What Makes Your Food Menu Unique? Know It All From Chef Manish Mehrotra

Influencers are changing the consumer behavior by influencing the consumers in many ways. From promoting a certain product to doing it as one’s hobby, there’s a sudden rise in influencer marketing where brands are leveraging to promote the right product among the right audiences. 

The Indian influencer marketing market is projected to be worth approximately Rs. 1,000 crore (almost $130 million) by 2023 and is anticipated to keep expanding quickly; by 2025, projections suggest it may reach Rs. 2,000 crore ($260 million).

How Influencers Decide on Brands

“We have a checklist of people or brands with whom we want to work with. After everything is clear to us, we confirm the brand, and then the transaction and storyline is finalized. If we feel that the outlet or the shoot location is not matching to what they have shown to us then we tend to say no for it, even if money was already transferred to us. We give the money back saying it does not align to what they have spoken to us. Also, we work for our viewers and if we don’t have enough viewers it won’t work for us,” shared Mister Tikku, Content Creator and Influencer.

Pointing his views, Nikhil Chawla, Indian Food Vlogger explained, “I think if you love food and you like to explore more, you need to travel. Good chefs are who travel a lot. If you see world over, Gordon Ramsay, Jamie Oliver, they have traveled a lot, gone to the source, eaten there, see how it's done and so I always wanted to travel and try new cuisine and we are fortunate to be born in India because India is a very diverse country. In India, we have different cultures and traditions; the food differs a lot in every city and state. The spices and the taste differ too. So for example, if you go to a restaurant, who has invented chicken-65, the taste and flavor you get there will be totally different from other restaurants. When you travel, you discover more food and tastes.”

While, Dhaval Ajmera, Executive Chef, Nestle Professional added, “Chef Industry is a tough industry to work. We have worked with a lot of influencers and with strong governance and we look at how we can come together and co-create something that resonates to the audience, because it may happen at times that influencer’s audience has particular requirement versus my audience. We worked with a lot of influencers to create a product which resonate with the chefs today. The most important aspect is to first connect with the influencer's soul and understand if that really resonates with you and the audience that you're trying to target and then work together and create a content which will work for everyone.”

Chefs: The New Age Influencers 

Influencer marketing helps in increasing awareness, greater engagement, highly cost-effective, profit potential and much more as food bloggers and content creators explore more restaurant and food places and reach out their audiences in unique way.

Shivesh Bhatia, Chef & Influencer said, “Even the digital space has become so vast. For example: In the future, when I feel that I have met my potential in the digital space, I would like to diversify. Until a few years back, even when I started, it wasn't a very acceptable profession. But now I see people, especially boys who are 8 years old and 10 years old and they'd come up to me and they say that they want to become a pastry chef and that they bake at home. And more than that, to see their parents also being supportive that they tell me that, we watch your videos together or we've got your books for them. I invest all my money into my own business because again, as the focus is a lot more on building a bigger team, diversifying and doing more  in terms of the digital aspect of things.”

Gauri Varma, Chef & Founder G Patisserie & Confectionary explained about her journey and how she started, “My family pretty much wanted to disown me for taking this decision of selling cakes after getting an MBA from Oxford and then working with Deloitte in London. When I came back, actually I got into food by accident. Over the years, I worked with PVR Cinemas and other top brands where we used to do desserts for them across all the cinemas in Delhi for a director's cut for over three years. I worked with Big Basket, where we did all their breads. I supplied to multiple restaurants because they were not having their own desserts and today with Confect we are redefining the way a cake is being made and decorated.”

Hailing from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, Chef Rahul Shrivastava's culinary voyage from his roots to the kitchens of Hyatt Centric Juhu, Mumbai, epitomises the transformative power of determination and passion. Armed with zeal and a degree from IHM Hyderabad, Chef Rahul embarked on his culinary expedition by starting his internship at the esteemed 360° at Oberoi Hotels, New Delhi. His journey took him to various destinations, from opening his inaugural restaurant at The Park Chennai’s A2, to ventures like Amami in Malta, Izumi in Mumbai, and eventually returning to his roots with Soy-Soi in Delhi. 

With each experience, Chef Rahul's culinary finesse flourished, culminating in his illustrious role at Hyatt Centric Juhu. Here, he orchestrates a symphony of flavours that tantalise the palate and linger in memory. Beyond mere recipes, Chef Rahul crafts narratives on plates, curating a 'Theatre of Flavours' where every dish narrates a story.

In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Chef Rahul discusses about the on-going food trends, role of food plating and presentation, his journey and much more. Excerpts:

What are on-going food trends or in-hotel trends we can look for in 2025?

2023 and 2024 was more about millets. And these days, many are focused on plant based protein and how there can be shift between normal and plant based protein. There will be an increase in the vegetarian dining and zero-waste cooking. In 2025, there will be an alternative protein source like lab-grown meat. We make a dish from vegetable leftovers which are called ‘Mala Xiang Tao’ and it is made of roots and stems of vegetables. We toss it with Chinese flavours. There will be lots of fusions; shift from modern fusion, people will be back to basics. Influence of AI in restaurants will be there in a unique way like AI-based menu, the calculation of nutrition value.

How has been your journey so far from working with various brands?

In Oberoi, I learned a lot as they are known for their food and service. Oberoi had a saying, “Don’t compromise over the quality of the service or the quality of the food.’’ I learned from Oberoi Hotel and The Park a lot and that’s the learning I implemented on my food at Izumi and Soy Soi. So, I handle Hyatt Centric Juhu as a whole where we have Sesame and Sesame Bar, banquets and rooftop. Every restaurant has its own learning with helps in growing further in our career.

How often do you work with kitchen team on menu innovations?

We do innovate the dishes. Junior staff showcases their skills and prepare their specials. First, they do the trial and we check usually, then we serve them to the customers. If the feedback is good, then we do promotional menu or that dish stays in the menu. In this way, we are motivating our staff to showcase the skills as well.

How do you handle conflict in the kitchen or how do you retain your staffs?

Everyone wants growth in their respective fields. We give staffs to go through development programs. Staffs should feel invested and important in every part of the team. When you get to learn you won’t leave as one feel curious to learn more. 

How do you control the quality and consistency of dishes to ensure customer satisfaction?

We make sure the taste and consistency of the dishes are same. The ingredients which we use have top-notch quality.

What’s your approach on food plating and presentation?

We keep it simple and it should not be repetitive. People eat food with their eyes first. Plating has to be simple and attractive. We believe that the plating should be in a way wherein the ingredients we use for plating should be used in the dish as well.

Do you source the ingredients or make in-house spices in the kitchen?

We make the sauces in-house for Sesame. We use to source Miso paste from Japan. These days, there is a vendor who makes Miso paste in Allahabad with same quality, so we started using that one as the taste is same. The Sushi rice we used earlier use to come from US or Japan. There is a rice brand that makes similar sushi rice in India. The brand name is ‘Tanifuji’ and its one of the best quality sushi rice. We get Tuna from Japan. We use so many ingredients which we source internationally.

What are the three kitchen tools you can’t live without?

Kitchen knives, wok and thong.

After establishing his name as a popular chef and working for The Bombay Canteen, making it win the no.1 restaurant tag, Chef Thomas Zacharias, or Chef TZac as he is popularly known, left the restaurant business to start Locavore in April 2022. Driven by his vision to create a meaningful impact on the Indian food system, this transformative platform and movement is centered on the idea of ‘Doing Good Through Food’ in India. The Locavore fosters a conscious and sustainable approach to food consumption, production, and appreciation, going beyond being a mere food-centric entity. It serves as a beacon for mindful eating, thoughtful storytelling, and purpose-driven community building. 

In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, he shares about his journey, The Locavore, challenges, Chef on Road trip and much more. Excerpts:

Could you please elaborate on your mission to promote sustainable food systems in India and how you see it evolving in the future?

I've been a chef for nearly 15 years, but much of that time has been spent learning about local ingredients and regional cuisine. Through my travels, I encountered many deep-rooted issues within our food systems, which eventually led me to leave my full-time chef role and start The Locavore. We aim to use food as a medium for storytelling and events, leveraging travel experiences and partnerships to drive change.

What are some of the biggest challenges you faced in promoting local food cultures and how are you working to overcome them?

The food system is incredibly complex, so a one-size-fits-all solution doesn’t exist. The challenge is tailoring our approach to the specific needs of different regions, which makes it difficult to scale the idea. We're working closely with grassroots organizations and supporting communities already engaged in this space. We envision The Locavore as a network where everyone helps one another.

When did you plan to leave The Bombay Canteen and start ‘The Locavore?

As a chef, I felt I wasn’t making the kind of impact I wanted. Along my journey, I encountered many incredible organizations that needed support, whether in storytelling, resources, or networks. With my credibility and connections, I realized I could help bridge those gaps and make a difference, which led me to start The Locavore.

Can you share more about “Chef on the road” journey and how these experiences have influenced your approach on food and storytelling?

I started Chef on the Road 11 years ago, realizing that my perspective was limited while working solely in a restaurant. To learn and grow, I needed to travel. It’s about understanding a place through its food—learning about the history, culture, people, and politics of food. I’ve tried food not just in restaurants but also in people’s homes, and I’ve met farmers, tribal communities, and others, which has given me a holistic understanding.

How do you balance your roles as Chef, Storyteller and Advocate for sustainable food practices? 

Storytelling has always been a part of me, even since childhood. Through storytelling and advocacy, I hope to inspire people to think and act differently—changing their behavior and buying patterns around food. It’s a process of constant discovery and learning, where I continue to educate myself and meet with experts.

The culinary industry is experiencing an unprecedented surge in demand for skilled chefs, reflecting a broader shift in consumer preferences, lifestyle changes, and industry innovations. This culinary boom is reshaping the landscape of dining and food preparation, revealing deeper trends that are driving the demand for chefs to new heights.

Evolving Dining Preferences: One of the primary drivers behind the skyrocketing demand for chefs is the evolution of dining preferences. Consumers today are more discerning and adventurous than ever before. The rise of food tourism, where travelers seek unique culinary experiences, has fueled a greater demand for chefs who can deliver innovative and culturally diverse dishes. Restaurants are increasingly looking to attract and retain patrons by offering unique dining experiences that stand out in a crowded market. This trend is leading to a greater need for chefs who are not only skilled in traditional cooking techniques but also adept at creating novel and exciting culinary creations.

The Influence of Social Media: Social media has dramatically changed the way people perceive and engage with food. Platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube have become culinary showcases where chefs can gain fame and influence through visually appealing and creative dishes. This has led to a heightened demand for chefs who can produce not just delicious but also aesthetically stunning food. The visibility and recognition gained through social media can translate into significant business opportunities for chefs and restaurants, further driving the need for talented culinary professionals.

The Rise of Health and Wellness Trends: The growing emphasis on health and wellness has also contributed to the increased demand for chefs. As more consumers become health-conscious, there is a rising need for chefs who can create nutritious and balanced meals without compromising on taste. This trend is evident in the popularity of plant-based diets, gluten-free options, and organic ingredients. Chefs who can cater to these dietary preferences while maintaining high culinary standards are highly sought after. This shift is encouraging chefs to expand their skills and knowledge in areas such as nutrition, dietary restrictions, and sustainable food practices.

The Growth of the Food and Beverage Industry: The food and beverage industry itself is expanding rapidly, with new restaurants, cafes, and food-related businesses opening at a brisk pace. This growth is driven by factors such as increased consumer spending on dining out, the rise of food delivery services, and the proliferation of specialty food and beverage concepts. Each of these new ventures requires skilled chefs to bring their culinary visions to life. The increase in food-related businesses not only creates more job opportunities for chefs but also raises the bar for culinary excellence as competition intensifies.

Innovation and Technology in the Kitchen: Technological advancements in the kitchen are also playing a role in the growing demand for chefs. The integration of modern cooking technologies, such as sous-vide machines, molecular gastronomy tools, and advanced kitchen appliances, requires chefs to acquire new skills and adapt to evolving techniques. Chefs who can master these innovations and incorporate them into their culinary practices are in high demand. The ability to leverage technology to enhance food preparation and presentation is becoming a key differentiator in the competitive culinary landscape.

The Impact of Culinary Education and Training: As the culinary industry grows, there is a greater emphasis on formal education and training for aspiring chefs. Culinary schools and programs are expanding their offerings to meet the rising demand for well-trained professionals. These educational institutions are providing aspiring chefs with the skills and knowledge needed to succeed in a dynamic and competitive industry. The increased focus on culinary education is helping to produce a new generation of skilled chefs who are ready to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving culinary world.

The Role of Celebrity Chefs and Media Influence: Celebrity chefs and food media have also contributed to the increased demand for chefs. The success of high-profile chefs who have gained fame through television shows, cookbooks, and restaurant ventures has created a surge in interest in the culinary profession. The visibility and influence of these culinary stars have inspired many individuals to pursue careers as chefs and have elevated the status of the profession. As more people aspire to follow in the footsteps of their culinary heroes, the demand for skilled and innovative chefs continues to rise.

The demand for chefs is soaring due to a confluence of factors, including evolving dining preferences, the influence of social media, health and wellness trends, industry growth, technological innovations, advancements in culinary education, and the impact of celebrity chefs. As the culinary world continues to evolve, the need for talented chefs who can adapt to these changes and deliver exceptional dining experiences is stronger than ever. 

Born and raised in Shimla, Shipra Khanna is a well-known Indian celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality. Her most notable achievement was winning the second season of MasterChef India (2012).

Following her victory in the second season of MasterChef India, Shipra went on to appear in numerous other television cooking shows both in India and internationally as a celebrity chef on Food Food. She opened her first restaurant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat named "H.O.T - House of Taste" in 2013 and in 2017, she opened her first restaurant in New Delhi, India named The Darzi Bar & Kitchen. She has also been awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award to take Indian cuisine across the Globe at the British Parliament, London by the NRI Society of London and has taught Culinary Art at Le Cordon Bleu. In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Celebrity Chef Shipra Khanna talks about her journey:

When did you find your call in cooking? How did you start your journey?

I started cooking when I was 9 years old. My father never allowed me to go to kitchen as he was protective of me. When nobody was there at home, I tried my hands on cooking. Since, I come from a Punjabi family, there are some feasts or the other and I saw my granny cooking that kept me going. I always want to create new recipes which nobody has done yet.

What was your biggest learning from Masterchef that you still carry?

I work best under stress and I am very resilient so I can say that I can do wonders even under the pressure.

You already own few restaurants; do you have any plans for expansion?

There are many restaurants which I have opened up or associated with. There are few which will be coming up soon.

When are you launching your upcoming book and what is it about?

This year, I have launched my ninth book which is ‘Sinfully Yours.’ I am working on my tenth cook book which is about ‘Healthy Food’ and I will reveal more about it closer to the launch. 

Since you travel a lot, what is the difference you saw in Indian Culinary industry and foreign culinary industry?

In Indian Culinary, we have lot of cuisines which comes from ages. But, in international, it’s more about creativity and innovation and new techniques. It’s more of culturally dominating cuisine than fresh innovation.

What’s the current trend in the food industry?

Healthy food is on the spin right now. Everybody is talking about vegan or healthy fusion recipes or plant based etc. 

Can you comment on ‘How chefs are becoming food influencer’?

Chefs in restaurants and chefs presenting food in camera are very different. Even students are not waiting to complete their culinary school. They are starting on their own and they are not waiting for jobs. Hospitality industry is very much saturated. We need new people all the time. Only few get the right opportunity to begin with. If somebody is not getting much in the industry, then they tend to become influencer and if your art is appreciated then why not.

How much do you believe in sustainability?

I am a Health Ambassador to ISW which is a wing to Health Ministry and 2023 was about millets. So, I was promoting millets and millet is actually a crop that helps in sustainability as it doesn’t need extra sun or extra rain. Eating millets is also like contributing to sustainability like reducing waste and being mindful about the trash, avoiding plastic, etc. There are so many ways with one can look at it.

What is one piece of advice you would give future chefs?

A good chef is always resilient and believes in hard work and commitment towards the work. If you have all these things in you, then you will be a great chef.

What are the three important kitchen tools you cannot miss?

Chopping Board, Knife and Tweezers.
 

Chef Devika Manjrekar, The Visionary Behind Toast Pasta Bar and Toast Doughnut Shop is a vibrant and innovative Chef & entrepreneur, who started her culinary journey while she was 17yr-old, inspired by Jamie Oliver, and countless episodes of MasterChef Australia. Despite initial resistance from her parents, they encouraged her to finish her degree while pursuing her culinary dreams. During a summer break, Devika enrolled in an intensive month-long course at the Dublin Cookery School in Ireland, a transformative experience that confirmed her passion for cooking. 

Devika embarked on an intensive program at Le Cordon Bleu in London. There, she earned the prestigious Grand Diplome, an achievement that laid the strong foundation upon which she honed her culinary skills. To gain experience, Devika apprenticed at The Empress E9 in London and later honed her skills at Bernardi’s under Chef Sabrina Gidda. These experiences, particularly at Bernardi’s, where she managed the pasta section during high-demand services, profoundly influenced her approach to female leadership and kitchen dynamics. 

Upon returning to Mumbai, Devika initiated supper clubs, which quickly gained popularity and laid the groundwork for her future ventures. She then opened a small studio kitchen in Lower Parel for her supper clubs. An accidental experiment with brioche doughnuts led to the birth of Toast Doughnut Shop, which became a sensation, selling out within minutes every week. Post-pandemic, Devika converted her studio kitchen into a café, but her passion for cooking led her to start Toast Pasta Bar on Instagram. Chef Devika’s journey from a young food enthusiast to the owner of two successful culinary ventures in Mumbai. Her story is not just about cooking; it’s about following one’s dreams and redefining culinary excellence. Excerpts from the interview:

What inspired you to start Toast? Did you always want to start something of your own?

Ever since I decided that cooking was what I wanted to do in life, I always wanted to have something of my own. The name ‘Toast’ is inspired by Nigel Slater’s autobiography and no matter how messed up life seems; a slice of toast always seems to make sense. 

How did you come up with the concept for Toast Pasta Bar?

I worked in an Italian restaurant in London so I always knew Italian was my favourite cuisine. I thought of the concept after eating at Padella in London and realised there was no place in Bombay that did JUST pasta. 

Take us through your thought process of craving a niche of your own. 

I think I somehow always end up carving a niche because I’m super particular about the way I want things - and that’s not everyone’s cup of tea. We use very high-quality ingredients, most of them locally sourced and that’s super important to me. This does lead to some people finding us expensive but I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Since Toast is now expanded to Toast Doughtnut Shop, do you have any plans to expand further?

Toast Doughnut Shop came before Toast Pasta Bar actually. It happened by accident during the pandemic but the response was so overwhelming, that we decided we could finally open my dream restaurant. 

We have only heard praises about your work culture. Please throw some light on the matter and explain how you came about instilling the culture and what do you follow in your restaurant.

I worked in a couple of not very nice places with toxic head chefs who didn’t necessarily make women feel the safest in the kitchen. I hated that feeling. I knew I had to change that. I give female CVs preference over male ones. So, there are always more women than men in the kitchen. This helps change the dynamic. I think it’s a necessary concept so that more women pursue their dreams of becoming a chef and don’t leave the industry because of toxic work environments and sexual harassment. 

In your words, could you share your cooking philosophy?

My main goal is flavour. It has always been. If it’s not delicious, no amount of technique can save you. 

Are your ingredients sourced locally?

About 80% of our ingredients are sourced locally. Especially fruit, vegetables, meat & seafood. 
 

A renowned chef, writer, and wildlife enthusiast, Michael Swamy, known for his thorough exploration of various culinary traditions, has been called "the historian chef" for his expertise. His passion for the natural world and its creature is also evident in his approach to cooking that emphasizes the use of locally available ingredients that can be prepared over an open fire in the heart of a forest.

After completing his education at the renowned Le Cordon Bleu in London, he has earned the title of a Gourmand Award-winning writer. Chef Michael is dedicated to elevating food and culinary traditions beyond the traditional dining setting. His culinary adventures have taken him to the peaks and depths of the Indian wilderness, where he has explored various cooking styles, from bush cooking to local cuisines, each with its unique presentation. Chef Michael Swamy shares his insights on major food trends, upcoming food workshops and his new restaurant.
Excerpts from the interview:

What are the major food trends seen in the Indian market?

People are more into South American food and local food these days. For me, I am taking the adivasi cuisine for the foreigner in the jungles. I am serving the local adivasi food to them in the five-star dimension.

Do you source the ingredients locally? 

Most of my ingredients are sourced locally as I believe in sustainability. As it’s high time we should think about sustainability for the environment, for ourselves and for the future. And, a chef is responsible for what he puts on the plate.

What is your signature dish and speciality cuisine?

Pasta based dishes and Empanada are my signature dishes. French and South American is my specialty, but I am also exploring more on local Indian food for the past decade now.

How much do you believe in seasonality and local sourcing?

I believe more in seasonality and local sourcing as one can play with the local ingredients and give them an international touch. I source from the local markets mainly.

Can we see you opening a restaurant very soon?

I have been associated with five restaurants already wherein I was the partner and now I am not working with them. But, very soon, I will be a partner again in a restaurant at Houston with a client. It is still in the planning stage. But, we are planning to launch it by end of this year.

Building a culinary brand has never been as exciting and challenging as it is in 2024. Globally, the F&B industry has contended with several seismic shifts, and evolved and adapted in the most innovative ways, driven by changing customer tastes and preferences. So, how can culinary brands ride this wave to consistently come out on top? Can these key drivers of change also be agents of growth and contribute to the longevity of successful brands? 

Let’s take a look at key considerations that culinary brands must make while devising a strategy that resonates with contemporary consumers.

Assess your audience’s demographics: Customer behaviour largely changes from one generation to the next — while Gen Z’s appetite for early-stage trends has seen them become increasingly open to unique flavours, innovative styles of presentation, and hitherto under-explored cuisines, the often-overlooked Get X is becoming more clued into changing food trends and open to exploration. This generation also offers brands the stability they seek owing to their loyalty and sizeable disposable income. Finally, while millennials are often dubbed the ‘foodie generation’ and contribute to the vitality of new trends, their interest is often fleeting and harder to hold on to. When designing your business’s themes, focus areas, and even menus, it’s important to understand your customers' profile and tailor your offerings accordingly.

Leverage the power of technology: Technology is making its way to virtually every aspect of the F&B value chain, infusing efficiency and offering more personalisation than ever before. While digital menus and contactless ordering add agility, AI and data analytics can help business owners to better understand their customers and make informed business decisions, even as they offer customers a completely customised dining experience and individualised promotions. Similarly, the rise of the digital storefront can help up-and-coming brands to optimise costs, and scale in a more phased manner and at a more comfortable pace.

Embrace the beauty of opposites: The current culinary landscape is torn between seemingly disparate fascinations — an insatiable appetite for the new, and a growing recognition of the impact of our eating habits on our health and the environment. So, while on one hand flavours are growing bigger, bolder, and more exploratory, they are anchored by sustainable roots and an ingredient-forward approach that prioritises high-quality and nutrient-dense sources. Consumers today are no longer satisfied with foods that feel like ‘guilty’ indulgences — they are much more educated about the longer-term impacts of their culinary choices. From backyard kitchen gardens to hyperlocal ingredients, to nutrient-dense swaps, emerging brands need to think beyond taste and aesthetics alone and represent this understanding in their culinary offerings. 

Showcase your fresher take: Just as modern-day gourmands are motivated to explore all that is new and unfamiliar, they’re also turning back to their culinary roots with a greater appetite for hyper-regional cuisines and homegrown comfort foods. This time around though, they’re keen to regard them through an updated lens. From molecular gastronomy to imaginative plating, they’re encouraging chefs to continually push the boundaries of tradition, to create a visual and culinary signature that sets them apart from the crowd. 

To survive and thrive in the current culinary landscape, brands must showcase nimbleness, willingness to experiment, and openness to change. They must constantly have their ear on the ground and thus stay abreast with rapidly changing trends. And, with these guidelines helming their journey, they can seamlessly win over the hearts (and plates) of contemporary consumers. 
 

Nagpur-based Chef Vishnu Manohar, who holds nearly a dozen global records, will prepare 7 tonnes of 'Ram Halwa', at the consecration ceremony of Ram Lalla in Ayodhya on January 22. 

A giant 12-tonne cauldron will be used to achieve the record-breaking feat that will be distributed among 1.5 lakh devotees and other VIPs attending the religious event in the pilgrim town.

“The Ram Halwa’s preparation would take up to three hours. We plan to start around 6 AM. Then, we shall offer it to Lord Ram as part of the ‘bhog’. The bhog will then be distributed among the devotees at the temple and in the town through volunteers,” shared Manohar to IANS.

To prepare the 'Ram Halwa,' they will be using about 900 kg of suji, 1000 kg of ghee, 1000 kg of sugar, 1500-2000 litres of milk, 2000-2500 litres of water, 75 kg of cardamom powder, and 300 kg of almonds and raisins.

Here are 5 things to know about the famous chef who is blessed to cook the ‘Ram Halwa’ for the grand celebration: 

• Chef Manohar is honored to have The Limca Record for the “Longest Paratha” measuring 5 feet long & 5 feet wide & weighing 35 KgT
• He has also entered his name in the Book of World Records multiple times in the past. In 2022, he entered his name for the 12th time by preparing 75 dishes from 75 varieties of rice - a total of 375 kg of rice delicacies, completed in 285 minutes.
• Thirty-eight-year-old Manohar's previous "mega servings" include 7 tonnes of millets khichdi in Chandrapur, 6.5 tonnes of Gajanan Khichdi, 6 tonnes of Rambandhu Mahachivda in Nagpur, 5 tonnes of Samarsata mix vegetables bhaji (fry) in Nagpur, and many more.
• He is popular for his finger licking fusion dishes. His specialized Maharashtrian Tadka (Flavor) that he adds to his signature dishes is highly appreciated amongst food lover in Central India.
• Vishnu Manohar is an executive chef in Manohar Groups, Manohar Group are undeniable leader in professional catering services in Nagpur & Aurangabad from past 24 years.
 

Restaurant India hosted its Leadership Series and 2^nd Edition of Hyderabad Conference and Awards on 5^th Dec at ITC Kohenur. Restaurant owners, chefs, professionals, food-tech players, investors and the government officials came together to discuss and debate on the ongoing trend in the Restaurant Indutsry. Here are top 4 Trends from Restaurant India Hyderabad:

Know your Team Well: Restaurants today need professional people of high level, trained and qualified staff as it is very important to know who is the team that work with you. “A training facility by restaurant people is required since restaurant is very different from other sector, the training has to come from within the industry,” mentioned Mr. Jayesh Ranjan, Secretary, ITE&C, Govt of Telangana.

Focus on your ‘Core’ Product:  It is very important to know your core product as this is one item on your menu that’s bringing the business. “Most of the cities where we are essentially south of India and we don’t have to make lot of effort to localise it because Hyderabadi biryani is something which is loved by people across the globe. It is one product/menu which is on every Indian restaurant across the globe wherever you go. In that sense we had a huge benefit when we were planning to move out. As a restaurant company what we realised that you need to have a core product. We have 130 products on the menu but biryani is our core. So, when we planned to move, the first thing we did was to centralise the biryani process,” said Siddharth Arora, COO, Paradise Food Court.

Experience is the Key: “I think the trend has to relate to the experiences. For eg: I am running a Korean Pizza chain that was launched last year, if I would have launched this before COVID, I believe it wouldn’t be successful as Korean food became popular only after the popularity of K-drama and that’s helping me in picking up the trend looking at the customer demand,” pointed Mahesh Reddy, CEO, GoPizza.

Standardisation vs Customisation: Standardisation is playing a key role in the growth of quick service restaurant chains whereas if you are running a restaurant that is based on experience, customers are looking for customisation. “On overall perspective we work with QSR, restaurants and according to me we are at a very interesting time. All the QSRs, Cloud-kitchen wants to scale and they are looking at extreme level of standardisation whereas the customer is looking at an extreme customisation. So, it’s going to be an exciting stage where technology will bring standardisation and chefs over that standardisation will build customisation to cater to the customers,” mentioned Sanandan Sudhir, Founder & Director, On2Cook India.

Your whole idea of visiting a restaurant is a big flop if the food served doesn’t meet the expectation. We have always praised the restaurant for its interior, food, quality, music and service and have seen restaurant owners taking all the praises for the work done; but have you ever thought how much effort a chef put to bring the best on the table. It’s all because of the creativity in the kitchen that a restaurant is all praise.

Ever since its inception by Late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004, International Chef's Day has been as much about celebrating people in the culinary profession as promoting the importance of healthy and responsible eating.

Here are key learning experiences from the culinary heroes this International Chefs day for the young and aspiring chefs to look and incorporate:

Keep Learning Every day & Strive for quality and consistency: According to celebrity chef Abhijit Saha, it’s about learning new things everyday along with looking for quality and consistency in a restaurant kitchen.

It’s about Team Work: All members of the team contribute in making the customer experience memorable which is of prime importance in the F & B industry. “Effective team work makes the employees more productive and also keeps them driven and engaged,” shared Chef Ashish Singh, Corporate Chef, Dhansoo Cafe, Gurugram. He also pointed that as a chef one should also keep the process of cooking as simple as possible and respect all the ingredients equally so that all the ingredients retain their flavour and the dish comes out well wherein the essence of each ingredient is justified.

Always trust your instincts: “Good is art and there is always a new way or a new approach to something. Ingredients are key and speak to people differently - the best chefs cook on instinct- sometimes it’s great to deviate from a recipe and make it your own,” added Chef Gauri Varma, Founder & CEO- Confect,  Entrepreneur, Food Technologist.

Too much Innovation Ruin the Biz: “Never over play or under play with the authenticity of traditional recipes and flavours. Innovation is important but without losing the original essence of a dish,” believed Chef Kush Koli, Head Chef, SAGA, Gurugram by pointing that it is very important to educate your guest on flavours etc but a Chef should in my opinion never force their opinion instead should understand the palate of the guests / region / culture and imbibe that into their cooking.

Focus on your Work: In the pursuit of a successful career in the hospitality industry, it is imperative to always align yourself with the right individuals who possess a visionary mindset and have a proven track record, particularly skilled chefs who share your culinary aspirations. “Two pivotal lessons emerge from this journey: firstly, during the initial five years of entering the world of kitchens, focus on continuous learning and dedicate yourself to mastering the fundamentals, drawing wisdom from experienced mentors. Secondly, an unwavering commitment to the right attitude is paramount, characterized by an unyielding willingness to learn and an ever-present "yes" to customer needs. Success hinges on the bedrock of passion and discipline. Additionally, one can adopt the three guiding principles of dedication, devotion, and determination, collectively known as the three Ds, to steadfastly pursue their personal and professional goals within the hospitality industry,” commented Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, CHÔ - Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar.

Patience is the Key: According to Chef Nikhil Rastogi, UNOX India, like any other process, the learning process never ends in professional as well as personal life. No matter how hard we try to live multiple lives as a Chef, Father, Son or Colleague, there are some learnings that stay with us and mould as an individual who we are today. “The primary learning for me as a Chef has been PATIENCE. During my professional career as a chef, I have learnt it the hard way that we come across different entities and individuals in the form of Seniors, subordinates, peers, guests, vendors etc who all have different ways of perceiving communication. What we feel as an effective communication sometimes isn’t taken the same way and hence not reciprocated accordingly due to different socio economic backgrounds of all these people. We need to develop this virtue of Patience in order to transform Customer experience, which is at the heart of hospitality,” he added.

Araiya Palampur is a luxury resort located in the picturesque town of Palampur in the Kangra Valley of Himachal Pradesh, India. The resort offers a tranquil and serene environment with stunning views of the snow-clad Dhauladhar mountain range. The resort also has a multi-cuisine restaurant that serves a variety of Indian and international dishes, using fresh and locally sourced ingredients. The resort also offers recreational facilities like an outdoor swimming pool, a fitness center, a spa, and a library. Located close to popular tourist attractions like the Tea Gardens, Bir Billing (a popular paragliding site), and the Baijnath Temple. Araiya Palampur resort is a perfect getaway for those looking for a peaceful and luxurious stay in the lap of nature. The resort has been on the top favourite for so many celebrities, HNIs and heads of states. In an interview to Restaurant India its General Manager Akhil Taneja and Executive Chef Arun Kumar talks about some exciting culinary trends to share. Excerpts from the interview:

What inspired you to pursue a career in the hospitality industry, and how did you get started?

Akhil Taneja: I always had a clarity and understanding of my skill set suitability to this industry. I started very early in my primary school days by organising my school’s campus needs and looking after the school’s guests.

What do you think sets Araiya Palampur apart from other luxury resorts in the area, and how do you plan to further enhance its reputation?

Akhil Taneja: What sets Araiya Palampur apart from other luxury resorts in the area is its stunning location in the Kangra Valley, surrounded by lush greenery and the majestic Dhauladhar mountain range. The hotel's design and architecture reflect the local heritage and culture of the region, creating a distinct and authentic ambiance. The rooms and suites are well-appointed with modern amenities and offer panoramic views of the mountains and the valley.

What are some of the biggest challenges facing the hospitality industry today?

Akhil Taneja: The hospitality Industry is the highest source of employment currently. We are strategically located on the positive side of the wealth generation curve for the nation. Our country has evolved as the brightest spot in the global hospitality world. So many international brands are looking at suitable projects for the immediate future. This industry has faced some of the most critical challenges recently due to the pandemic, but recovery has been very quick. 

What inspired you to focus on local ingredients and traditional cuisine in your cooking?
Chef Arun Kumar: Having worked pan India for 13 years in different cuisine verticals, I always had that knack of giving back to my birth place in terms of gastronomy. Eventually Araiya has provided me with that platform to research and develop such ingredients into beautiful dishes. While, mountain ingredients are magic in their appearance and derivatives or dishes made out of those like; Dried whole wheat milk, Fiddlehead ferns- lungadu ki subji( local cuisine), Himalayan watercress and Charred walnut zest to name a few.

How do you balance the desire for healthy and sustainable cooking with creating a memorable gastronomic experience for your guests?

Chef Arun Kumar: I learn each day nature of ingredient which I keep on my inventory list and develop recipes after meeting our guests with their needs and wants. Yes this situation is not always balanced or a win-win situation to me as a chef but teaches a new experience about ingredient. The key which has always helped in such situation is balancing the dish with different nutritional components.

Could you walk us through the process of fireless cooking and how it affects the taste and texture of the dishes?

Chef Arun Kumar: Well, we have been practicing this concept for more than 8 month or so. It’s one of the classical and ancient way of presenting flavours with their raw nature and 100% unchanged nutrients. The taste is not as you expect after cooked dishes which we are inclined to eat since birth but wholesome bouquet of original flavours to experience nature.

How do you ensure that the ingredients you use are fresh and of the highest quality?

●      Ingredient specification before ordering presented to vendor entail texture, temperature, form, flavour etc.

●      During receiving the specifications are checked for their validity.

●      Storing Specifications- temperature, area , humidity, exposure to light, air , food contact surface type etc.

●      Using before date of expiry by following LIFO(last in last out), FIFO(first in first out)
above are few of the basic practices which helps us back up the quality and freshness.

How do you stay current with the latest culinary trends and techniques and how do you incorporate them into your own cooking style?

Chef Arun Kumar: We embrace Indian gastronomic ideology which expresses authenticity and local. We present gastronomy and mixology pop up in our own way after the research. We follow and learn from few of the leading chefs of the world like Chef Joan Roca and his approach towards modern gastronomy inspired with traditional thoughts. We have our static menu set which follows annual availability of ingredients but still We practice Araiya concepts on heirloom recipes, slow cooking, authenticity.     
What advice would you give to aspiring chefs who are just starting out in their culinary careers?
Chef Arun Kumar: Aspiring chefs ought to showcase perseverance, to be self-driven, passion to hustle would do wonders in their journey. I would always appreciate if one learn ingredients and their pairing but dishes. Modern age chefs are urged to learn concept farm to plate to support society.   

Trends you foresee.

Chef Arun Kumar: In my understanding I see a great scope with traditional cuisine, organic culinary market shall be trend setting. Superfoods shall make their prevalent presence and would be valued. Synthetic ingredients would lose its sheen and uses with modern trends of cooking because of customer belief way forward.

Food business is changing in last 2-3 years and these years have been tough on the restaurant industry, but things are turning bright as more and more brands are now finding new avenues for innovation and growth. Though, dine-in has got a positive numbers for restaurant sales, off-premises dining also continue to rule the country.

We at Restaurant India talked to several industry experts to see what will 2023 bring?

The rise of craft and microbrewery

“The F&B and the QSR industry has seen a tectonic shift in terms of changing consumers’ behavior towards food and beverages. India offers a fantastic potential for the big companies in the beer sector because it is one of the countries with the fastest growth and least amount of penetration. Seeing the future prospective that the market holds, there has been introduction towards microbrewery and craft beers coming to the forefront.  There has been a huge development of compact micro brewing, contactless taprooms and innovation in beer production. In order to cater to the discerning restaurants and bars need to innovate in terms of customer experience,” shared Suman Bharti, Founder of REFLEX- Bar Brewery and Dining. Today, India’s pub and bar culture has also shifted from a very generic approach to catering cohort customers who are willing to pay a premium to such culinary experiences.

Vocal for Local

“It comes as no surprise that agriculture is at the forefront of today’s F&B trends,” pointed Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, Partner, CHO- Vietnamese Kitchen & Bar, New Delhi. “Regional agricultural structures, focus on domestic markets, local legumes, and produce but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Other key trends include a further emphasis on supporting local,” he added.

Superfood will be in demand

In the past few years, India's culinary scene has experienced tremendous growth and received widespread acclaim on a global scale. “With many renowned chefs strolling down the culinary lanes, especially in local regions, kitchen takeovers and kitchen collaborations will be at the forefront of new innovations. Secondly, Vitamin-Sea- There is a growing market for a new set of superfoods like seamoss, nori, and seaweed, all of which can be sourced from one place in particular: the sea. These nutrient-dense foods can be easily incorporated into a daily diet and have a wide range of health advantages,” added Karan Nohria, Founder at Silly, Mumbai.

Demand for Locally Produced Ingredients

“Sourcing fresh, local ingredients is rapidly increasing among individuals as well as restaurants. Consumers have moved to an upper funnel where they see the luxury in healthy food with reduced carbon footprints and fresh and seasonal flavorful food,” said Chef Prem Pradhan, Executive Chef, Nara Thai (K A Hospitality) who believes that globalisation is bringing the world together, which in turn gives opportunities to

fuse different cultures with flavors. “We are increasingly seeing brands take inspiration from flavors, ingredients, and styles of cooking from other cultures,” he mentioned.

Health and Wellness will be in Focus

Guests’ efforts to balance health and wellness with their desire to seek comfort and enjoyment from foods and beverages will drive many of the trends showing up in restaurants in 2023. “I personally feel that fermented and pickled foods and drinks. The tangy, funky flavors of fermented and pickled foods and beverages have gained mainstream popularity over the last several years, and several trend forecasts predict they are among the top food and beverage trends to watch for 2023,” mentioned Atul Chopra, Partner at Enso Hospitality (Yazu, Maai, Goa & Juliette).

The Rise of Korean Cuisine

Apart from Japanese sushi and sashimi being the hottest trend of late, we see a hot pickup of Korean food in India, due to the interest of K-Pop K-Drama and more and more Korean businesses and families staying in India. “More authentic products and a move to pure and natural ingredients like Kikkoman Soy Sauce have seen widespread adoption in recent months and are set to make the trend in 2023,” shared Harry Hakuie Kosato, Founder Sushi and More, Kikkoman India Representative, and Japanese Cuisine Goodwill Ambassador by pointing that as for beverages, spirits will do double-digit numbers - more craft beers and regional-inspired gins will make their mark.

Setting foot in the bustling hub of Nesco, the Tham Brothers are here to make Pan-Asian affairs accessible one Foo at a time.

With authentic flavours and a variety of Asian dishes, Foo Nesco opened its doors on 25th October 2022.

The restaurant, featuring indoor and outdoor seating, boasts of a decor inspired by the ‘Neo-Japonism’ style, a more oblique interpretation of the popular traditional design. Bhavini Johar, the creative brain behind the interiors, has used natural materials and organic shapes along with larger-than-life elements that elevate the five senses through her design that lend grandeur and scale to the dining experience. The guests are welcomed with a Big Red Door which opens to a ceiling adorned with Chinese lanterns lending a warm glow to the concrete backdrop. The show stopper is the large-scale lighting made from bamboo & brass embellishing the indoor & outdoor space designed by Mianzi for Foo. The restaurant will also have cosy Booth-style dining, a Private Dining room with a private Bar and outdoor seating under the Cherry Blossom Tree all adorned in velvet, leather and Asian florals.

From the classic dishes that continue to be crowd favourites, the menu will also feature dishes like Nikkei Avocado Uramaki; Peruvian Lobster Roll; Spicy Miso Broccoli; Tenderloin Chilly, Leeks & Onions; Foo Blue Butter Japanese Fried Rice; La Yu Ban Mein Noodles. Taking into account the consumer base of vegan and plant-based food consumers, Foo has introduced some delicious dishes like the Not a Chicken in Chilly Hot Bean; Forest Mushroom Cantonese Style; Crispy Tofu Sweet Chilly sauce; and Plant Protein Dumpling. And lastly, end your meal with one of the most instagrammable and elegant desserts - Mount Foo- Ji or choose gluten-free ice creams such as Mango, Black Sesame, Japanese Matcha, Kaffir Lime or indulge in vegan & gluten-free desserts like Black Gold And Berry, a Truffle Dark Chocolate Cake with Raspberry Sorbet.

The restaurant has a Swanky L-Shaped bar with red-stained teak wood shelves juxtaposed with natural stone-clad walls and is accessible both outdoors and indoors. The menu includes Foo signatures such as the Foo King and the Food Queen, both one-of-a-kind vodka-based cocktails that will leave you wanting more. For a refreshing twist, Kokum Club, a gin-based cocktail with coconut liqueur and kokum syrup would be a perfect fit. The elaborate menu extends to a large number of Single Malts and Gins, both international and homegrown and a variety of Sake. Your experience at Foo is incomplete without Foo Brew, an in-house rice beer that is freshly brewed, an absolute crowd favourite!

Speaking about the launch, Keenan Tham- Managing Director & Co-founder, Pebble Street Hospitality said “We are delighted to expand Foo to yet another location. We wanted to make Foo more accessible to our patrons across the city and NESCO is a perfect location as it's visibly becoming a Hub with other larger food giants having a presence in the area”.

Foo believes in constantly reinventing and changing with times, tastes, and demographic. So if you are looking for lunch with a colleague or catching up for a drink post work or even bringing your family out for dining, Foo NESCO is the place to be!

There was never really a plan B for chef Tejasvi Chandela who was always gravitated towards baking. During her undergrad in London, she spent most of her time making food for her friends. “After university everyone else was applying for masters, I on the other hand was applying to pastry schools,” she remembers by adding that she has learnt pastry techniques from schools like Leith school of food & Wine, Le Cordon Bleu Paris. She also did a masters in chocolate making and opened her own patisserie Dzurt in Jaipur when she was just 21. Read what she has to say on her baking journey:

We have seen that the patisserie scene in India has changed in last 4-5 years and not just metro cities but cities like Pune, Jaipur, Indore also has lots to offer. What has brought this change?

The bigger cities developed the patisserie culture long before the tier two cities. Jaipur didn’t have a standalone patisserie until Dzurt and people would have to go to five star hotels and pick up pastries from there. The lack of accessibility & affordability for all made me realise that my city needed a patisserie that could serve modern and classic pastries to everyone. The biggest shift in people’s perception for patisseries started a couple of years ago. People are well travelled now and understand the difference between a bakery & a patisserie. They try out pastries from around the world, hence crave it once they return home. The people of Jaipur have been amazingly open towards my creations at Dzurt. 

How unique is Dzurt from other patisseries/bakery/cafes in Jaipur? What is the USP?

I suppose our ability & passion to constantly create something new. We introduce 10-15 new pastries every year and use ingredients from the season to play with. And I put my heart and soul into creating them. We keep reinventing ourselves from the interiors to our menu. The overall ambience plays a huge role. Dzurt has the ability to transport you to a beautiful patisserie in France for a moment. It does that for me too. It’s peaceful and aesthetically pleasing. You can enjoy a cup of coffee with a slice of opera by your side while reading a book. Dzurt is my first baby and I treat it like that too. As I’ve evolved as a person so has the menu and the interiors at Dzurt. 

I was going through your few interviews and found that you love playing with local ingredients and flavor. But there is a baking myth that top patisserie ingredients is imported. What is your say?

Yes and no both. There has to be a balance between using both local and imported ingredients. For eg: if I am making puff pastry I use good quality dry butter from president because there aren’t a lot of local brands making it but at the same time the flavour pairings can be local. The fruits and spices or even chocolate are generally local. I am a chocolate maker too and at All Things we make bean to bar chocolate using Indian Cacao. It tastes great in desserts. These days there are amazing local cheese brands that are thriving so I’ll experiment with them in my kitchen. 

Also, artisan products, sour dough has become so revolutionised especially we saw new players, restaurateurs experimenting with sourdough. What has brought this revolution?

I saw a lot of people getting into artisan breads during Covid times. Sourdoughs were and still are trending. I feel with more people travelling and exploring food from different origins, their palete is also developing and evolving. People are understanding the value of artisanal produce. Sourdough is just one such thing. 

What all new innovation can we see in this segment?

I am not a bread maker and I don’t have the patience to nurture starters. I have great friends in my city who are creating next level sourdoughs and I love picking up my weekly stash from them. I am a pastry chef and a chocolate maker and I enjoy experimenting & innovating within my space. However, never say never. As a creative person I may just wake up one day with the urge of learning the art of bread making in depth. 

How many outlets you are running as of now? What’s your expansion plan?

Currently there’s just one and might I say it’s a handful. I’ve been juggling with two full time brands both Dzurt and All Things Chocolates need my constant attention. However I am looking to hopefully open one more outlet by next year. I’ve honestly been very satisfied with the way things are currently and I choose to concentrate on one and give it my best. Quality control is a lot more manageable but since Dzurt is almost on auto mode now and we’ve established a brilliant team, I think we can start thinking of opening one Dzurt soon. Fingers crossed. 

How about delivery because going forward we see delivery taking over dine-in?

We have an in-house delivery team and they take care of logistics really well. We’ve also tied up with third party delivery channels such as Swiggy and Zomato. So far things are in control from all ends and yes there’s definitely way more traction coming in from the delivery side. 

What’s your expansion plan?

Currently I am working on a non-edible gifting range for Dzurt. I’m working on creating a stunning collection. Which will hopefully launch before September. There are talks of opening another outlet too. 

Food trend you foresee.

It’s hard to predict food trends. Hopefully zero waste will start trending in the pastry world too. I see more and more vegan patisseries opening in the future.   

What is your view on the growth of restaurant and food culture in Jaipur? How is it changing?

It’s changing rapidly but sadly every year there are more than 10 cafés opening but not more 2 survive in the market. That has a lot to do with quality control and lack of innovation. But there are a few really interesting eating options in Jaipur now. People are becoming more and more experimental. They want something new every month. The challenge level has definitely gone up in the last few years. I am currently enjoying the food scene in Jaipur and I look forward to seeing new and specialised places opening. Jaipur food scene has a lot of potential and there are Lots of talented chefs coming out to showcase their best work. 

It’s part of a fun foodie tradition for people to head out with family and friends on iftar trails in the city. The idea is to stroll around post sunset, catch the late evening vibes and of course, tuck into delicious traditional savouries and sweets. But in these times, many are still hesitant to step out and others find that don’t have the bandwidth of time to spare, so they have to give the outdoor iftar experience a miss. But that doesn’t mean skipping on having the iftar food entirely. Restaurants and home chefs are stepping in to fill the void by creating special iftar boxes with foods that are delivered home. And it’s translating into a successful business idea!

‘It’s about ease and taste and makes for a good business idea’

Iftar boxes win for several reasons – they’re neatly packaged, allow you to have it in your own home and at your time and in many instances, you can customise them as you like. Rabia Patel, who belongs to family of Biryani King, Jaffer Bhai Mansuri, says, “We started doing iftar boxes since a few years and they are in huge demand every Ramzan. In fact, they have become the USP of the month with so many people across communities, enjoying it. It’s about ease and taste and makes for a good gifting idea as well.”

Chef Anees Khan of Star Anise Patisserie, who started making the iftar boxes since 2020, also affirms the rising demand for these. He says, “We have a daily changing menu, which is posted on Instagram as everyone is on social media now. The flavours are from across the globe with dishes such as Arabic muhammra and harissa-based dishes, hummus, veg and non-veg shawarmas, Chinese dishes and Italian crepes and lasagnas. These are flavours that many know and accept as we have such a diverse group of people wanting to try iftar.”  

Creative boxes and ‘iftar thalis’ grab attention

This idea gained steam last year in the pandemic and it’s got even more creative now. You find iftar boxes to suit every budget – starting with the basics that include dates, an appetiser, cut fruits and a sweet and it goes up. ITC Grand Central Mumbai has swung into the trend with caringly selected delights for iftaari via Ruhaniyat by Gourmet Couch. In this, patrons choose from an iftar meal for two, four or six people and one can add dishes to it such as seekh gilafi dum pukht, galouti kebab, saffron vermicelli and more. Rakesh Ramola, F&B manager, ITC Grand Central, shares why they went for the curated preparations. He says, “We have seen a rising demand for customisable iftar meal boxes. What makes it easy it that guests just choose to order the iftar meal boxes from the comfort of their home and we ensure a safe and sound doorstep delivery to protocols.”

In an interesting take on the trend, there’s now even an iftari thalli! If you have had a Rajasthani or seafood Malvani thaali, this one by Taftoon, BKC restaurant works on the idea of a iftar-theme with dishes having regional flavours. Bowls of tabak maaz and rogan josh meet such as biryani, paneer qualiya, the Kashmiri baquerkhani bread and desserts like shufta, kulfi and more. It takes the iftar into a meal and seems to be apt for a gathering at home.

‘Iftar box has done more business than our catering’

Home chef Kausar Parihar who runs a catering business shifts her work to creating iftar boxes in Ramzan through Gulmutfaa Food. She shares, “This iftar box does better business than catering as we have got a great response so far. The box has dates along with starters like kulfi chicken drumsticks which is white-sauce based preparation wrapped in silver foil, box pattice (square-shaped pattice), cigar rolls made of chicken and tandoori samosas. Everyone wants something different in their iftar boxes and we decided to create that list of unique items before the month of Ramzan started. Many people like the idea of the food being different each day and what is heartening is that those who are not fasting are also buying the boxes.”

Mini malpuas and other traditional desserts get into iftar boxes, too

When you think of iftar sweets you may think of malpuas and faloodas at street food stalls and this time they’re making their way into iftar boxes. Chef Navid Akhtar of Meetha by Radisson, says the idea flew to success once they conceptualised it. “We found a large part of the clientele asking for special sweets in Ramzan and thus we came up with this idea of having a box dedicated to it. At first, we thought it should be just firnis, but then we felt rabris must also be part of it well as malpua, which is so popular anyway. The dessert hampers have a mix of all these. You have six stuffed date varieties, six mithais -milk and dry fruit based, six mini eggless malpuas topped with nuts, three firnis, three lacchedar rabdis in kullad pots and one traditional savoury just to blend with the box and break the taste of sweetness,” he informs.

There has been a disruption in the hotel segment. While the lockdown was a dampener for everyone, perhaps the most hit was the hospitality industry. Within this too, restaurants were the hardest hit as there was zero footfall due to the lockdown. Now two years on, the industry has not only survived the pandemic but is starting to look up with new and revamped strategies. Some trends we spotted, which will be integral to the Indian hotel sector…

E-commerce drives growth: Self-isolation during the pandemic gave a shot in the arm to food aggregators, which were already a preferred way of ordering food. Now, when takeaway too was out of question, these apps stepped up their game to meet the rising demands of customers. Restaurants reinvented themselves and introduced contactless delivery for those craving for restaurant food. Customers prefer this method as food reaches them directly and even gourmet outlets are adopting the e-commerce way.   

Technology-driven payments and operations: Technology clearly won hand-down during this period and will continue to do so. Along with contact-less deliveries come contact-less payments. Scanning of menus, ordering through mobile apps, self-order kiosks, online payments, etc., were the norm during the pandemic. This trend is here to stay with customers increasingly becoming tech-savvy and preferring to order and pay through these various modes. Besides, menu management solutions, maintaining inventory and staff’s schedule is also done via various tech tools. This automated business flow is found to boost operations and efficiency at all levels and is here to stay.

Home-cooked meals: Thanks to the pandemic that presented several hurdles and challenges for everyone and forced people to cook at home more often, restaurants are re-looking at their menu. This has led to a great demand for comfort and home-cooked food. Besides, home-chefs are the ‘in thing’ these days as they provide these comfort and healthy meals. And no wonder cloud kitchens are all the rage these days. So, restaurants have revamped and reworked their menus considerably to suit the changing tastes of these customers.

Focus on sustainability: With the world becoming more conscious about environmental conservation and protection, and sustainability seeping into every aspect of our lives, the hotel sector can adopt some strategies on this front too. Excluding cutlery and condiments for online orders or using eco-friendly cutlery and containers for deliveries will be the norm. A popular trend is the QR code for viewing the menu that eliminates a paper one. As also, the receipt on the customer’s mobile instead of a printed one will be a trend that will stay.     

Safety and hygiene: The hotel industry has always needed to give food safety and hygiene utmost importance and this has become more important than ever now. Though everything is opening up and we are chugging back to our regular lives, food safety and hygiene has become a priority, especially when it comes to dining-in. Besides, restaurants will have to ensure that face masks, gloves, temperature checkers, portable hand-washing stations, air purifiers, portable barriers between sections, fewer tables, etc., are included in their outlet/s to adhere to demanding customers.     

With the rising demands of the customers and the pandemic forcing the hotel industry to rethink their strategies almost from scratch, we observed that the above-mentioned trends are here to stay.

About the author:

The article has been shared by Chef Krishna Khetle, a Chef-preneur, and Innovator who is the brainchild behind one of the most popular cloud kitchen’s, Paneer Tikka Masala (PTM), Tafe and Spice Laundry. The creator of several F&B brands, who is passionate about his craft offers his bestsellers under PTM and has also developed 70 plus restaurants across India, Doha, Singapore, London, Budapest amongst other western countries. One of the top 50 faces, Chef Krishna is the top 50 faces of the Indian culinary world, an active member of Western India culinary association.

Bringing a culinary amalgamation of flavours, aromas and authenticity in his cooking, Sandeep Pande is executive chef at JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity. A master in Mediterranean, Thai, Indian and French cuisines, Sandeep has been associated with the Marriott hotels for a prolonged time in his past endeavours where he lead the culinary forefront with innovation, passion and dedication. Presently leading kitchens at JW Marriott Aerocity, he is continuously on a drive to elevate the hotels’ culinary experiences to their in-house and non-resident guests. “My enthusiasm has always pushed me to go beyond the realm of work and collaborate with other teams to create something wonderfully new. Hence, going beyond my culinary expertise, I also take an active interest in the overall F&B (food and beverage) operations,” he shared. Excerpts from the interview:

How the food at Marriott is different from other restaurants. How much time did you spend doing research on the food etc.?

Tastes change. Trends come and go. Throughout the world, our team of more than 3,000 executive chefs, and expert culinarians and mixologists bring the freshest concepts and ingredients together. From seasonal harvests from local producers for farm-to-table eating, to innovative cuisine from our chefs, with tapas, build-it-yourself plates, comfort foods and artisanal treats. There's small bites and big flavors. Desserts to take away. Non-traditional break options like food trucks, juice stands, nuts, dried fruit and candy bars. And, of course, craft beverages, flavor-balanced cocktails, homemade infusions and limited batches.

What is the biggest food innovation that you have brought to the menu in the past 2-3 years?

Keeping up with the food trends, I and my team have showcased new trend setting desserts in the dessert buffets as part of our Brunches. The guests comments specifically mentioning our dessert buffets on Zomato and TripAdvisor have gone up by 40% and this has also been reflected in Delhi Baking Company which has seen an upwards trend by 30% and has helped cross monthly budgets and positioned it as the best Restaurant for desserts on Tripadvisor.

#ChefCurated: Our tagline is “Do not feel boxed by the menu”, if we have the makings we will make it for you. A brilliant mantra crafted by me for all our food and beverage offerings and this is what is conveyed to our guests by our managers as well.

Who are you targeting as your customer at Marriott restaurant? 

We are targeting upper class, corporate, families, honeymooners, and travelers like premium, business and leisure as its target customers. It believes in serving with integrity and excellence.

Chef, we see that 2020 has brought a complete change in the behavior of customers. How are you trying hard to meet their demand?

The current pandemic is changing customer behavior and will continue to have an influence even when the crisis subsides. The coronavirus crisis is forcing all customers to adopt new habits surrounding dining at restaurants and eating in general. After the pandemic has passed, customers expect to be much less reliant on takeout than they are now. The current pandemic is changing customer behavior and will continue to have an influence even when the crisis subsides.

Also, we see that Marriott is one of the first hotels to adapt to the new innovations including delivery. How has it given a new set of customer?

This has helped us shift the paradigm and opened new customer’s base.

Opening a restaurant may come up pretty high on the list of the secret ambitions of many millennials. But opening a restaurant has always been complex while choosing what to offer. But these complexities may be fewer if one chooses not to open a restaurant but get into one of the offbeat food businesses. The opportunities are more, risks lower. And while one need to sweat it out, the rewards are many.

Many exciting innovations in food are not happening in restaurants, but in the offbeat cloud and QSR spaces. We are talking about the rise of single dish brands which are way more than pizzas, burgers, rolls and biryanis. The new food formats are the next big thing and taking the tech route has created a very smart model for many young foodpreneurs who are mastering the art of one, for instance, single dish as simple as salads.

Salad Days started by Varun Madan and Kunal Gangwani offers salads as a meal. Madan and Gangwani played for the same band at Xavier School of Management, Jamshedpur. They jammed well but little did they realise that they would also, one day, toss up vinaigrette and greens. According to the founders, there was a gap in the market for a product that offered salads as a complete meal.

Operations have been the toughest part. Sourcing ingredients, they largely use imported fruit and veggies to maintain consistency, get cheese and vinegar from Parma and Modena and pick herbs grown locally and maintaining supply chains are a task.

In Pune, Meghna, who also works with a real estate company, soon realised that she could win the world with her salad-making skills. She started selling salads through online messaging groups and what seems as her hobby and part-time work, soon helped her earn lakhs every month. She wrote a success story in no time. How could one earn lakhs just by selling salad, well! Meghna proved it that too from her home.

Meghna started with INR 3500 and now earns INR 1.25 lakhs per month. How did she get here? Meghna’s genuine love for making salads blossomed into a business, thanks to her patience and passion. Meghna started with selling chana chaat, mix corn, beetroot and pasta salad, and in no time the orders started pouring in. And that’s not all. With the increasing demand she has now given employment to 19 people, including who women do chopping and men do deliveries.

Planning and executing single dish operations is less bothering and people on the other side are not spoiled with options. When a customer is ordering from such brands, they know exactly what they want, in return for such brands creating loyal customers becomes easier.

Who would have known that the humble Indian dish Khichdi would have been hiding great potential in terms of business?  It was three years ago when the tech giant, Ola ventured into having a cloud kitchen business of its own, introducing its great Khichdi Experiment, which has the riding app delivering Khichdi to Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad and Pune, with plans to widen its network soon.

“For Khichdi Experiment (KE) specifically, we wanted to give a twist to India’s original comfort food to create a differentiator from the clutter in the market. Our aim was to offer one brand that gives various flavours to khichdi,” Pranay Jivrajka, CEO, Ola's food business has said in an interview.

From the classic Plain Dal Khichdi to the Palak Paneer and even Bengali Panch Phoran Khichdi and Mumbai Pav Bhaji Khichdi, each flavour is a play on a classic dish from states across the country, with an added twist.  The success of Khichdi Experiment has proven the fact that as simple as khichdi can create a wave, one need not to add up fancy gourmet dishes to make a brand work.

“Khichdi Experiment was a category creator that helped us create a playbook to build other brands. For instance, within khichdi, today you have more than 60 such brands competing,” Jivrajka added. Even though the company has been aggressive on the expansion front, online delivery has taken over the offline stores. Jivrajka, too, highlighted that the pandemic has halted the company’s plans to expand offline corporate kiosks, mall presences and food trucks. Ola Foods is now planning to launch eight to ten such brands with unique offerings.

Khichdi has surely shown wonders in the food business world, so much so that it has even attracted investments. In January this year, Curefoods announced a merger with Maverix which houses The Great Indian Khichdi brand.

Commenting on the success rate of such brands, Krishnakant Thakur, co-founder and COO Charcoal Eats stated, “Brand's single dishes do have a better advantage as customers are spoiled for choices and everyone wants to order from a specialist and this is the reason we are also going to have specific brands for different cuisines,” Charcoal Eats further plans to penetrate deeper in this market by offering unique dishes brands.

Understanding the unit economics, the net profit margin of any food service brand gives a clear picture of whether the restaurant is going to survive in the long run. Anything above 20 percent can be considered as a decent restaurant profit margin. To make higher profits, one can cut down the food costs marginally, only by pricing and designing the menu the right way. And what can be a better way to create a hassle-free business is by mastering in selling just that one dish.

Tell us something about your journey in the world of food.

My journey with food started at my home where I grew up observing my mother cooking food with full of love for the family.

How the food at Taj has changed in last 2-3 years?

In Taj we came up with an idea of serving food with mentioning calories value in our Menus. With my journey and experience at Taj Hotel Group I have focused on innovative ideas, local fresh ingredients , and finalizing the menu by doing fusion in food my past food experiences at different levels at kitchen.

How much time did you spend doing research on the food etc?

Food research is timeless effort in a chef's life, which is endless. Every day we research and develop new ideas in kitchen.

Indian food is so diverse and rich in itself. What is that one ingredient chef that you never miss in your cooking?

Fresh Coriander leaves which is one of the beautiful ingredients which enhances my food.

You have got more than 2 decades of experience working with top chefs across globe. What are the top learning that you got from these chefs that you would like to share with fellow chefs?

Innovation, consistency, perfection and passion for cooking and empathy.

Who are you targeting as your customer at Taj restaurant?

Any individual guests of any age group are our customers as we have taken extra care while designing our menus for infant guests, specific diet plan guests, allergen guests.

Chef, we see that 2020 has brought a complete change in the behavior of customers. How are you trying hard to meet their demand?

A chef's life is like a rollercoaster, it’s never hard as we are so use to with any situation to handle, Customer satisfaction is our upmost priority.

It is believed that local and seasonal will be the biggest hit in the food and beverage biz. Why so?

Local and seasonal are very fresh which directly coming to our plate from our nearby areas and are high at nutritional values. 

Also, being one of the famous destination for top weddings in Agra. How have you see the catering sector changing during the pandemic?

Good Catering sector has always taken care of guests’ wellbeing. Now a days we are more focused on healthy dishes offerings to the guests as immunity boosters.

What innovation you have introduced in that sector?

With high demands of nutritive food in food industry I have come up with an idea of designing my menus in a way that will ensure guest well-being and good health.

What according to you will be the 5 biggest trend in coming years?

Local and seasonal food, pesticides food, organic food, low carbon produce, door to door service will be in high trends.

The pandemic came with a mixed feeling for many youths, while for a few it was full of hustle, for some it gave the opportunity to introspect. No wonder, the last two years have been a roller coaster ride for the job market, witnessing the highest number of reverse migration, job attrition, layoffs, unpaid leaves and most importantly career switch. Talking about the food and beverages industry, last year in 2020, there was news of chefs returning back to their hometown as hotels started laying off or giving long unpaid leaves to their kitchen staff. Many returned and waited for hotels to reopen, many joined their home business, but few bloomed out to be an entrepreneur, stepping into the territory unknown, fulfilling a long awaited wish, opening a restaurant of ones own.

Nestled in the corner of Bir, Himachal Pradesh is a unique restaurant, named as G2 Thai and Vietnamese cuisine. Chef Gaurav Gupta greets his guests with a gracious smile further explaining each and every detail of the menu. While he explains things so professionally, the wall around the restaurant with scribbled happy notes of the past guests resonates with the food he serves inside. Chef Gaurav is one of the lots who took pandemic as an opportunity, after serving in five-star hotels like Sheraton Grand Chennai Resort & Spa.

“For me, it was a decision made in crisis but of my choice. I always wanted to own a restaurant in my hometown and a pandemic could be the best time I had. Guests are enjoying the food that I serve, in such a small time, I have started having repeat customers. Not just the tourists but locals have also started dining in regularly. Because I have my expertise in Thai and Vietnamese cuisine, I have tried offering the best I could collect from my past experiences. Although logistics is a bit difficult, I ensure that each and every ingredient is fresh and authentic,” he explained.

For Gupta, opening a restaurant in his hometown was much easy than taking the brand somewhere else. He now soon plans for another outlet in Billing tapping the upcoming tourist season in Bir. However, Gupta is not alone.

Many chefs have either started their own venture or have entered into a partnership with restauranteurs to start an individual brand. At the newly opened Pink Wasabi Chef Parvez Khan is the partner. Chef Khan has worked at Taj Mahal Palace Hotel Mumbai’s Wasabi by Morimoto where he mastered the art of Japanese cuisine. After over 15 years at Wasabi, he decided to dish out Wakai, a fresh and young take on a cuisine that has strongly intrigued Indian palates. “The cuisine chose me,” Chef Parvez believes. 

“In an era when cross-border travel is nearly impossible, Japanese cuisine is riding a new wave of popularity as people embrace healthier eating options and go beyond standard dining options to more exciting alternatives. Since last year, the number of Japanese restaurants in India has climbed by 13 percent. We feel that by appreciating both Indian and Japanese cuisine, India and Japan gain a better understanding of each other's cultures on a more fundamental level,” he added. 

At a time when food businesses were folding, some big names from the Chef industry too were venturing out of their own. Chef Vikramjit Roy launched his standalone cloud kitchen Hello Panda last year.

“Much before Lockdown, we were planning our own restaurant of a bigger size and a completely different concept for which almost everything was finalised. But unfortunately, all of that had to be deferred,” he had commented. However, pivoting from there to Hello Panda is seamless for Roy, who has 18 years of experience, and has been associated with establishments such as The Kimono Club, Whisky Samba, Antares, ITC and Taj hotels, and many more.

Such stories are in abundance, few who came into the limelight, while few kept unknown. But, the pandemic had surely swirled things up in the chef universe. While few have returned back to their base kitchens, tossing the sauces and screaming ‘service please’, few are happy to greet guests in their newly launched ‘passion projects’.  

Opening a French Patisserie is every pastry chef’s dream! Thanks to the pandemic a lot of people have discovered their love for baking and with viral trends like Banana bread & Dalgona coffee, more & more people have stepped into the kitchen.

For a lot of people, baking has evolved from just being a hobby to a full-fledged passion and this is an amazing time for chefs & baking enthusiasts to open cafes & patisseries to convert their passion into their career & create a product for the post pandemic world.

Over the last decade the Patisserie culture has boomed in India, eating a croissant for breakfast has become as common as munching on poha. Thanks to TV shows, YouTube videos & of course, food bloggers promoting foods and food trends on Instagram people are now well versed with new ingredients and the demand for cafe, bakeries & patisseries is higher than ever before. But what would make your Patisserie different from others matters the most. One's French Patisserie should stand out in the crowd to attract potential customers. Although there are no hard and fast rules, there are a few distinct techniques to transform a basic bakery into a typical French Patisserie. Just stocking French goodies in the shop is not the only way to make you stand out, the way you market your products, the uniqueness of your brand makes it more desirable to potential customers. Let's learn a little more about this.

Location of the Patisserie: Any type of business necessitates a perfect location in order to be easily accessible to customers. You need to identify an area in your city that has a good amount of footfall, a decent amount of outlets that are similar to your brand value and is in a densely populated area to ensure maximum sales.

Designing your Concept: A random collection of baked goods doesn’t make a patisserie. One should ideate on their branding & selling points and come up with a solid concept. The idea can be to do a limited menu to focus on the dishes that are your strong points, or keep one particular item like Macarons or Viennoiserie as the star of the show complemented by a few more things. The Idea should be to put your personality into your baby!

Setting up the Kitchen: Once you’ve finalised the concept & the menu, the kitchen should be your next priority. I always suggest amateur bakers to invest in a good sturdy oven as that’s the backbone of your operations. The other equipment comes as per the needs of the menu. I would always recommend to start slowly and accumulate kitchen equipment over time as per the need of the business so that you’re not stuck with equipment you don’t need.

The Display of the shop: A customer is drawn in by the way the products are displayed as well as the shop entrance. For a Patisserie, that’s the crucial point that has to attract potential customers. Your interiors & store displays are only there to highlight how amazing your product is, they should be in line with your branding and concept but should never overshadow your products by being over the top. Remember, less is always more.

The Front of House: It is critical to make the consumer feel important; offering good service as well as having good Front of house staff would perform half of the work for the shop. Maintaining proper hygiene is the most important thing a customer notices when they enter the shop. That's why it is important to make the place more inviting by keeping friendly & professional staff.

Evolving with new trends: It’s extremely important to keep an eye on global trends to make sure your business catches the pulse of the market. Be it being well versed with new ingredients or trying new techniques, it’s important to adapt to new trends but one must also proceed with caution here and not fall flat on marketing gimmicks.

Remember as long as you’re passionate & innovative, use quality ingredients & care about your consumers, you’ll have very little room to fail. This industry looks very glamorous from the outside thanks to the movies but it’s sheer hard work, long hours and heavy on investment. As long as you’re sure this is the right career move, make a smart business plan & are extremely passionate about your food this is the right place for you. All the best!

Your whole idea of visiting a restaurant is a big flop if the food served doesn’t meet the expectation. We have always praised the restaurant for its interior, food, quality, music and service and have seen restaurant owners taking all the praises for the work done; but have you ever thought how much effort a chef put to bring the best on the table. It’s all because of the creativity in the kitchen that a restaurant is all praise.

Ever since its inception by Late Chef Dr. Bill Gallagher in 2004, International Chef's Day has been as much about celebrating people in the culinary profession as promoting the importance of healthy and responsible eating.

“The core concept remains the same, what is being especially highlighted this year is sustainability and continuing to contribute towards a better planet for generations to come,” said Celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar for whom wearing whites is not just a profession, it’s a privilege, a responsibility and the best thing that’s ever happened to him.

There’s no denying that a chef's career has seen and witnessed a lot of diversification. There was once a time when experimenting with new ingredients and flavours was a big thing. And sourcing out all the raw materials used to be such a challenge. And here we are today where any ingredient is may be just a call away. “The new challenge today is to meet our own roots. The sattvik food, the local produce. We diversified so much that we forgot the strength that our country holds, and now that we've started realizing it again, finding those minerals and produce and meeting its demand has become bit of a challenge,” shared Chef Anuj Wadhwan, Chef Partner at Ah! So Yum who on this International Chefs day like to honour the ones who are only neglected and get no praise. “I honour all the mothers, grandmothers and wives who cook without any training and still serve the best. They get no breaks but still continue to cook every single day of their life for the unconditional love they have for their family. Thank you, lovely ladies,” added Wadhwan who before starting his own venture worked with some of the best restaurants like Kheer, Tresind, Olive to name a few.

Sharing a post on his Insta gram page, Celebrity Chef Vicky Ratnani posted, “The theme for this year too is ‘Healthy Food for the Future’. Through this theme, chefs across the world are spreading the message about the impact that the production and consumption of food has on the environment.”

He also added that International Chefs day will also emphasize sustainability and the environment to ensure a healthy planet for future generations.

“Everyone told me pursuing my career as a chef is going to be a tough job. But, seeing my grandmother in kitchen cooking food for 20 members for our family without any complaints and I was wondering it isn’t tough for her then why for me? This was the time I was convinced that this is what drives my interest and makes me happy,” added Chef Tanvi Goswami of Saga who started her career at the age of 18 years and for whom the pride of wearing a Chef Coat was the exact same feeling of an army officer wearing his uniform.

She also mentioned that in her kitchen there were just 2 lady chefs and everyone’s eye was on them. "I was very particular about my roles and responsibility which helped me grow in a positive pattern. And in today’s time I see a lot has changed in hospitality," she pointed proudly as she has 3 lady chef’s working in her kitchen now. 

Food happened by accident to Chef Gauri Varma who had a terrible personal experience back in 2013, despite taking all the measure and steps to ensure that the end product was what she wanted - this was a massive fail which got her thinking that there is a huge vacuum in this industry between what she wanted and what she got to add. Excerpts from the interview:

Also Read: How this French-bakery chain has approached to the Covid-19 situation

We see that Indians have matured when it comes to consuming bakery and bakery products. What has given this sudden change in consumption?

Bakery has always been a part of our daily needs since the inception of this industry - it's one that has grown out of need - for instance we have always had bread and cookies with tea as far back as we can remember. It's become bigger, gotten more recognition and more people who have genuinely realised the importance as well as the necessity of this sector. Today it is the fastest growing segment within the industry. Also, with the increased exposure to netflix, movies, amazon prime and in general being one of the youngest nations in the world - we have a long way to go - but the road ahead looks promising to say the least.

Tell us something about G’s Patisserie and confect. With whom you are competing in the segment?

To be honest, my biggest competition is unregulated imported products that are coming into the country - products in this segment are being imported for more than a decade and sadly trading companies and not brands are establishing this industry's benchmarks. I’m in the cake decorating raw materials segment today and the reason was that there are only SUBSTANDARD products being sold even today products that are not fit for our weather storage or environmental conditions; the battle is against 'imported better'

From chefs like Pooja Dhingra to Vinesh Johnny, who have completely changed the bakery industry in India. What new innovation can we see from you?

Like them I too have made great strides in ensuring we get an international standard quality product within India for this industry. I have managed to successfully stand tall against most of the leading importers and have been voted as the best product in the country in my segment. I run India's only chef headed manufacturing company of bakery and confectionery cake decorating ingredients. We are doing a better job quality and safety wise than any other in the segment in the country. I would be the first chef to put India on the map for exports within this category of product.

What according to you would be the biggest bakery trend in the near future?

Cakes for every occasion, we would creep into the mithai and traditional India sweets segment and soon see bakery items in each and every kirana store

When did you know that you wanted to be a bakery queen?

It's humbling to be nicknamed the fondant queen in India - I strive towards a good product and quality - something I find safe to feed my own child. I feel I am on the right track but still have a long way to go.

What are some baking tools that pastry chefs can't do without?

So many! My set of palette knives would be the first followed by my rolling pin - since it is something I use the most!

May Interest: People are bias to old favourites in bakery: Survey

How has the pandemic affected your business?

The pandemic has grown the business, more home bakers have risen during this year. People want a quality product today and don't want to waste money on gimmicks or just cheap alternatives. There has definitely been a shift in the mental focus as far as consumers are based and it not always 'cheaper is best' home bakers as a segment has risen the fastest in this industry

What’s your plan expanding the brand?

Dominate each state and then export worldwide.

How the food at Varr is different from other restaurants?

To the best of our knowledge it’s unique at many levels. Though there indeed have been attempts of creating temple/religion related foods at some places earlier – in all fairness they were limited by many factors. Some focussed on a particular narrow region (eg Rajasthan, Punjab, UP) – for the ease of execution in terms of skill and ingredients. Some on the other hand just could not reproduce the cuisines right. Then there’re some restaurants that appear to take very simplistic approaches and end up generalizing – some end up offering everything deep fried, others end up with an understanding that all temple food ought to be sattvic. These approached end up over-simplifying an otherwise very complex set of cuisines and therefore end up with generic tasing ‘thali’. Where you no one’s thali really stands out over the crowd.

Indian food is so diverse and rich in itself. What is that one ingredient chef that you never miss in your cooking?

There’s no ‘One’ ingredient per se. The demand of each region is different and at the same time there are several common ingredients that feature across all cuisines. But speaking of temple foods in specific, one can see certain ingredients being featured across all regions of India. These would be ingredients like Cow Ghee, Asafoetida, Cumin, turmeric, Fenugreek, cloves, Dairy, jaggery, lentils, etc.

Also Read: “Ingredients that are Fresh and Locally available are Favored”

Who are you targeting as your customer at Varr?

We believe that the onset of covid is a great turning point in the history of India as well as the world. In keeping with our belief that we as humankind need to celebrate and respect what we already have and pause this relentless pursuit of material expansion, we felt that the concept of VARR was apt and contextually relevant to explore now more than ever. There has to be a place for a speciality restaurant like VARR in the Indian landscape which seeks to keep the traditions of our temple food alive and acts as a reminder to our guests of where we come from. Guests who visit us come with the multiple generations of their family together, from 6 to 60 year olds.

How is the response so far?

With the Launch of Varr in November 2020, the concept of serving temple food in a fine dine artesian restaurant was not only welcomed but also accepted and appreciated vastly. In a short span the restaurant has been featured by top publication and reviewed by senior journalist, blogger, public figures and celebrities. The Unquie concept and the service design gives a complete experience making VARR one on TOP 10 Restaurant in Rishikesh based on guest feedback and reviews.

Chef, we see that 2020 has brought a complete change in the behavior of customers. How are you trying hard to meet their demand?

It is good that people are realizing the importance of traditional Indian wisdom in everyday life – be it not to enter the house with ‘outside’ footwear or to have turmeric milk or kadha before hitting the bed. There is an awareness towards ditching the Mojito and having rasam or chaas. And I am ready with more and enough offers for diners to cater to immunity boosting ingredients and foods that seek to balance the ‘Doshas’ whether it be kapha, Vatta or Pitta.

May Interest: “Eating Local and Appreciating Regional Indian Food is Next Big Trend”

It is believed that local and seasonal will be the biggest hit in the food and beverage biz. Why so?

Yes, if you speak from an Indian context because what is Local to Indian is in fact most scientific way of planning a diet. People are realizing that there is next-to-nill nutrition in that Rambuttan or Dragon fruit that stared its journey 60 days back – when compared to the goodness of a humle local chikoo or guava.

Since the pandemic, “homechef” is one word which has garnered as much discussion as vaccination & quarantine, if not more. And why not! As we put it, “Happiness is made in home kitchens''.

This growth has been led by multiple intertwined factors. First, on the demand side it’s important to begin with the basic difference between restaurants and home dining. Every meal has a story behind it and as they say “recipe has no soul; you as a cook bring soul to the recipe”.

Home-chefs put in a lot of time and effort to dish out something interesting every time they put a menu out there, they are experimental and fearless. From pulled pork rasam puri to beetroot laddu to avocado tart, from fusion to traditional - Home Chefs have been cooking it all! But how often does a chef at a popular restaurant get to be experimental? How often do the menus change?

And on the supply side, there is an audience who has been constantly seeking something new - something that's authentic, brings excitement to everyday lives & mundane routines and is possibly even personalised to taste & preferences. This customer is well read & travelled, pre-covid went out every weekend to meet friends & dine. Due to the restrictions they missed out on all of this - missed the food back home, the experiences at the vacations & more! So the need for something new was fuelled many notches up. 

Now marry these two above and we've got the perfect demand and supply model for organised peer to peer sharing! People were exchanging food & conversations with their neighbours next door over whatsapp & telegram groups even before the pandemic. Now they just do it more often! Food sharing is here already.

Second, when the food arrives from the homechefs, it always has a personal touch - a hand written note, sometimes even specially curated packaging. One of our home chefs insisted that all our Onam meals should go with Banana leaves, traditionally used jasmine flower garlands and with hand written notes about how each item on the sadya should be served - so what if we can't Sadya Together, We can still serve the full traditional sadya at home. Now that would definitely warm up hearts! Psychologically speaking it means a lot - just the kind of joy we are all looking forward to, isn’t it? Staying isolated for 8-9 months at a stretch hasn’t been easy.

Third, it’s not just “Ghar ka Khana” it’s “Ghar pe bana khana” and that changes a lot of things in consumers mindsets. Growing up we’ve always known kitchens as that part of home where it’s all about love, freshness & utmost care. Haven’t we all? So in the times of doubt we all looked up to the Home kitchens!

Fourth, for a lot of homechefs, they are selling their doing this out of passion, but for many others it’s a source of income. And when as a customer you know you’ve made a difference in their lives by ordering in, the satisfaction of it, can’t be measured in words. When we brought Saroj Didi’s kitchen at Conosh, we sold out over 100 meals within minutes!

Last but not the least, since we have all been home and spending a lot of time on social media specially Instagram, this facilitated in the organic discovery & word of mouth marketing for these homchefs!

To summarise, with the home chefs the menu options are plenty, it’s not just food but an experience is delivered to the doorstep. Vaccine or not this trend is here to stay and would coexist with restaurant dining and ordering and support each. “Why wouldn’t I order freshly made litti from my next door neighbor? I love how she doesn’t add chilli to the chokha specially for me”, says one of our customers. And at Conosh, we think the future for F&B will be a lot about collaborations & finding synergies. Example a couple of months back we signed up with one of the popular rest0-bars in Bangalore on a 6 month partnership and curated weekend menus with Homechef. While homechef get an opportunity to work in a bigger/commercial kitchen and share their love for food over a larger platform, restaurants get freshness on their menus - existing for both existing and new customers!

For a Chef understanding basic ingredients like spices and herbs and how they interact with different types of meat or vegetables is quite important to ensure natural flavor is retained. There are many methods of cooking which naturally help meats and vegetables in retaining their natural flavors. The most popular of those methods are:

Baking: Baking is simply cooking food in an oven surrounding it with dry heat. The degree of dryness of heat may be modified by the amount of steam produced by its items being baked.

ALSO READ: Baking Trends to Watch in 2019

Broiling: Broiling means cooking directly under or above the heat source without the use of any other medium. Food can be broiled in an oven, directly under the gas or electric heat source, on a Barbeque grill, directly over charcoal or any other heat source.

Deep-frying: Deep frying means cooking of food items immersed in hot oil or fat. Frying temperature varies from 160 – 195 degrees C. Proper temperature in fat or oil should be reached before the item is put in for deep-frying.

Grilling: The source of heat may be from charcoal, coke (compressed charcoal), gas or electricity. In an authentic grill the heat is located below the grill bars, and if the source of heat is above the grill bars the grilling equipment is called salamander.

Doneness of steaks -

Au bleu – rare

Siagnant – underdone or medium rare

A point – just done or medium

Beincuit – well done

Oven roasting

Spit roasting

Pot roasting

Clay pot roasting

Tandoor: Cooking in a traditional clay oven called a tandoor with medium of heat like charcoal.  Meat items are continuously basted with oil or fat to keep them juicy andto prevent them from drying.

MUST READ: What makes North-Indian Cuisine Popular

Steaming: Steaming is cooking with moist heat.  It could be direct or indirect.  

Direct steaming: In this method of cooking food is directly in contact with the hot steam and cooks evenly.

Indirect steaming: This is done when the food is placed in a closed pan, which is surrounded by plenty of steam from the fast boiling water.Green vegetables should never be steamed. Potatoes must be in a perforated container for steaming in order to prevent the collection of water in the bottom.

Poaching: Poaching is called cooking by immersing the food in a pan of liquid which must always be kept just below boiling point (93 – 95 deg.C).

Hyatt Regency’s Italian restaurant La Piazza turns 25 this year and has launched a new menu to mark this celebration. In conversation with Restaurant India, Gregorio Lostia, Chef de Cuisine of La Piazza talked about the new menu, which has an addition of non-vegetarian version of the much revered Pizza La Piazza, how it is imperative to keep on changing the menu with the ongoing trends and why Pizza La Piazza is his most favourite from the menu

What made you launch a new menu? Are there some additions to the menu or have you given the old menu a twist?

The La Piazza menu has undergone a lot of changes over the years. The last menu change was in April 2019 and with La Piazza completing its silver jubilee this year, we couldn’t think of a better occasion than this to introduce a new menu. The new menu showcases an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian Italian delicacies as a quarter of the menu is being changed to include the finest of Italian dishes. It has been especially curated with my signature dishes like asparagus and smoked salmon salad, shrimp morsels and Tagliolini with baby lobster and artichoke, amongst others. We have launched the non vegetarian variation of the much loved Pizza La Piazza (PLP 25) with lamb sausages. For the diet conscious, we also have vegan and gluten-free options that include dishes like Fusilli in black olive pesto and creamy garlic sauce and healthy dessert options such as sugar free Tiramisu.

How necessary is it to refresh or change the menu today especially when the customers have a gamut of options to choose from?

Gone are the days when people preferred simple food. Today guests are demanding more complex and innovative food items that please their palates. Food fads get into mainstream dining really fast. With innovation being a key trigger, visionary chefs, restaurateurs and mixologists work on unique offerings to entice and entertain diners consistently. Our patrons love to explore and experiment with their food choices and our new additions to the menus have received a lot of appreciation. The set menus available at our restaurants work best as they keep the classics that people know and love along with innovative dishes. The chefs try to reinvent these dishes by playing with textures and flavours and they present them differently.

The new additions to the menu bring seasonal and regional twist to the Italian classics, focusing on fresh and seasonal produce, just like in Italy. Also, with people becoming more aware of what they eat, and taking the healthier route, it becomes essential to keep changing the menu to cater to the needs of the people. For instance, there is a gluten-free menu available at La Piazza that consists of dishes like lentil macaroni, saffron quinoa and vegetables. We have also introduced new dishes like Fusilli in black olive pesto and creamy garlic sauce. The gluten-free menu excites people as it lets them eat out and not mess their diets. They also taste different than the normal dishes, which add to the appeal. We also have sugar-free Tiramisu.

To take a retrospective look at La Piazza’s journey of 25 years, what are the dishes which are being revered the most?

Over the years, La Piazza has been instrumental in introducing India to an authentic Italian dining experience. It is one of the few restaurants in the capital to have celebrated its silver jubilee – a journey synonymous with authentic Italian produce, fresh ingredients and some of our most memorable dishes along the way. Some of the dishes that have been revered the most are the Pizza La Piazza, sun-dried tomato and basil-stuffed chicken and pan-seared sea bass, amongst others.

What dish is your favourite from the menu and why?

My favourite dish from the menu is definitely the PLP 25. The lamb sausages give it a very distinctive flavour which makes it unique and it’s definitely a ‘must have’ from the new menu.

Also read

https://www.restaurantindia.in/article/sbow-adds-new-flavours-to-parsi-and-mumbai-cuisine.13480

https://www.restaurantindia.in/article/yo-mee-is-where-food-takes-on-an-intriguing-flavour.13476

BY CHEF RAJI

A fine dining experience is not just limited to food, but is rather a culmination of taste, ambience and service, which makes it a memorable experience for the guests. The picture of such an experience would entail a cosy aura, perhaps a few beautifully arranged bouquets of flowers, delicious and fulfilling food and convivial company to add the finishing touch. All these ingredients come together to create a satisfaction that surpasses just the gastronomic pleasure.

So, if you intend to provide your guests with such an experience, then while keeping their entertainment in mind, start by mulling over a menu for them, including both food and wine that will delight their senses as well as fit the occasion. In the end, at the heart of the success of this is delicious food.

Here are a few pointers which can help you to go one step ahead in making a fine dining experience more special and entertaining than a standard party

1. Planning the Menu – Having a menu that caters to all your guests is essential for the high success rate of the event. Depending upon the number of guests invited, do keep in mind their preferences, common allergies and other details. The food need not necessarily be elaborate, but it should reflect the style of the host and the occasion.

2. Table Set-up – The way the table is set gives the guests the initial impression of how the experience is going to be. It sets precedence for the rest of the evening and subconsciously the guests start to relate the entire experience in that context. So if you want to set a good impression initially, then focus on proper table arrangement that goes along with the theme and mood of the party.

3. Divide your Work –Many times people tend to take over more burden than they can handle. This leads to distractions which divides the focus into multiple tasks. Such a thing also impacts the quality of the work. To reduce the compromising on the overall quality of the project, don't hesitate to take help so that you can keep an eagle’s eye on the bigger picture.

4. Setting Up the Bar – A bar is a thing of joy only up till it is handled by a professional bartender if the party is of more than 10 people. Otherwise if left to the devices of guests or an ineffective bartender, there would be anarchy. To keep the mood set, be sure to set an easy circulation area, so that the bartender can focus onmultiple guests at a time. Good alcohol equals to a good party.

5. Dressing the Table – Nothing beats the aesthetic appeal of the background setting of a party scene. This backdrop becomes enhanced when flowers, fruits, plants, herbs and other decorative serving pieces are added to the table to bring it to life. Not to mention, they provide a perfect backdrop for beautiful Instagram pictures.

6. Serve-ware – Once you have your menu sorted and finalised, then you can choose the appropriate cutlery, as well as its quantity for the ease of the guests. These pointers go hand in hand, paired by their mutual dependency of complimenting each other’s task and also to do justice to the planned menu.

7. Selection of Wines –Some more wine monsieur? While eating out at a place that offers fine dining experience, adding rich wine choices helps to relax the atmosphere which adds the element of uniqueness. But how to choose which wine works best for your party. Usually, if it's a casual dinner, then expand your choices and accommodate in different wines with alcohol for a genuine cocktail experience. It's much easier if you’re entertaining a small number of people.

8. Sweet Endings – Like the final sound of the scrumptious symphony, let your guests leave the place with the sinfully delicious taste of dessert lingering in their palate. A delectable, luscious, refreshing, and irresistible dessert is for many of us the most exciting part of the menu.

So let's "Gather & Gobble"!

Chef, you have got more than two decades of culinary experience. How have you seen industry grow in all these years?

Yes as a matter of fact since I started my career over 40 years go I have seen the big food multinationals enter our sector

How did food happen to you?

I was raised by my grandmother in the countryside. My grandfather was a butcher. At a young age they taught us to eat beautiful things of nature. This is what made me want to become a cook.

Running a Michelin starred restaurant is not everyone’s cup of tea. How do you match those standards?

I think that I have managed to maintain my Michelin Star over the years because I always have the desire to please the clients that enter our restaurant Le Pergolese.

What new can we see at the special dinner curated by you at Sofitel, Mumbai?

During my dinner at the Sofitel, I think we will notice the way Indian Chefs master spices and how we can combine these with French cuisine

How have you seen the face of chef changing with time because today restaurants are by known by chefs as compared to earlier days when people hardly knows about the chefs?

Yes as a matter fact, most Chefs are owners of their restaurant nowadays. This all became possible thanks to one man Mr Paul Bocuse.

Globally, sustainable, fresh and local menu produce are big fad these days. How are you seeing these trends catching up in the industry?

We already sounded the alarm bell many years ago. I have been working with local producers, such as fishmongers, butchers, vegetable producers, for a long time. We all agree that we have to learn how to eat differently.

Sustainability has become a hot topic today. Do you think it is limited to only food?

Of course it’s not only about food. Each person should be aware that a small sustainable or green gesture could make a huge difference, seeing the number of people that live on this planet. This would make us reduce wastage.

What advise you would like to give to an Indian chef to run a restaurant at par with Michelin standard?

Whether you have Michelin Star or not, a Chef has to always be generous.

What it feels like to be the ‘Best Chef of France’?

The Best Chef of France title means to advise and convey your know- how in the most simple possible way. You are an envoy of France and French cuisine.

How do you see the future of French cuisine in India?

We have two very different cultures. The Indian style of cooking masters spices perfectly and the French style of cooking flavours. A mix of both would create a beautiful harmony.

Going forward, what will be the biggest trend hitting the restaurant sector?

I think that in the future we are going to have to feed ourselves with processed food/ agrifood, as local products will be more and more expensive.

Each and every festival brings joy and happiness. As Diwali is around the corner and Durga puja is going on, chefs across the country are curating innovative festive food recipes to make the most of this festival month. Here are some unusual festive recipes.

Rajgira Puri with Potato by Chef Ananya Banerjee

This dish is curated by Chef Ananya Banerjee. As any festival is incomplete without deep fried puris, why not make it with a twist. These puris curated by Chef Ananya are made from Rajgira or Amaranth flour, which is great when you are fasting. It is then served with potato and red pumpkin ki sabji.

Ghewar Chaat by Chef Monu Kumar

Chef Monu Kumar at The Imperial Spice has given a contemporary twist to Ghewar chaat. A combination of Refined flour, Chhena Bhalla and chutneys, Ghewar chaat is a perfect amalgamation that balances sweet and tangy flavours. Priced at Rs 249, Ghewar chaat is a sheer indulgence.

Tandoori Rasgulla by Chef Minu Kumar

It is the most unusual dessert one will find this season. Roasted Rosgulla in Tandoor is crispy, sweet and very unusual. It is a combination of marination of Sweet curd, Rabri and saffron. The Rasgulla is then Marinated and is kept aside for some time, only to Relish with Rabri after.  It is priced at Rs 349.

Navratra Bowl by SodaBottleOpenerWala 

SodaBottleOpenerWala, the quintessential Bombay-Irani Café and bar with all its idiosyncrasies in place, brings to you a special Navratra Bowl, to make your fasting days delicious. The concept is to eat, have millets, gluten-free healthy and delicious bowl.

 The special Navratra Bowl consists of Sabudana Khichdi, Sukhi Masala Arbi, Aloo ki Sabzi, Vrat Ka Pulav, Cucumber and mint salad with Masala Makhana, Raw banana chips, and Pomegranate Raita.

Desserts by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor

The festive season is here and that calls for healthy yet delicious desserts. Chef Sanjeev Kapoor this time has curated delectable and homemade desserts such as Chana Moong Payasam, Kesar Pista Phirni, Pal Khova, Gujiya, German Chocolate Cake, and Gajar ka Halwa.

Phalahari Kheer by Ched Ashish Singh

Along with other devouring treats, you can enjoy the special Phalahari Kheer from UP at Café Delhi Heights. Citrus Delights (combination of freshly squeezed oranges and lime, perfectly balanced with brown sugar), Joyous One by One, (a salad with green apples, cucumbers and tomatoes), Aloo chat, Sabudana Khichadi, Kuttu Ki Roti, and Pina Raita (creamy yoghurt with pineapple chunks) are some of the dishes they are serving.

 Chef Ashish Singh at Café Delhi Heights says, “From Sabudana Khichdi that is eaten in Maharashtra to Aloo Chaat, a speciality from Rajasthan. We are also serving Phalahari Kheer from UP along with more devouring treats.”

Chocolate Diya, Jalebi and rocket cake by Chef Uttam

These desserts in the shapes of Diya and crackers are not only unique and innovative but will also give you major festive vibes. Shivam Sehgal, owner of The Marketplace says "Diwali is best celebrated with diyas. we are doing environmental friendly Diwali with indulgence in food."

For Chef Vikram Ganpule, these two decades of culinary journey has given him the best experiences of hotel industry.  After graduating from IHM Delhi, he started his career with ITC hotels. “The industry has grown and expanded at a mind- boggling rate,” he says as the journey has given him enriching experiences across distinctive brands and diverse geographies in the culinary world. Hospitality Industry all over the world has seen more hotels, new brands, new and different hotel concepts. The biggest growth that the industry has seen is digital era. “Now, we are living in a more connected world than when I started my career,” says smiling. Experts from the interview:

How did food happen to you?

Love for food was right there from beginning. It grew when I was studying my hotel management. Hotel Management days taught me the science behind the magic of seeing simple ingredients transform into gourmet treats and that is how I was hooked to food. 

When we talk about your initial days at ITC, it is believed that ITC was one of the first Indian home grown hospitality brands to give India a culture of 5 star restaurants. How have you seen the face of chef changing with time because today restaurants are by known by chefs as compared to earlier days when people hardly knows about the chefs?

ITC is a fantastic company and a pioneer in food and beverage for Indian food concepts. I think in the old days it was more significant when people knew the chef because they knew the chef in spite of not having social media. Chefs like Madan lal Jaiswal and Chef Quereshi of ITC are the icons that were household names among those that enjoyed 5star hotels during those days.  Nowadays it is easier for a chef to be famous due to social media however I am not sure how many will be icons whose restaurants will stand the test of time

Andaz is known for its sustainable, fresh and local menu produce. How are you trying to carry forward this legacy?

At Andaz Delhi, we are aware of the inevitable impact of our daily business operations on the environment. To fulfill our responsibility towards the planet, we try to minimise the pressure on the environment and community as much as possible. Taking an innovative approach to restaurants and bars, Andaz Delhi emphasizes consciously sourced ingredients and local artisanal produce in the uniquely conceived European food hall – AnnaMaya.  I think the story and DNA of Annamaya is very clear and strong –we will continue to evolve our menu and to raise awareness about Annamaya. The essence of AnnaMaya lies in helping society and encouraging a healthy lifestyle through mindful meals and exceptional experiences. Our guests come here not just for the food but also because they feel a social responsibility towards the people and places around them. We achieve all this while having some fun along the way through bold flavours, freshness and creativity in the kitchen.

Sustainability has become a hot topic today. Do you think it is limited to only food?

I think sustainability has the ability to exist constantly. It is applicable to any natural resource and not just food—environmental, economical and social.

You have been associated with Hyatt for a long time. How is Andaz different from rest of Hyatt property?

Hyatt brand all across the world have same value and purposes. However, Andaz brand comes across as more “fun” place that is professional with a relaxed and “cool” feel and a sense of style. Andaz Delhi creates a barrier-free environment where guests are encouraged to explore their personal sense of style and become inspired by the spirit of the culture around them. Taking an innovative approach to restaurants and bars, Andaz Delhi emphasises on consciously sourced ingredients and local artisanal produce. The restaurants are of course completely different, Hyatt brand all over India does not have a food hall or a Cantonese style restaurant in its portfolio.

What will be some of your speciality menu we can see on Andaz menu now?

The essence of AnnaMaya lies in identifying and celebrating artisans from remote parts of India, and turning the spotlight on the love and hard work with which they make their products. The menu is designed around consciously-sourced ingredients from local artisans who directly or indirectly contribute towards the well-being of society. Our menu changes with the season so with winter coming we will have--Winter greens, filling hearty soups, meal in bowls, winter grains-bajra, green jowar or ponkh

We have seen that middle eastern cuisine has influenced diners in India. Since, you have spent time in middle eastern countries. What makes this cuisine a close competitor of other world cuisine?

The Middle Eastern cuisine is diverse, healthy and has options for vegetarian, vegans and gluten intolerant. The flavours of the Middle Eastern cuisine are distinct and balanced. Each cuisine has its own flavours, style and particular ingredients that are used.

If not in kitchen, where can we see you spending time?

Reading SF/action thrillers or travelling.

Food has always been an integral part in chef Rohit Chadha. Many people don’t know this but his grandfather had a restaurant back in the day serving simple, wholesome food. “I was very clear from the 7th grade that I wanted to be a Chef,’ shared Chadha for whom it was so meticulously planned that he knew IHM Mumbai is where he would want to Pursue Hotel Management and would like to join the Taj Mahal Palace after that. “God has been kind,” he smiles. Excerpts from the interview:

When we talk about your initial days at Taj, you joined looking at their pan Asian restaurant and then at Hemant Oberoi’s restaurant in BKC. What changes have you seen in oriental cuisine especially when we talk about Sichuan food?

I believe that Chinese food has very recently been recognized by its regions in India. The idea of Chinese food was very different 10 – 20 years back. Being such a versatile cuisine in terms of local ingredient being easily accepted, I feel it was stereotyped in India for the longest time, with our Gobhi Manchurian. People have now started travelling and exploring and are open to the idea of experimenting food, so they exactly know how the food is and how it tastes. The food industry has grown tremendously from when I started at the Taj. Availability of ingredients and skilled staff is no longer a hindrance and the demand for Sichuan food is ever growing, which has led to a lot of Standalone restaurants enter and thrive. Sichuan food has come a long way from when I was at golden dragon. It’s no longer the food from the Wok to the bowl or plate, it has become intricately garnished, individually portioned, and Instagramable.  

How was it working with experienced and globally known chef like Chef Oberoi? What are few of his learnings that we can see you adopting at Hyatt?

It was one of the best experiences of my life. Opening Hemant Oberoi and working with Chef has honed me into the person and the Chef I am today. I have always seen Chef Oberoi enter the Kitchen before everyone and leaving after everyone has left, in my stint with him for close to 2 years I have not seen him take a day off or a Sick day. Such has been his passion towards his work and food. I feel I have got that from him and shall carry it wherever I go. Respect for food, No short cuts, No substitutes and constantly reinventing yourself are some of the other learning that I am adopting at the Hyatt and would continue to do so all my life.

Hyatt is known for its sustainable, fresh and local menu produce. How are you trying to carry forward this legacy?

Well it is very easy for a Chef to be carried away when it comes to procuring ingredients when you are associated with a big brand without realising that beautiful and fresh produce are right in front of your eyes this whole time. Majority of the Menu at Zeta at Hyatt Regency Pune consists of sustainable, fresh local produce. The new menu trails are in accordance with what is in season and readily available. I can say it with a lot of pride that all my fresh produce is procured from 20 kms around Pune. In hindsight I must say Hyatt’s food philosophy allows us Chefs to take a lot of trips to the Local Market which my team and I enjoy a lot.

Sustainability has become a hot topic today. Do you think it is limited to only food?

Absolutely not. Sustainability is the need of the hour in every walk of life starting from something as basic as water to something as complex as energy. It is something that we owe to our self and our future generation. We must realise that we cannot take our natural resources for granted and learn to respect it.

What will be some of your speciality menu we can see on Hyatt menu now?

The Pune’s Favourite BCG is what I would call as a Signature dish of Zeta. The Pork Belly is something that is really close to my heart as well. A Crispy Calicut Calamari and Kol mi no patio are some of my contributions to the menu amongst several others.

We have seen that Middle Eastern cuisine has influenced diners in India. Since, you have spent time in Middle Eastern countries. What makes this cuisine a close competitor of other world cuisine?

I have had the wonderful opportunity of training at the Madinat Jumeirah and Burj Al Arab where I experienced middle eastern cuisine up close and personal. The middle eastern cuisine has been influenced by both Europe and Asia because of its geographical boundaries. This has led to a very unique cuisine which gives equal importance to its meat, Vegetables, dairy and breads. Mezzes, Kebabs , leavened breads and Laminated pastries is what makes this cuisine technically very sound coupled with The use of Subtle flavours and spices makes it a Close competitor to other world cuisine.

If not in kitchen, where can we see you spending time?

Travelling, Reading a book, Climbing a Mountain , Watching a movie.

As Chef-driven fast casuals seem to offer the best experiences and dining for value-motivated, time-starved consumers as well as the best growth vehicle for profit-hungry restaurant operators, these chefs have introduced freshness, quality and efficiency at the table making their restaurants stand out from the crowd.

Menu is the Game-changer: “It was in 1981 when I started. We knew places during those days but we din know the chefs,” shares JP Singh, Executive Chef at ITC Bukhara. “It was in 1991I moved to Bukhara and the real recognition comes in when you keep working hard and doesn’t look back and that’s how it has been for me in the sector,” he adds. For a chef and restaurant the menu must be short and crisp. The reason why Bukhara is still successful is that we have never changed our menu and the demand is always high shared the proud chef.

Winning the Game: Chefs have always been a work horse. “We have also used our chefs in India as race horses who are constantly winning matches for thhhe country but they really don’t get their due,” points sabyasachi Gorai, Chef and Owner at Lavaash by Saby who was awarded the presidential award for his great culinary experience and innovation. For a chef it is always about winning the game, no matter you are serving a regular customer or serving the dignitaries.  

Feasibility of the Concept: “I have been working as an entrepreneur for over 10 years now. It just came out of passion that if there was no consulting or no business what do we do,” says Om Nayak, Chef and Owner, The Pasta Bowl Company for whom getting in the restaurant business realized  that it is not just about concept but it was feasibility of a concept. It is about taking care of all those small aspects of business and obviously clubbing it with your passion and learning over the years and making it feasible and a restaurant with repeat customer.

Regional Cuisine Taking Front Seat: Regional cuisine in India started sparking up in last 6-7 years. Olive Group was one of the first restaurant groups that took the charge by creating first parsi restaurant in Delhi. “It was a huge learning opportunity for me as I was just 23 out of college and that mentorship from chef Saby who helped me by setting up a chef-driven concept like Sodabottle Openerwala,” remembers Anahita Dhondy, Chef Partner at Sodabottle Openerwala CyberHub Gurgaon. Concepts like these need chefs to look at kitchens, authenticity of the food and cuisine. “Going to the customer, talking them and giving them a personalized experience is what a chef-led restaurant meant,” adds Dhondy who can realised that it started making a connect wherein people could co-relate chefs and restaurants by the name.

Food is the Real Hero:  No matter what concept or model you are running, the biggest hero is the food. When you talk about food chefs come into play. There is a lot of connect that a guest could make if the restaurant is led by a chef. There are a lot of key things that is perceived to be well addressed- the quality of food, taste and innovation to name a few. Also, chef-led places are much more successful these days than any other model.

For Anurudh Khanna its almost two decades in the hospitality industry working with the best in the industry including Hyatt and Taj Hotels to name a few.  “I worked with majorly all (X factor Italian) chefs and trained myself under all these top chefs,” shared Khanna remembering his Hyatt days. Khanna has spent most of his career doing culinary innovations at Taj Mahal Hotel.

How has been the journey so far?

It’s been a wonderful journey. After moving from Taj, I joined The Park where I got a chance to go to a chef workshop at The Park Hotel Singapore doing research on Singapore cuisine and how Singapore Cuisine can go well with Indian Cuisine. I left the Park Hotel in 2013 and joined The Westin at Pune as an executive chef and spend almost 3 and a half years. I was the Culinary leader of the Year for the Starwood Asia Pacific Region which was given to me as a reward and then I represented Indian Cuisine for the Indian President -  Pranab Mukherjee in Stockholm for the Indian Swedish week in their esteemed program of Namaste Stockholm in Sweden. I left Westin Pune in2016, and joined Shangri- Las, Bangalore as an executive chef and now I am back to Delhi working with Westin.

Now that you have joined Westin Again, so what is your role at the Westin and also, what new things you are going to bring at the Westin?

 I have joined as a Multi Property Executive Chef, and I’ll be taking care of the two properties – The Westin Gurgaon, New Delhi and The Westin Sohna Resort and Spa, and the idea is to get aligned with the culinary team here and the kind of experience they are carrying with them. So, I rechecked the whole cuisine with the hotel. Soon, we will be having special chefs focusing on their cuisine. So, my role is to get them going and get the new trends in for the food and speaking for the authenticity for the ingredients for sure and the recipes which is quite authentic and bring the best kind of cuisine to the plate of the customer. Again, the focus will be on Contemporary Local Cuisine because we have our own farm grown vegetables.

What are the three things that you have learnt as an executive chef?

Top things that I have learnt is that the team is the key for your success, for me I can’t do anything yet if I couldn’t have a good team. Second, discipline and punctuality in the kitchen. Third, it is to travel for food as food changes every kilometer, so you need to know about different food.

You are also known for your presentations and style, so what exactly presentation means to you?

My food styling is majorly to add a lot of colors on the plate. All the elements that I add to the plate are all edible, practical and have some kind of story related to the cuisine or the food offered on the plate.

How do you keep authenticity on when it comes to modern Indian cuisine?

Authenticity and simplicity are something in which I personally believe a lot. So, when we do a modern Indian cuisine, we don’t taste the recipes, rather try and play with the presentation of the food on the plate by attaching different elements of food which can be used as a presentation, but not touching the whole recipe. For eg – if it’s a kebab recipe from South India related to banana, then I will not touch the recipe for that but I will try getting the elements right like a Banana Flower in the recipe which makes it modern Indian but it has the same authentic taste in the Kebab.

Chef Marco Murenu, Italian Chef de Cuisine at Prego, brings an exclusive gourmet experience from the island of Sardinia, which also happens to be his hometown. During the 10-day celebration of the Flavours of Sardinia, the menu at Prego, The Westin Gurgaon features recipes that are integral to the home kitchens of this exotic island. Situated in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Sardinia is the second largest island in the Mediterranean after Sicily. Sardinian food is simple, fresh and scrumptious as it uses a lot of organic ingredients. Sardinia is also famous for its Pecorino cheese.

Speaking to Restaurant India, Chef Marco Murenu, Italian Chef de Cuisine at Prego, The Westin Gurgaon, tells how he makes sure that Sardinian food caters to the Indian palate.

Growing up in a farm to becoming Chef De Cuisine - The Journey 

My passion for food developed while growing up on a farm in Italy. I grew up eating farm-to-table meals with my large family and that helped shape my opinion on food. My father was a chef himself and an agriculturalist and taught us many lessons. My culinary journey so far is unlike any other five-star hotel chef. I grew up on a farm in a family of chefs and agriculturalists, so a passion for food was naturally in my blood. I worked on the farm with the rest of my family and waited tables at some local restaurants. Once I was an adult I moved to London and started working in kitchens and restaurants. I started as a Pasta Chef and over time graduated to Chef De Partie at Metropolitan by Como Luxury Hotels in Mayfair and later joined Emporio Armani Hotel and Crown Aspinalls Club in the capacity of a Sous Chef. My most recent stint was with Marriott Hotel International Amman, Jordan as Chef De Cuisine.

Food Has The Magic To Create Memories!

Very early in my career, I learnt two things. Firstly, work with fresh produce. A simple dish gets a flavourful facelift when you have fresh ingredients. Secondly, Cook with passion. Food has the magic to create memories. People often regard good food as a part of the celebration. So cook with passion, you never know what you may end up creating. 

Ingredients to being a successful chef

Like I said fresh produce is key. Also, it's important for chefs to keep evolving and innovating. Also, I think it's extremely important to connect with guests, interact with them, discuss and respect their food choices. You can learn a lot through just conversation especially in a foreign land. Always have an open mind towards reviews and recommendations. Being a successful chef requires listening to both positive and negative feedback and inviting feedback and considering the results will only guide you forward as a chef and one will continue to grow by taking into account what guests have to say about your creations.

Passion is the salt of your culinary career. You are on the right track if the smell of fresh cut vegetables and the sound of tossing spices into fire excite you.  But being a good Chef goes beyond being a good cook. A good Chef has to learn the art of leading an entire team of cooks towards his idea of a good recipe.

About Sardinian Food

Sardinian food is extremely close to me. I have grown up eating it and love sharing it with people wherever I go. Since Sardinia is along the Italian peninsula, seafood is the core ingredient. Some of the delightful items on the menu that will tantalize the taste buds are Carpaccio di salmone alla giardiniera (marinated salmon with giardiniera salad in a  light mandarin dressing); Fregola di gamberi (Sardinian couscous with prawns in a bisque), Gnocchetti Sardi alla campidanese a dish comprising little "Sardinian gnocchi', typical pasta from Sardinia in tomato sauce with pork and pecorino cheese; Risotto asparagi e porcini, Pizza ai carcioffi e caciotta affumicata , Pancia di maiale arrosto e vernaccia and the most traditional Sardinian dessert Seadas con miele di acacia- somewhat a pastry, somewhat savoury, it could hold its own as an entree but it's actually a surprising dessert - a crisp, deep-fried pastry filled with oozing cheese and drizzled with warm honey.

The Indian palate is warm and inviting just like the Sardinian cuisine and while we may have toned down a little on red meat we have included some interesting vegetarian options that one must come to try.

The Menu at Prego Restaurant

Italian food has hundreds of reasons that justify its enduring appeal. We have extraordinary raw materials, the ancient knowledge of home cooking and the traditional Mediterranean diet. People of India are fond of good wholesome flavourful food and Prego's menu promises that. One can feast on an assortment of cold starters, fresh pasta, delectable risottos, homemade fresh bread, and delicious hand-tossed pizzas. One can also enjoy bruschetta, antipasti and rich classic sauces like carbonara, puttanesca or pesto. With highlights from both the Old and New World varietals, it features treats for all tastes.

Key to Planning a Successful Menu

The key to restaurant success is having a clear, viable restaurant concept. While that involves many aspects-including locations, marketing plan, and the competitive advantage-the menu is a major player in your restaurant's identity. Objectively one should test all your menu items to achieve the best quality and streamlined production. After a month or so of menu planning, grade your efforts. Gauge how well you went and whether you need to make changes to a few things. The market dynamics could also be one of the factors to consider. Menus are driven by customer demand. People are travelling abroad and experiencing new cuisines and service standards. When they come back home, they expect the same.

This urges chefs to experiment and innovate to showcase their offerings and make them stand apart. With new concepts and cuisines being launched every day, one should always be aware of the latest trends and should adapt accordingly. A menu has to balance focus with variety. The most common mistake restaurants make is to offer a menu with a very broad range of items. It's always best to have smaller menus that are easy to change as per the seasons and availability, rather than having huge long menus.

New ingredient in cuisine/s 

As I mentioned, seafood is a vital ingredient of the Sardinian cuisine and what I do is pair it with grains such as barley and couscous which are packed with nutrition. Imagine a warm bowl of couscous in a rich seafood broth. It doesn't get any better than that.

5 Mistakes that Chefpreneurs should avoid

Ignoring the original intention that brought them into this profession - All the long hours, stress and anxiety we endure in the kitchen can make us forget the 'why' in our culinary journey. One should revisit the original intention once in a while - maybe recall your happiness when you cooked your first ever dish. Remember this purest intention of yours, and stick to it. This beef up the motivation and drive to succeed as a chef because it is the best job in the world but is also the hardest job in the world.

Poor sourcing - Fresh produce is key and best used rather than canned and bottled things. Chefs should always realise the difference in the quality of produce. A good chef will never knowingly serve guests anything other than the best produce they can find.

Neglecting Continual Improvement & experimenting - Sometimes in one's comfort zones, one may neglect to seek continual improvement in our crafts. The world of cooking continues to change and evolve every day. Be passionate, be ready for something different every day and always remember that you'll never stop learning. You should never worry about experimenting with cooking, it's one of the biggest pleasures in life.

Enhancing Guest Experience - Try to make the guests feel at home, interact with them to know their likes and dislikes to personalize their meal, free them from any tension and to make them fully embrace the experience.

Ignoring Feedback - Setting aside all of the complications, a chef has a simple task of preparing food for guests to enjoy, always keep an open mind towards feedback and criticism, every complaint is a chance to better oneself.

Chef Pallavi is the author of a renowned book The Bhojpuri Kitchen, which celebrates the region's age-old favourite recipes. The chef was also seen on TV show Amma Superstar which was aired on channel Living Foodz. She has been featured in Kissan Tiffin Time Table on India Food Network's YouTube channel. She has also worked with industry's kitchen star Sanjeev Kapoor's YouTube channel. She has lived in Muscat for a certain period during which she worked as a food columnist for the Times Of Oman while also being featured on their YouTube channel.

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef Pallavi Nigam Sahay speaks about her cookbook and food pairing with tea. 

Your contribution to the F&B industry?  

Bringing local traditional cuisines to the national as well as the international stage has probably been my greatest contribution till date to the F&B industry. My first book released in 2017, The Bhojpuri Kitchen was well received both in India and abroad. It brought to the front pages of many print and online media the traditional food items from the region and also won the Gourmand Award internationally. I also hosted a 10-day Bhojpuri cuisine fest in Trident BKC that year to further spread awareness of the cuisine which has a wide array of dishes for all kind of audiences – vegetarian, non-vegetarian, for those who have a sweet tooth and also for those who are looking for quick comfort meals as part of their busy weekday menus. 

I had a great love for cooking since childhood. I used to lurk around kitchen whole day during Diwali or Holi or someone’s birthday or on days when any kind of special meal being prepared, to watch my mom and my chachis preparing food. I started trying out dishes from the age of 12, my first attempt was trying to prepare Pulao for my cousins, actually me and my cousins were the only ones in the house so it was kind of taking advantage of everyone’s absence. We were in the joint family and my Dadi used to keep all the precious Whole spices in a small room in the house called “kothri” it was a storage room for grains and pulses and pickles etc. we were not allowed in the room. But that day, in order to prepare pulao the way mom does, I took the liberty of going inside that room and taking out the whole spices. I’m glad I did it because pulao came out really well and everyone loved it. Since then there were many trials similar to that. I started cooking more frequently after my wedding, mostly Indian, mainly Bihari dishes after learning from my Saasu ma. At the same time, I was working as research analyst in an Insurance firm, it was my first year and I did not like it a bit. Sitting on those morning meetings I used to think to prepare something special for dinner. I was getting frustrated and finally one day with my family’s support I quit.

Then I decided to pursue my love for cooking. So I went to Italy to pursue a culinary Diploma, after completing the course I worked in a trattoria there as professional training was part of the course. After coming back from Italy, I joined Hyatt for training. Meanwhile, Kunal, my husband, got a job offer in Muscat so we shifted. I started writing a recipe Column for Times of Oman. Then we started doing recipe videos for Times of Oman YouTube channel. That did very well. Enquiries started coming and I also started conducting culinary classes, both at home and at forums. Then we decided to do YouTube videos in India, so I approached Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana channel for YouTube videos, after doing many videos we did a proper show named “working women’s kitchen”.

I got an offer from India Food network to be part of their renowned show named “Kissan Tiffin Time Table” meanwhile I was also working on my book. Book got published by Westland in November and on one very beautiful December morning I woke up and saw the email from Living Foodz. They had contacted for the show. This is how it all happened! 

Three interesting findings of the food and beverage industry in your culinary journey so far. 

The heavy influence of social media trends on food culture or social media influences on dietary patterns. 

Over the past few years, we have also witnessed a rapid rise in health-conscious consumers which in turn has resulted in the rise of healthy food restaurants, salad bars and juice bars across large and small cities. I believe this trend is here to stay and restaurants and brands which are focused on such themes are likely to witness good growth in the foreseeable future. 

Rising trend of alcohol consumption in the country with rise in middle-class disposable income. Local wineries and breweries and pubs serving appropriate cuisine are in hot demand among the tier-1 and tier-2 cities in the country. As a culinary consultant, many times I have been asked to design menus that suit the palate of such new generation pub hopping crowds which not only suits their palate but also appeals to them visually. 

What is the contribution of a good menu in the restaurant business? How new techniques in food help a restaurant grow? 

It is the soul of the restaurant. 

Restaurant food quality control is a major issue as India sees a rapid rise of joints. Better hygiene and proper storage and transfer facilities of raw materials help to ensure that quality is well supervised and controlled. In fact, some MNCs and large corporate have also lately talked about how technologies like blockchain can help them to better track and monitor the quality of their poultry supplies. All these also, of course, help to have better control of the entire supply chain, therefore, resulting in lower wastage and in-time delivery to avoid any spoilage. 

Who makes the world’s best teas? What sets them apart from other tea makers?

Tea artisans dwelling in remote villages of North-East, with whom I had the opportunity to meet during my research for tea book, makes the world’s best tea. There few ethnic minorities who had been handcrafting tea for two hundred years now. It’s the presence of human touch in every step makes it so special. Since the tea leaves are completely handcrafted and don’t go through the warmth and friction of any machines, the flavours are far better developed and medicinal properties also stay intact. 

For a first-time tea taster, what tea would you recommend they try, and why? 

For the first time, it has to be Darjeeling Second Flush. The flavours of Darjeeling Second Flush are deeper with a mellowed, sweetish, fruity often peachy undertone. This will be much suitable for the first timer than any tea with strong or grassy flavours. 

Your take on fusion cooking? 

Fusion is good as long as the soul of the recipe is not tinkered with. Too much fusion where the basic ingredients are changed is not something that I would like to make or serve. 

What should be the element of uniqueness in the food menu? 

Irrespective of the cuisine, the most unique factor of any food menu is the chef. It’s her character, preferences, emotions and art that should be fully represented in the menu.

What foods pair best with a cup of tea? 

Any food which is not overpowering, for example, neither very spicy or nor the chocolate desserts pairs well with tea. Greasy, or heavy food also doesn’t pair well with tea. So, beautifully baked cakes or cookies with subtle flavours like Victoria sponge cake or a pistachio cake or a vanilla cookie will pair very well with tea.  

What are the new-age beverage trends?  

FnB trends, rise in vegan, gluten-free and keto are trending. People are moving more towards desi food. Restaurant serving authentic traditional food is really doing well. Online delivery platforms are increasing.  People are moving more towards fruit-based beverages. Non- alcoholic beverages are trending. Cold-pressed juices are also witnessing a rise. 

What do you do to stay abreast about the new trends in the culinary world? 

Online and print are very helpful in capturing these latest trends in the F&B industry.

Sourabh Chandana is the F&B Manager at Hotel Hilton Garden Inn, Saket. Chandana intends to take the FnB segment of Hilton garden Inn, Saket, New Delhi, to a next level of precision with impeccable service standards where every team member talks the same language and where every guest feedback is catered to and acknowledged. Excerpts from the interview:

Restaurants are infusing global flavors to India diners. How have you seen Indian diners’ eating habits changing in all these years?

The global flavors are a mega hit since the past decade with the drastic shift of eating habits of Indian diners. Back in the days India Grill was primarily renowned for butter chicken and dal makhani and people queued-up for the same. Now with time our chef’s got expertise in continental, oriental and modern Indian too, which includes dishes like grilled fish lemon butter sauce, shanghai vegetable roll, and for those with a sweet tooth, we have New York cheese cake too. Indian diners now not only like to order just Indian cuisine but relish the world cuisine as well!

What are some of the ingredients that have gained prominence in restaurant kitchen in last two years or so?

We have always been a restaurant famous for Indian food. I would call it an ingredient of love that makes food taste good. However, the timing and proportion  of  ingredients is vital. However, if we look at the course of the past 2 years, our mutton chops, butter chicken have gained a lot of prestige, and the ingredients for both are renowned, but how we still make the best is a Hilton secret.

What is your favorite ingredient when cooking/ designing a menu?

Ingredients that are fresh and locally available are preferred to be used. My favourites are dried herbs and spices, which are essential supplies in any kitchen, but they’re also secret weapons for creating a sumptuous dish.

We see that people are looking after healthy food options and meals. How are you attracting guests at Hilton?

Travelers are looking for top-notch food in every aspect of their vacation/business trip. This shift in consumer preference has eventually urged us to cater to the market needs. We offer healthier and more organic menu choices, new flavours and 24-hour retail availability that offers enhanced grab-and-go options, such as locally-sourced food, local beers, snacks and beverages, and a specialty self-serve coffee bar. India Grill also offers a refreshingly healthy breakfast buffet and in-room dining options.

Tell us something about the millennial food patterns?

Over the past decade, food patterns of the millennial are changing and those are still sporadic. These days, the youth wants convenient food; they want transparency, truth from food manufacturers, and they love customisation. They want easy and fast service: they are redefining healthy in a way that means they need healthy food but not only salads; something that suits their taste buds too. They want trendiness as well; they want to eat something that is in trend with new ingredients. Last but not the least, they will try anything; they are curious to learn about new food.

What trend you see would rule Indian F&B space?

Trends come and go, however if I forecast the F&B trends, that will rule the F&B space. The number one on my list would be cloud kitchen. Second would be quick service restaurants, followed by the restaurants serving the authentic, native foods. With the vegan and eating healthy trends getting popular, these alternatives will definitely stay in the market for a long time. Last but not the least, the breakfast menu has come up in a big way and it is going to be the future of the restaurant industry in India. Whether it is waffles or pancakes, people are indulging in such dishes and are satiating their sweet tooth not only during breakfast but throughout the day.

What role does food play when pairing with the favorite liquor?

I am not a big fan of paring food with liquor because that way you can’t relish either. However, there are some good pairing options, such as champagne and oysters, light wines with desserts, red wine & red meat, (low alcohol) and wines with spicy food that have always been popular.

What is your duty as F&B manager at Hilton?

My primary responsibility here is to ensure guest satisfaction, which includes all the aspects of F&B. Since I have been in the market for a while now, I am happy to generate queries and revenue for the hotel in the best possible way I can.

Chef Jihad El Chami tastefully takes his patrons on a cultural and culinary tour to Lebanon at the Lebanese speciality restaurant, Mabruk at Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai. Originally from Lebanon, Chef Jihad Chami calls India his home; serving with Sahara since 2007.

Under Chef Jspecialityihad’s leadership, Mabruk has won as many as eight awards for ‘Best Lebanese Restaurant’ by Times Food Guide and 2 Golden Star Awards for the same category. Chef Jihad is not just passionate about creating a repertoire of Lebanese dishes, but also want to open a window into the traditions and taste of the cuisine.

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef De Cuisine Jihad El-Chami, Mabruk in Hotel Sahara Star, Mumbai speaks about the familiarities between the Lebanese and Indian food cultures.

Cooking, a Universal Language

One of the best things about cooking is that it’s a universal language that takes different forms in different locations. During my culinary journey so far, I found the following things interesting:

- The similarity of ingredients and cooking method across the country

- Social impact on the seasonal cuisine

- The vast cuisine worldwide

Menu planning for a Lebanese speciality restaurant

When we were doing the research, we found that Lebanese food is very popular, the reason behind is the ingredients which we use in Lebanese cuisines; they are very similar to the cuisines here and go very well with Indian palate.

Also Read: Virtual CFO Chintan Shah Says Automation, Robotics Have Disrupted The Traditional Ways

Familiarities in the Indian and Lebanese food culture

The cooking method is very similar, like dum cooking, stew, use of charcoal, bread and rice preparation are very similar. Kebabs are famous in both cultures. Also, there are a lot of ingredients that are common in the cuisines like cumin powder, mint, rice and coriander and nuts.

Catering to Indian Palate

In Lebanese cuisines we do have salads like Greek, which is very much Indian palate, also tagine and rice preparation are very similar to the Indian palate.

Strategy to Get Repeat Customers at Mabruk Restaurant

I always go to the table and understand the guests’ requirements by explaining the Lebanese food, taking feedback and rectifying as per guests’ palate.

New Ingredient Added to the Menu

The new ingredients that we have introduced are avocado and red quinoa. This is mostly because of the health factor and how people have become more health conscious.

Menu-planning of a fine-dining restaurant

In menu planning, we do menu engineering, detailing of guest feedback, ingredients availability and utilizing of local ingredient.

Favourite dish

In vegetarian, my favourite dish is Tagine Khodar and in non-vegetarian Laham Mouzet.

Vivek Swamy always knew his first love was the kitchen. Born and brought up in the fast-paced city of Mumbai, Chef Vivek Swamy has worked in India and in Canada, showcasing world-class experience; he had spent time learning various gastronomic skills in India and abroad.

Graduated from the renowned culinary school - Institute of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (IHM), Mumbai, Chef Vivek Swamy first worked at a five-star hotel in Kerala for two years, at the butchery, to hone his skills as a young commis cook. Eager to learn more, he moved to Canada for further studies and pursued Artisanal Culinary Arts from Fanshawe College, London, Ontario. He had also worked at a classic fine-dine Italian restaurant and he was chef-de-partie and then moved to a 4-diamond “Relais Chateaux” restaurant in Quebec, Canada. Starting as a pantry head, he made it all the way to being the Sous Chef of the restaurant.

When he moved back to India, Chef Vivek Swamy was impressed with the culinary culture in India and was then hired at Out Of The Blue restaurant. At Out Of The Blue, Chef Vivek introduced gluten-free millet and grain-based pizza with vegan sauce.  

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef Vivek Swamy talks about how a menu plays an important role in driving the growth of restaurant businesses.

What does the new menu at Out Of The Blue restaurant look like? How healthy it is?

The new menu has nuances of the current culinary trends while still keeping it very clean, local and sustainable.

The health quotient of the menu is on the higher side as compared to what one would expect to find on a regular Out of The Blue menu, this is mainly keeping in mind, how the current trends are, where everyone is trying to follow a healthier-yet-tastier lifestyle, to this aspect we have introduced several new pizzas which have gluten-free and healthy bases viz, Jowar, Bajra, black rice, Ragi, and the keto versions of broccoli and cauliflower.

Could you define your previous menu? Why did you change it?

The previous menu at Out of the Blue was slightly outdated in terms of how long the menu was running for. Although there were no shortcomings what so ever since the menu covered each and every crowd that is the favourite of this 19-year-old restaurant in the heart of Bandra.

What is your key to planning a successful menu?

The key to any menu planning is sourcing of ingredients and keeping the local essence in the food, while as a cook I always aspire to use the best of the ingredients in the world, during the course of etching this new menu down, I constantly reminded and pushed myself to find local substitutes for these world-class ingredients without compromising on the quality of the final product for e.g., instead of using a pure mustard essence for an Italian variation of meatballs, I use the kacchi Ghani mustard oil from West Bengal which my staff helps me source. 

What role does a menu play in driving business growth?

Restaurant menus are possibly the most pivotal part of continual business development. The reason is as simple as the fact that the change is inevitable and extremely important. Since the restaurant ambience is set and being a crowd favourite will pull regular patronage but food menus need to evolve to keep the patronage happy and craving for more. This is something I have learnt from chefs under whom I was trained in Canada. This, in turn, promotes locally sustainable and organic produce.

What new ingredient you are using in your cuisine/s and why?

I have been exploring a lot of new ingredients millet and grain-based mainly to be able to cater to a niche market, however, different forms of mustard have definitely been on top of my priority list, I have probably eight different mustards dishes in the two outlets together.

How do you see the food trends in the next two years?

Food trends in India have changed considerably from the time I have joined the hospitality sector and I see this change being continual, but we need to start thinking about food as an experience and not as a means to an end. The passion and dedication that cooks have can only be justified then.

Although as I mentioned there is a substantial change, for a bigger and better change we need to start exploring and start believing in local produce that they can stand up to the world standards.