For as long as I can remember, I’ve wondered what Malaika Arora does to look the way she does. And why not—have you seen the curve of her back in ‘Kaal Dhamaal’? Or the way her abs pop in ‘Munni Badnaam’? What can I do to make my calf muscles look as tight as hers in ‘Aap Jaisa Koi’? It’s hardly surprising then that the actor, who radiates a megawatt glow at 48, is bombarded with the same question a thousand times over. “Every time I step out, someone asks, ‘What do you drink and eat to look like that’,” she says. Her new restaurant in Bandra, Scarlett House, holds the answer to this billion-dollar question.
Don’t groan just yet. It’s not just another bougie, hipster cafe in Bandra doling out avocado toast and cacao smoothies with protein powder in an industry-chic set-up. Tucked away in a 90-year-old Portuguese bungalow painted scarlet—which is where it gets its name from—in Pali Village’s bylanes, Scarlett House holds character. The restaurant sprawls across different rooms of the 2,500 sqft bungalow, preserving every beam and shuttered window. With gramophones, Victorian chairs upholstered in floral prints and snug woollen throws on the sofas, it exudes the warmth of a chalet in the mountains. Arora, who is often seen hanging out with her girl gang, says this ‘home’ was born from her yearning for a place where she could “chill with her friends” in the city. “I wanted a space where you could just be. Without feeling like someone is yanking a chair from underneath you.”
In this labour of love, Arora is joined by her son Arhaan Khan, his childhood friend Malaya Nagpal and restaurateur Dhaval Udeshi, the co-founder of restaurants such as Gigi and Lyla in Bandra. Scarlett House is the mother-son’s first project together, but the duo that grew up around food says they were on the same page from the ground up. “We both love food and we love entertaining people. We’ve travelled the world together and often return with recipes we’d want to recreate at home. So, starting a restaurant felt like the most organic thing to do,” Arora smiles, looking around at the space she has poured so much of herself into. 
So much so that the model’s glow potions and recipes find a dedicated section on the menu. There’s a ‘Water Bar’ on the first level, pouring water infused with chlorophyll, manuka and blue pea to boost collagen and relieve stress, and cold-pressed juices for healthy hair, bloating, immunity and fighting inflammation. Chef Beena Noronha, who is at the helm of Scarlett House, spent days at the actor’s home learning her favourite recipes, including a paneer thecha hugged in a dry mix of peanut, chilli powder, coconut and dry mango—an interplay of spice and tang, and sea bass baked with a special spice rub. Other sections feature salads packed with protein, seeds and seasonal fruits, gluten-free wraps and risottos that replace arborio rice with jowar which has a naturally al dente texture. The healthy plates share space with a soulful bowl of Malabar prawn curry and Indrayani rice, and a red velvet cake slathered with cream cheese that dissolves between your teeth. Because Arora truly believes that you can have your cake and eat it too. “Equilibrium is key and I live by this principle. I’ve never been somebody who will tell you to diet till you fall. But yes, I will tell you to eat food that’s good for your gut and heart, and that makes you happy.” Clean eating with the chance of a cheat treat is the throughline of the menu at Scarlett House.
Kyunki Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu Thi 2
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