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Early January, the Instagram handle @beloudmouth appeared on the scene. The branding was a pop of fluorescent green and pink. The casual and smart tone did not reveal the product. Instead, it created a vibe. This way, it managed to grab eyeballs and pique the interest of the viewers.
Comments read: Is it a fashion label? Is it a cult? Is it a podcast?
Come February, at their launch event in Alibaug, the handle went live, revealing a premium delivery-only menu of wraps, bowls and drinks.
Launched by Alya Vachani Yousuf, daughter of Jay Yousuf and stepdaughter of Gauri Devidayal, it relied on tact to create the storyline for a select target audience, mainly GenZ and lurking millennials, but built a brand for anyone who found it easy to order online.
Ask Devidayal, and she will tell you it is unlike any launch by Food Matters, the parent hospitality company that owns some of the best restaurants in Mumbai – The Table, Mag Street Café, Magazine Street Kitchen and Kasper’s – till date.
We caught up with Alya over lunch at their Colaba office. Dressed in a black flowy summer outfit, black boots, and accessorised with silver rings and junk jewellery, we ask if her style is flamboyant like the colours of the Loud Mouth branding. “I am loud in my opinions, and a bit of a perfectionist – always into little details and little things. I'm definitely very blunt as well. But we all have that loud friend we adore,” she smiles.
After 10 years in the US – the last five were in New York, where she was working in corporate marketing with a FinTech startup -- Alya moved back to Mumbai last year “to figure what she wanted to do next”. “I had zero intention to get into the hospitality business. I grew up around food conversation and business my entire life,” Alya, who has studied psychology, anthropology and coding at Bates College in Maine, tells us. She adds, “Having seen how all-consuming it is, as well as how truly brutal the business is, I never planned to be part of this business.” In addition to Yousef and Devidayal, she is also related to chef Rahul Akerkar from her side of the maternal family.
On working with her father and Gauri, she admits she has been left to figure things out on her own, guided only when needed. “They jump in only when I ask, Gauri always asks me to come to her with solutions, not questions,” says Alya, who gave hospitality a shot on Yousuf and Devidayal’s suggestion. She introduced Mag St Lates and Off Menu events to spotlight the Mag St Café bar and celebrate the cocktail culture. At The Table, she curated a nine-course chef’s experience menu.
Alya landed on the idea for Loud Mouth out of her own food habits. “In New York, I ate a lot of wraps, salads and bowls. It is such a nutritious way of ensuring you are consuming vegetables, protein and grain in every meal. In India, I enjoyed being pampered with home-cooked meals, but noticed Mumbai has a market for a grand meal".
“All brands were looking similar, and the question was how we could stand out. Without telling anyone what we were selling, we grabbed eyeballs and hype to the launch. If you see our kiosks at events, the visuals pop in pink and green with lights everywhere. We’ll be launching a merch line, hosting a bunch of community events, do some artist collaborations, the list is endless,” she says.
Girls gotta eat
Our chat ends in sharing a few dishes from the menu. Ponzu Salmon Poke Bowl (Rs 1250) has all the elements neatly tucked together. The portion size validates the high price. We sprinkle the furikake seasoning and ponzu sauce and give the bowl a shake, mixing the avocados, Norwegian salmon, shredded carrot, purple cabbage, red quinoa and brown rice. Freshness of the veggies and addition of wasabi pea add a wholesome crunch to the bite. The flavours are simple, put together well. Nothing screams off balance.
We wash it all down with sips of Grog (Rs 425), a summery drink made with lime, lemongrass, ginger, and black tea. The hit of kaffir lime is refreshing.
The wraps are fat and packed well. The menu sticks to the brand conversation and describes the Smoky King Oyster Mushroom Burrito (Rs 625), a perfect pick for gossip and take-out in a nutshell. Past the outer wrap, the roll is already cut into two. It is perfect for sharing. A tender, slow-braised king oyster mushroom and green jackfruit barbacoa mash is flavoured with Kashmiri chilli, chipotle and packed with black beans, corn, onions and quinoa rice mix.
Tangy yoghurt cream with spicy salsa verde makes even half the wrap filling enough. The crab cake wrap (Rs 1050) has imported golden crab cakes, sharply flavoured with mustard, horseradish, and cabbage slaw. The remoulade dip packs a gentle punch. We end the packed lunch with a spiced hot chocolate (RS 425) that comes with a cube of marshmallow.
While the menu is priced higher than most others with similar offerings, the indulgence leaves us fully satiated but not stuffed.
ORDER: Currently, deliveries are restricted to Bandra. Order at eatloudmouth.in,