Page 200 - UpperCrust e-Magazine Third Quarter 2024

CELEBRITY BITES | SEEMA & JAIDEEP MEHROTRA

many speciality restaurants. Like Japanese,
Vietnamese, Thai, since both Seema and
I are Far East fans. When buying exotic
ingredients, right here in Bombay became
a reality, thanks to your Show, we cooked
Oriental food. Now we also like to cook
and eat Italian and other Med food.
SM: What Jai is extremely good at is mixing
cocktails. It’s about the artist and colours,
right? He seems to find the right balance
between colour, taste and flavour. Guests at
home simply love his flavoured gins.

Any favourite restaurants?
SM: Surprisingly, not many. We don’t go
out that often, any more. But we do enjoy
eating at Swati, Soam, Royal China, Izumi,
Seefah, Ode, Americano.

What about travel?
JM: We are total travellers. One overseas,
one in India every year is a must. We
love going to Japan and Europe. Where
our starting point is usually Paris. Seema,
having studied there, is fluent in French.
SM: In India, we travel in a group of
20, over Christmas and New Year. It’s
a wonderful group we have of some
friends and their children. It started as a
holiday for our children to bond. Now
our children have grown but the holidays
That’s something nobody knows about! shopping for all our cooking and dining continue. Rajasthan, Kerala, Orissa,
JM: An important phase of my life, for needs. Wherever in the world I am. Hampi, Mangalore…
sure. I was single, working and feeding I will look for a good kitchen shop and
myself! I ran this traditional letter a good hardware shop! It doesn’t stop at Seema, you don’t cook, do you?
press for four years, when Dubai was just things though. Ingredients are also SM: I do! Sometimes. I am good with
nowhere near what it is today. Learned my weakness. Sindhi food. But long ago, when the
about typesetting, proofing, inking, babies had come along, I carefully and
plate-making, art-works and designing, Don’t we know it! The UpperCrust Show sensibly allowed Jai to take over. My
photography, the works. The experience should give you both a prize for being encouragement worked and today we get
actually helped me immensely in executing its biggest shoppers! to eat the best food right here at home!
my work as an artist. JM: Believe me, we love your Show! Not
only do we shop, we study the Show That’s clever! By the way, when did you
How interesting. And all this has meticulously. We stop at every booth, we two marry? Who made the first moves?
come through so beautifully in all that discuss things in detail with the exhibitors. JM: I did! Way back in 1988 when Brinda
you do. It’s such a learning curve. The previous Miller introduced us at the French Jazz
SM: Which also includes buying stuff for year, we really got to know Chef Nooror Yatra. I couldn’t stop staring at her. I just
the kitchen; pots, pans, skillets, crystal, of Blue Elephant. Great products. knew I would marry this woman. I chased
cutlery, the works. Jai is really particular her relentlessly, we got married in 1989!
about the table and tableware. He has such What do you like to cook? SM: I have to admit, I enjoyed his wooing
a keen eye. JM: Formerly it was what we couldn’t and am glad we hitched up. Jai is perfect.
JM: Yes, must admit I really enjoy find in our restaurants, when there weren’t As a man and a human being.

198 | UPPERCRUST | JUL-SEP 2024