LOUNGE LOVES

Things to watch, read, hear, do—and other curated experiences from the team

2024-05-04 -

Swarovski Star WarsMandalorian, The Child

‘The Child’ figurine from the ‘Star Wars’ collection crafted with 251 facets on crystal. Available on swarovski.com; ₹13,900.

IJunya Watanabe MAN Black V-neck Zipped Gilet

Channel your inner Han Solo in this sleeveless gilet with front zip and buckle fastening. Available on farfetch.com; ₹1,77,353

CHANGE OF GUARD

n nearly every season of Masterchef Australia, one contestant or the other ends up setting a part of their counter on fire. And sure enough, in the ongoing season too, an attempt to smoke radicchio leaves went up, literally, in flames. However, it was the calm presence of one of the new judges, French chef and restaurateur Jean-Christophe Novelli, that brought the situation under control. This season has been one of change, marked by the palpable absence of Chef Jock Zonfrillo, who died last year. His astute comments, sense of humour and chemistry with fellow judge Andy Allen infused the show with warmth. Allen continues on the show with three new judges, including Novelli. Novelli stands out for his unique style of mentorship, his simple yet concrete advice making a difference to the way a dish is cooked or plated.

—Avantika Bhuyan

AExtreme Shirt Jacket

Oversized boxy classic shirt jacket crafted from milky blue taffeta from Viktor&Rolf’s ready-to-wear Spring-Summer 2024 collection. Available on viktor-rolf.com; ₹79,601.

VERTICAL MOVIE MAGIC

IMAXIMISING MANGO

s there such a thing as too much mango ice cream? I don’t think so. Mumbai’s Maska Bakery offers a cup full of indulgence with mango ice cream, aam panna sorbet mixed with cubed aam papad, topped with fresh mango pieces and a crisp piece of rose cookie. Yes, that’s a mouthful. There’s the sweetness of the ice cream balanced with the sour kick of sorbet and the layers of texture from the chewy papad and the crunchy rose cookie. The only downside is that it is not part of the regular menu. They offer it during pop-ups. Maybe that’s a good thing—to avoid going overboard with mango and sugar. Good things come to those who wait, and this is the summer party of ice creams.

—Jahnabee Borah few years ago, when YouTube bet big on vertical videos and Instagram Reels entered our lives, the vertical video format became the norm for smartphone users. Creators have been innovating with the format ever since. One Instagram handle— The Vertical Cinema—has brought the vertical touch to some of my most cherished movies. Imagine Interstellar, Veer-Zaara, Tamasha, Dil Se.. made vertical? The shots in The Vertical Cinema’s reels feel immersive and offer a new way of looking at these muchwatched films. You can even message the handle and request to see vertical shots of your favourite movies. In five months, the handle has close to 80,000 followers, an indication of how the format clicks with many of us. —Nitin Sreedhar