South Bay Elites Go Bollywood!

There was no shortage of glittery garb and eye-popping colors last night, as South Bay Elites sported their Bollywood best at the India Community Center for an evening of cultured indulgence.  The vibrant crowd was ushered into the grand ballroom where the scent of samosas and the sound of Indian-pop mash-ups set the tone.  Jenny A raved “the music was so amazing! I loved that DJ Pudgy mixed songs that we knew with some Indian flair.”

Amber Café won over the crowd with a drool-worthy spread of lemongrass chicken kebab, Mahi Mahi with sweet & sour sauce, vegetarian Samosas with cilantro and tamarind sauce, and Papdi Chat crisps with garbanzo salad. Natalia H “loved the sauces for the thin chips and the chicken, and oh, the fish – yum!” Equally tempting Fairycakes provided a sugary selection of chocolate and vanilla mini cupcakes and adorable old-fashioned whoopie pies that Jay G praised as “light and fluffy. Plus, Fairycakes totally knew what was up and had a milk dispenser at their table as well!”

The gastronomic delights were a mere appetizer to the evening’s offerings, which also included a spirited performance by Aerodance, a group of 5-14 year-old dancers who were experts in breaking in down, Bollywood style, busting out acrobatic stunts and animated smiles.  And before the crowd could get over their amazement, the Jollywood Dancers appeared on stage to wow us with some more ‘mature’ moves (Jollywood is for ages 60 and up!) In the words of Jenny A “the entertainment was too cute to be true. Loved all of it!”

Dainty cups of Lillet Blanc were sipped with satisfaction, and Jay G affirmed they were “very refreshing, with a nice sweetness to it,” while Fuze Beverages kept folks hydrated with full-sized bottles of their vitamin-enhanced refreshers like Peach Mango and Acai Berry. Keeping with the Bollywood spirit, Elites lined up to get henna tattoos from artist Farrah Laved, who patiently painted her eager guests. Natalia H loved her henna souvenir, gushing “Farrah made me this killer long one on my leg and it looks so cool!”

Read the full reviews and check out all the photos on the Yelp Flickr page.

Until next time, SYOY!

Abby S (with Intern Courtney M and East Bay CM Nique)