Chopsticks dandiya with Yashashri Mashurkar at Dimsum and more

Click on the pic to view slideshow It is the bubbly and vivacious Yashasri Masurkar I met at Dimsum & More, the Chinese eatery in Versova, run by Chef Tenzin Kalden and her husband Lalit Bhatnagar. Chef Kalden has catered to Bollywood events and page 3 parties over the years and she wields her magic wand at Dimsum & More and now I had a TV actor to try out the delectable oriental dishes. After Rang Badalti Odhani and Chandragupta Maurya, Yashasri is presently seen in Sanskaar – Darohar Apnon Ki opposite Jay Soni on Colors channel. She is sporting a peachy orange dress and rightly feels, “I avoid traditional outfits like salwar suits as we actors always don ethnic wear in our serials. I prefer jeans or dresses as my personal dress code.” We started with dimsums – what else – at Dimsum & More. A basket of vegetarian dimsums of Mix Vegetable Kothe, Spinach & Cheese and a Tibetan combination of Cheese & Potato Dumpling were served with Chinese sauces (soy, Schezuan, chilli n vinegar). Yashasri expressed her fondness for chicken and soon Chicken Samui was presented with chicken dumpling in open faced samui was appreciated by her. I suggest she have the Jasmine tea or some drink to liven up the experience but her take was, “I didn’t like Chinese tea, avoid fizzy drinks and my fave is only milk-based beverages.” Oh what a bachcha! Participating and winning a beauty pageant organised by the Times of India gave her the impetus to act in TV serials. On her days off, Yashasri is busy tending to household chores like washing her clothes and why you may ask to which she replies, “My parents stay in Vasai and it is too far to come for shoots. I share an apartment in Malad, with flat mates. I like to do my own things.” We dig into the main course of the actor’s preferred kombdi items – chicken in White sauce in which sliced chicken with pepper in ginger and garlic flavored sauce seemed good for her with Chicken Fried Rice. We also called for Burnt Garlic fried rice with Veg Sweet & Sour and Three Treasure Vegetable. Yashasri avoided the veg dishes as she dislikes mixing veg while savouring non-veg items. There is a family dining in the restaurant and the youngest member, a 2-year-old kid, takes a liking to the actor. “Oh, I am very fond of little kids,” say she and gets to playing with her. The child picks up chopsticks and they both end up playing dandiya with chopsticks! The Marathi Mulgi is a foodie, yet to try out the various global cuisines, who asks me to suggest an authentic Malvani eatery as of now and when I name a popular one, “The standard has come down there,” she informs. Come to think of it, being Maharashta’s capital, Mumbai can hardly boast of a good Malvani restaurant.” The Maharashtrian girl happens to be a Tellychakkar favourite and soon I found her conversing in her mother tongue with our Marathi cameraman. I was to know later that she is an avid photographer herself and owns a hi-end SLR gadget. She even captured me on camera demonstrating her tricks and lets me into her ambition, “I want to go to the USA for a course in cinematography.” Here was a TV actor going against the norm of pursuing a Bollywood career in front of the camera but behind it. She also loves to travel and alone at that. There is an impressive list of dessert items in the menu but the management decides to serve us their specialty Chocolate Pao of dark chocolate stuffed dimsum. Initially it sparks excitement among both of us but after one bite we are like, “Aww, the cover is too thick for our liking.” So we dump the chocolate pao and go for the ice cream bringing an end to my meeting with this sweet girl!