What a fantastic end to a two-month long party, with the boys in yellow bringing home the IPL cup! What we didn’t expect was a final spanning two days with a dizzying amount of ‘will it-won’t it’ and us having to carefully put aside our team jerseys for the next day. Even more confused than us fans watching it at home, were the ones who had made the long journey to Ahmedabad to watch the match live. And while I unfortunately couldn’t stay up for the presentation ceremony in the wee hours of the morning, the nail biting finish is a moment we won’t soon forget. Cheers to team CSK, we’ll be in ‘Yellove’ mode for a while yet.
This week saw the launch of two new spots in Chennai, the first of which was the opening of a new branch of The Cycle Gap, which I would describe as your friendly neighbourhood bar, with a twist. The launch saw a full house with loads of popular faces, excited as ever to check out the new place in RA Puram. With a cheeky name, and loads of colloquial flavour, there was definitely lots to post on Instagram, some things perhaps that only us locals would get. The cocktail menu featured popular film titles and dialogues, with clever twists. It’s no secret that I love a good play on words, and it looks like I’m not alone. Guests loved the fun names especially Va da Mango Kutti, which seemed to be the drink of the night.
The next on the list was the launch of Mustard, a concept restobar, originally established in Goa. What piqued my curiosity was the menu — a coming together of Indian and European cuisine, inspired by heirloom recipes from France and Bengal. It was one of those ‘You had me at hello’ moments, where I needed zero convincing to go. I love both French and Bengali food and couldn’t wait to try out the menu. Turns out many people from the city felt that way, with the new space absolutely packed to the gills. While one set was focused on grabbing a craft cocktail (which was delicious and perfect for the summer) our group made a beeline for the poolside seating, where we enjoyed the bite-sized nibbles that passed our way. In between all the madness, I got to catch up with Punam Singh, one of the co-founders of the brand, who is excited to bring their unique concept to Chennai.
Also taking place this week was The Coach Tabby Shop at Palladium, an exclusive pop-up, featuring the Iconic Bag. Besides the shopping, ladies were treated to a specially curated afternoon, with a high tea and pretty photo ops. Celebrity guests Parvati Nair, Janani, Yashika Anand and Samyuktha Shanmuganathan added that extra touch of glam to the proceedings. As for the star of the show, the Tabby, it was hard to pick a favourite from all the delicious options on display. If I had to choose though, I would say the Barbie Pink, perfect for the season.