu sali tamatar per eedu for my MIl who is vegetarian but has eggs.
Exec chef Amit Chowdhury dropped in and shared stories from his marriage day. Like me, he too is a Bengali married to a Parsi.
He said that he will be retiring after 6 months to possibly take up a training role at the corporate level. He introduced me to Chef Raghu whom he is grooming to be his successor.
We later went to the Sea Lounge. My MIL had last visited it coincidentally in the year in which I was born and before K was born. She looked visibly thrilled to be there and said the place looked the same 50 years after her earlier visit. As did the view. I pointed out that it was unlikely that the Gateway would look very different!
We went to the Crystal Room where she had once attended a Navjot dinner. The security staff was kind to open the door and let us in to see the hall. Just as the young lady at Sea Lounge, a place where Kainaz and I love to spend time, was kind enough to welcome us in to go on a tour down memory lane. Just as Tanishka from the PR Team was kind enough to arrange the lunch and to convey the bit about my MIL’s love for eggs to the chef.
We later took pics by the bust of grand old man Jamshedji Tata, whose large-hearted spirit continues to guide the hotel, 120 years after he had opened it.
I am sure he would be smiling to see his fellow Parsis having a good time there.
