This Week In Culture: The Best Kaapi In The World, A Night Of Timeless Japanese Culture, & More

My friends say I'm a bit of a snob, a bit set in my ways. Like a cockroach, I like things a certain way and refuse to change. I drink my whisky with a dash of water — and only a dash of water — and I take my coffee black with no sugar. I begin my mornings cleaning my beloved Bialetti Moka Pot, filling up the bottom chamber two-thirds of the way with lukewarm water, adding ground coffee to the filter basket, and spreading it lightly with a fork (I'm a simple man!) to allow even extraction before placing the pot on the stove with the lid open for precisely 45 seconds before closing it and turning off the heat to allow the brew to flow evenly for the perfect cup of espresso. For most of the year, this meditative act of making a smooth, balanced cup of coffee with this classic utensil remains my morning ritual.

Come December, though, and this no longer does it for me. In Kolkata, winter arrives suddenly, and the cold falls over the city like a curtain of northern winds and overcast skies. The classic, simple espresso can no longer suffice, and out comes the South Indian filter and the davara for the perfect cup of sweet, steaming hot and frothy filter kaapi — now officially the best coffee in the world, according to TasteAtlas.

From homegrown craft gins and a nostalgic coffee dabba that celebrate India's kaapi culture to first-of-their-kind events and Bengal's very own art biennale, here's what we have for this week:

One Night In Toki-O at the Pioneer Hall, Bandra

'One Night In Toki-O', a first-of-its-kind experience by Homegrown × Suntory Toki at the Pioneer Hall — a heritage Portuguese bungalow in Bandra West, Mumbai — is a celebration of the timelessness of Japanese culture where the confluence of the traditional and the modern sparks an exciting world of creative reinvention. Learn all about the even here.

The Guestshift with Andrea Arcaini at Lyla Bombay

Voted the Best Italian Cocktail Bar 2024 & the Best Italian Bar 2018, Rita, along with Andrea Arcaini have been creating unmatched experiences for over 20 years. Now, for one night only, Arcaini and Rita Cocktails are taking over the bar at Lyla Bombay for an evening crafted for excellence, where Milan meets Mumbai like never before! For more information, head here.

Milkman Brings Its Signature Underground Energy To Famous Studios, Mumbai, This December

Milkman has been culivating India’s electronic music scene since 2016, carving out a space for techno and underground rave culture altogether. With Groove X, Milkman returns to its roots at the site of their formative years and groundbreaking experiments. Disha shares all the deets here.

After Kochi, Bengal gets its very own Biennale. The inaugural edition of Bengal Biennale takes place simultaneously across several venues in Kolkata and Santiniketan from November 29, 2024, to January 5, 2025, with interesting exhibits like veteran photographer Dayanita Singh's 'Museum of Tanpura' at the Indian Museum, and Aradhana Seth's 'Jaile Baire' at the Alipore Jail Museum. Learn more about the event here.

That We Uspresso: South Indian Filter Coffee Is Officially The Best Coffee In The World

The shared love for the perfection of an Indian filter 'kaapi' reached all-new heights this year when it was titled the best coffee in the world. So, what makes this humble brew so extraordinary? How did it rise above the espresso, the cold brew, and a gazillion other high-tech gadgets that exist in the caffeine community? Dive into the story of South Indian filter coffee with Disha here.

From Craft Gins To Nostalgic Containers, Indian Filter Coffee Is Everywhere, All At Once

For coffee enthusiasts, coffee isn’t only a beverage — it’s a lifestyle. From coffee-infused gins to nostalgic dabbas, we think these homegrown coffee products will take your coffee obsession to the next level. Learn all about them here.

A Homegrown Documentary Explores The Unseen World Of Delhi's Night Travellers

'Shab-Parak', or 'The Night-Fliers' — named after the Urdu word for nocturnal flying animals like owls and bats — is a documentary short film by Sabika Syed and Nikhil Mehrotra that explores the often-unseen world of Delhi's night travellers, told through the nightly journey of the DTC bus 0543A. Learn more about the film here.

Raf Saperra's New Short Film Gives Us A Glimpse Into His Inner World

Raf Saperra is a third culture kid and his music speaks to the same. He’s the sound of a community that refuses to be boxed in. With his signature style that blends infectious rhythms and razor-sharp lyrics, Raf has become the poster boy for a new wave of Punjabi artists in the UK. Raf’s latest project is a short film that dives deep into the lives of the Punjabi community in Britain. Tale of the Snake Charmer directed by Sanvir Singh Chana is a glimpse into Raf's inner world and his life behind the curtains. Learn more about the film here.

Tarang Joseph's New EP Is An 80s Disco House-Infused Tonic Of Bottled Summer Nostalgia

With his new EP, Tarang Joseph pivots from his earlier singer-songwriter roots to a vibrant, nu-disco universe. A nostalgic yet cutting-edge plunge into disco, funk, and acid jazz, the EP bridges the euphoria of yesteryears with the sharp sophistication of today. This is music that feels like freedom — pure, unfiltered, and drenched in the golden hues of memory, Disha writes about Joseph's new EP here.

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