It’s those in-between times of the year. When I dare not step out of the house without a brolly, but end up using it for the sun. When evening parties always have me in a fix: All-weather outfit that’ll work up a sweat? Or slinky strappy dress — with a shawl? No wonder I lose my appetite for rich curries and heavy meats.

I think someone up there loves me, for the next thing I knew was my gal pal inviting me to a soup-salad-pasta meal at Mocha. Hang on — Mocha? Yup, after breezing though their festival menu, I can vouch for the fact that someone in that more-than-a-coffee-shop can read our in-between minds!

No hearty Minestrones: I began my meal with a spiced lemon-and-basil veloute and followed it up with a refreshing Tomatolino (tomatoes with a dash of orange and chopped spaghetti). The salads were fresh and crunchy. I especially loved the twist on the Insalata Caprese, dished up here with crumbed cottage cheese and Roma tomatoes. For my next visit, I have in mind the warm pepper-and-chickpea salad and the Asian wok-tossed salad.

The pasta counter allows free rein to the imagination, allowing diners to toss up their fave pasta shapes with veggies, roast chicken and Italian meats. I definitely want to try the aglio olio with mushrooms and peppers.

For pud, I stuck to a Mocha coffee — can never go wrong with those! — but my pal had a tough time choosing from the wide range of desserts: tiramisu, Philadelphia cream cheese cakes, gooey fudges and decadent cream cakes. (So what: She’d been a good girl with the rest of the menu!) And, of course, there are those delish fruit-flavoured hookahs.

Because the taste buds need to trip out too, sometimes.

Mocha, 577, 80ft Road, 8th Block, near Bethany High School and Kalyana Mantapam, Koramangala, Bangalore-560095. Tel: 41570437. Price: Soups from Rs 75, salads from Rs 80, pastas from Rs 150.

They say you shouldn’t have fish when there isn’t an R in the month, or else. They also said I couldn’t mix fuchsia and orange in my decor, but look how my cosy studio apartment shaped up. It’s clear that whoever ‘they’ are, they aren’t the authority on everything. So me, yes that’s Li’l Miss Know It All to those who haven’t been introduced, decided to take my friends for a sneak preview of a brand new place where the Goan menu is said to be rather fishy.

Fishy in a completely good way, as it turned out! Here’s my report: The open-air space (now suitably covered and opening for you on July 1) has a lovely breezy Baga beach feel to it. Sand on the floor, neatly laid out tables and an open kitchen area — so far so good. As we scanned the menu and rubbed our hands in glee, our rawas tikka and tandoori prawns arrived on the table, piping hot and perfectly done. While I didn’t get adventurous with the squid and clam dishes, some friends I table-hopped with later said they were to die for as well.

The main course list featured all kinds of dishes that I love — especially chicken vindaloo and daal makhani (so I know my veggie friends were well taken care of too). As I’d opted for the unlimited beer buffet, that was my poison for the evening. But I did miss a wine list nevertheless. Dessert was varied though, with everything from blueberry cheesecake to jalebis. And best of all, the fish as well as all the other ingredients was fresh as fresh can be.

Now if only that handsome cutie at the next table was nearly as fresh with me.

The Coast: 5th floor, Crystal Shopper’s Paradise, Off Linking Road, Bandra (W), Mumbai: Tel: 66711586/87. Prices: Meal for two (without alcohol) approximately Rs 1,200; buffet (with unlimited beer) Rs 799 per head.

So I’m packing for my Mediterranean summer. And like every tony Trendyista, finding nothing to wear — nothing, that is, which isn’t of a certain vintage, of a season or two ago. So shopping I had to go!

The dresses were easy. So were the gladiator sandals in burnished gold, and the woven straw hat. Now I had to have bag and belt and shades.

Most of the leather brands seemed stuffy — I wanted a more playful, stylish touch. So I stopped for a think — and a soothing Bellini — at the Maurya. And the solution stared me in the eye as I steered myself into the lobby — the Aigner boutique displaying the new summer collection.

The first thing to snag my eyeballs was the ‘belted bag’. Just the thing to go with my gladiators, this Damascus. A strappy leather-belt cage cradles a colourful fabric pouch, closed by drawstring with leather tassels. And you can swap the pouch — available in three canvas prints — at whim. (And I’m assured there will be more swaps out a little later in the year — silk foulard, wool, nubuck.)

Next up a belt to match — or many! A coordinating “smallie” pouch for girlie essentials to pop in — luxe little pieces, these, crafted out of a single seamless skin. Oh, and a silver Etienne charm to dangle beside the tassels, why not? Ooh, hey — watches to match my canvas, must-have in ivory. And now for the groovy glasses, with those leather cords attached to the earpiece. Toughie, this — buckskin or lizard? Both?

Since I was on a roll, why not get me a work-day city solution too? The ‘Tea in the Sahara’ tote is roomy enough to hold anything I throw at it, bar the laptop — Filofax, paperback, vanity case, scarf, change of heels, power snack, gymwear, eyemask, and then some. I choose it in desert rose for flair to complement function.

I’m set for the season. Bet my best friend in Mumbai rushes to the Hyatt on reading this!

Shopping Arcade 2, Maurya Sheraton, Sardar Patel Marg, New Delhi; ph: 011-41000261-62. Select styles also available at: Samsaara and Ranna Gill stores in Delh. Prices: Accessories Rs 10,000 onwards; bags Rs 30,000 onwards.
Also in Mumbai: The Grand Hyatt Plaza, off the Western Express Highway, Vakola, Santacruz (East), Mumbai; ph: 022-30601015-14.

I love success stories. Especially the rags-to-riches kind. But that’s not the only reason why my heart did a quiet waltz when I heard the first Tod’s boutique in India has opened its doors in Bangalore and Mumbai, to be followed soon by Delhi.

Tod’s began, famously, as one man working out of a basement in Italy. Today, almost a century and many dollars of business later, they still hand-stitch their leather bags and shoes, use only the most sophisticated materials, and design as much for comfort as for style. That, to me, shows a respect for roots that no money can buy.

High philosophy shoehorns perfectly with Tod’s trademark minimalistic stores, all light wood and focused lighting. Each pair of shoes and each handbag from the Spring-Summer 2008 collection gets its own special nook, the better to highlight its distinctive craftsmanship and luxurious leathers.

As my pal and I browsed through the shelves, what became clear was the quiet confidence of the designs. No in-your-face appeal or logos over every inch. Instead, the bags and shoes exuded a subtle, classic style that promised to become mine over the long years they would grace my wardrobe.

Consider the Gommino, the luxury moccasin for men, or its female counterpart, the Gommini. The signature pebbles in the sole make them the classic driving shoe and an absolute must-have for the meaningful style-seeker in leaf green, warm yellow, ink and malachite. Or the soft-n-easy D-bag, which Lady Di made into such a style icon, and which I fell in love with instantly, and the all-new Messenger Bag, available in vivid snakeskin and super-soft calfskin.

Maybe I should do like the celebs — Sarah Jessica Parker, Julia Roberts, Sienna Miller et al — and make them a part of my everyday.

Tod’s. Bags: Rs 50,000-1,39,000. Shoes: Rs 20,000-36,000.
Bangalore: UB City, Shop No. 8-9, Ground Floor, Canberra Block, 24, Vittal Mallya Road. Tel: 42800000.
Mumbai: Shop No. 4, Galleria, Hilton Tower, Nariman Point. Tel: 30277099.
New Delhi (opening soon): Emporio, Shop No. 122, Vasant Kunj. Tel : 46662700.

I wasn’t around when Brooke Shields was breathing that famous line: ‘Nothing comes between me and my Calvins’. But such was the aura around that ad, it quickly became part of my generation’s consciousness. And, I’m not even sure when, CK jeans became one of those wish-list perennials. Like, you know, MAC make-up and Hershey’s chocolate syrup.

Well, what do you know: Following the footsteps of the cosmetics and chocolate majors, CK has just landed in namma Bengaluru. I hotfooted it to the store to check if the girlhood fantasy had withstood the test of time. One visit to the trial room later, I knew exactly what Brooke Shields had been purring about.

The store assistants told me the CK Jeans Spring-Summer ‘08 collection was all about precise cuts and luxurious materials. I felt — rather than saw — the exquisite engineering hug me just right. Which is just as well, because the colour palette and fabric range are so vast I had to consider picking up more than a couple of pairs.

Watery, washed blues — perfect with a sunny ganji — for a lazy morning. Pale steels, to be dressed up for a blingy evening out. Deep indigo slim-fits, just right for a pair of black boots and a light jacket on a work Friday. Minerals in sand, stone, pearl, pepper grey and black, for any occasion in between. And beautiful, beautiful white for Sunday brunch.

Since they come in light fabrics, luxe metallics and regular denim, the rest of my wardrobe is under serious threat. And oh, did I mention there were a host of tops, dresses and skirts in light fabrics as well?

Never mind. Me, I’m in a mood to purr.

Calvin Klein, Lifestyle Oasis Mall, Koramangla (and Bangalore International Airport), Bangalore. Tel: 32419717. Prices: Rs 1295 upwards for tops, Rs 3495 upwards for denims, Rs 395 upwards for inner garments, and Rs 995 upwards for accessories.

Rain or shine, June always brings with it the usual dilemma: What should I wear? I don’t want to flaunt my summery whites anymore for fear of getting them splashed. And it gets so hot between showers that my December pullovers and sexy knitwear are not an option at all. My cottons rumple too quickly and dry too slowly. Must I throw all sense of style out the window?

Luckily, not just yet. I just chanced upon a new chain of stores that gives me some fab ops for this time of the year. Fire Walkers has row upon row of lightweight tops, skirts and dresses that are skimpy enough to be cool and synthetic enough to be drip-dry. Colourful retro wrap tops, perfect for painting the town red. Outrageously polka dotted flared skirts that’ll add zing to any gathering. Ultra slim tunic tops for when I want to appear petite and poised. Grecian-style tie-up togas for the glam touch. Teensy denim skirts that I can pair with leggings of the 80s vintage. All imported from South East Asia, but not just in the tiny sizes and limited variety your usual ‘Made in Hong Kong’ hawker offers.

I could’ve bought up the whole store, but that wouldn’t leave any goodies for you, would it? So I exercised supreme self control and chose only a few must-haves. An achingly gorgeous sheath dress in dull gold satin. A lovely purple halter that did great things to my figure. And a simple yet chic cream top in t-shirt fabric with flouncy sleeves and an unusual cut that goes fabulously with my basic blue denims.

It may not be raining cats and dogs. It’s not even raining men. But with a chain of stores like this at my disposal, I’m still reigning ‘it’ girl with my posse.

Fire Walkers, Atria Mall, Worli, Tel: 24813358; Waterfield Road, Bandra (W), Tel: 26413080; Lokhandwala, Andheri (W), Tel: 32440419; Prices: Rs 650-Rs 1,800.

There’s a new playground for 9-to-5 rebels. It’s in Delhi’s swankiest mall.

Now, before you pivot away on your Birkenstock, tossing your red/blue streaked ponytail and curling your barbel-pierced lip, let me reassure you: this isn’t the usual formulaic retail pap. No cookie-cutter cutesy Ts for the girls, no preppy shirts for the boys, no faux-Bali bedding for your pad, no grandfatherly leather blotter for your executive-cube office.

The clan at Illum Design Project (the Delhi-based graphic design studio group behind Play Clan) aren’t having with the ‘commercially acceptable’ mass market-led lines. These out-of-the-colouring-box folk like asking ‘why not?’ Like, why in a mall, that too tucked away behind the candy store, I wonder? Store spokesperson Pooja Dhingra quips: ‘Sometimes the charm of a little tucked away store in a part of the world is more exciting than a 1250th sportswear store.’

Stacked and swung down from the ceiling, for your amusement (and purchase): A floor lamp that’s a bare bulb housed in a glass globe. Pastel ’suicidal song’ T-shirts for non-saccharine ladettes — the Loveless collection. An yellow auto rickshaw pillow. Black and yellow, applique-and-embroidery taxi T; another black ditto themed ’sultanat-e-delhi’ — from the IST (Indian standard tamasha) collection. A framed ‘DTC Bas!’ print. Functional no-frills notebooks stamped with camera and face cards, Marilyn Monroe and ethnic owls on brown unbleached paper covers. Hand graffiti-ed sneakers. Blank CDs imprinted with the iconic Play Clan boxhead ‘clone’.

My raves: A Maul-a-Mall T mapping the city’s retail therapy landscape, signposting Ansal, Ambi, MGF, Emporio — and of course Citywalk! And a pair of art frames of ‘cutting chai’ and a Tiffin — the latter’s contours printed in names of snackery legends: from Wenger’s to Khan Chacha!

Non-Clan clones are welcome to add their own toys to this new game. (Designers are invited to send in their oddball designs, and get featured, if accepted, as ‘artists of the month’).

Log on — and press play!

Play Clan, Select Citywalk, F-51( first floor) New Delhi; ph: 40534559; www.theplayclan.com. Prices: stationery Rs 180 onwards, throw pillows Rs 695, art prints Rs 900 each, garments from Rs 785.

Lately I have been very strict with my shopaholic self. Trying to recycle some of my threads from last season. And, sigh, practical white cotton inners. But there comes a time when I need to cut loose, and it is on, yes, you are right on the button, LOVELY LACY LINGERIE!

Ooooh! I do love the feel of lace and satin against my skin. I need, right now, to have that set of lingerie-preferably in pink.

The latest range from Enamor-Plisse Collection — demi cup bras, snug corsets, camisoles, lacy thongs and briefs and sexy little night numbers — was what made me break out. As I browsed the shelves, a pink and black lace and satin creation caught my fancy. The smooth satin — Italian, of course — and delicate Swiss embroidery and soft tulle detailing just had me breathless. (The bras have a soft padding and oh-so-seductive lace spaghetti straps). I snapped it up, and matching briefs, in pink satin.

For more girly fun I also checked out the new Enamor-Scotsi brand, inspired by the colours of Scotland. The powder blue and purple range has interesting geometric prints, which look a lot like classic Scottish checks. I splurged on a demi bra and boy shorts.

Abstinence, who needs that?

Available at Shoppers Stop and Lifestyle stores in Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore. Price: Enamor-Plisse: Rs Bras Rs 745 on, Briefs Rs 430 on. Enamor-Scotsi: Bras Rs 490 on, briefs Rs 350 on.

Reinvention. That’s my mantra right now. Madonna’s my rockstar of the mo’. And Manish Arora my perpetual fashion guru. That’s why I’ve anointed Olive Beach my all-time fave restaurant. With A D Singh’s baby, you’re never sure what you’re going to get — jazz nights? Check. Flea market? Check — you only know it’s going to be top quality.

And that’s true of their latest overhaul, the dinner menu. The brainchild of their superlative chef Manu Chandra, it throws out all old notions of Med food and recasts itself as something edgy, fun and totally mouthwatering. Oh yes, the pastas and pizzas are still there, but the new dishes just beg to be tried and tasted.

On a Friday night, while Bangalore blew hot and cold, I had a chilled watermelon-and-tomato soup while my partner slurped a steaming seafood chowder. Tea-smoked duck breast as starters for me, and melt-in-the-mouth pan-seared foie gras for him. Going by the array of starters, I could have made a whole meal out of them but then the main courses beckoned.

What would it be? The Turkish Imam Bayildi (baked baby eggplants stuffed with stewed veggies)? The Seared Halibut? Or the highly recommended Angus rib-eye steak? In the end, I ordered the Slightly Smoked Maple-Glazed Salmon (it was the ’slightly’ that won me over!) and exchanged it half-way with my partner’s rustic fish stew. So light is the selection that we still had place for dessert: port-poached pear and Olive’s signature Chocolate Fondant.

Mmm — fed up and fulfilled, I could only wish that this menu doesn’t reinvent itself too fast. At least, not before I’ve had a chance to sample that Imam Bayildi.

Olive Beach. 16 Wood Street, Bangalore 25. Tel: 41128400. Dinner for two (with alcohol): Around Rs 2000 plus taxes. Reservations recommended.

Last Sunday, I felt like I’d died and gone to Broadway. I had a sneak peek at City of Dreams, a fun musical co-produced by Ashvin Gidwani Productions and Cineyug. Here’s my postcard from the theatrical fringe:

An eager Bollywood hopeful from Lucknow. Her hard-as-nails-on-the-outside-yet soft-as cotton-candy-on-the-inside best friend. A know-it-all fixer. The been-there-done-that mixer. A lecherous producer. A dashing superstar. Just bring together all the cliched characters from filmdom, shake off some of the stardust and set them on a stage. Throw in a dash of various hot topics: dance contests, stardom, the casting couch, the media’s role in making and breaking celebs, etc. Stir in OTT dialogues, kitschy costumes and popular songs. Now wait for the applause.

Luckily, the creators won’t have to hold their breath for the appreciation too long. Although the ingredients of this musical extravaganza are rather ghisa-pita, the glitz, glamour and excellent production values, make me deem this a must-watch. If not for the light-up umbrellas, tasteful costumes, innovative dances and peppy music, catch it just to track the 13 elaborate sets and 40 dancers with numerous costume changes!

Now, if I had to critique this uber-spectacle, I’d say I wasn’t too happy with the way the documentary-style clips — featuring everyone from SRK to K-Jo to Hrithik and Priyanka Chopra to Rakhi Sawant — make an appearance on a retractable screen throughout the story. Or that the lead pair — TV actor Gaurav Chopra and debutante Lucky Morani — aren’t exactly Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, although the supporting cast’s fab. But I’m not quibbling — the twists and turns (of the tale as well as the dance steps) unspooled my tension-laden self. A super way to beat the rigours of the week.

Be kind, unwind.

City of Dreams. Stars Shipra Singh, Anand Tiwari , Mandar Chandwarkar, Kashmira Shah, Gaurav Chopra and introducing Lucky Morani; On Friday, June 27 (7.45pm) and Sunday, June 29 (7 pm) at Jamshedji Bhabha Auditorium, NCPA, Mumbai; Tel: 22824567, 66548135, 66223724, 66223754; Tickets are priced at Rs 5,000, Rs 3,000, Rs 750 and Rs 500.