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With its spectacular return to Mumbai's western suburbs, Khandani Rajdhani—the renowned spot for authentic Gujarati and Rajasthani thalis—is sure to captivate foodies with the launch of their new outlet in Nesco, Goregaon. By reinventing the art of dining, this legendary brand honors more than 40 years of culinary brilliance.

Enter a realm of grandeur as Rajdhani presents a magnificent new ambiance that is intended to give sumptuous setting to the guests. The Nesco outlet elevates the dining experience to a whole new level of decadence by introducing golden silverware, Thalis, and other items, adding a golden touch to its legacy.

Rajdhani honors the rich flavors of Gujarat and Rajasthan with the best hand-picked ingredients in an amazing traditional meal created by Maharaj Bhawar Singh to commemorate this historic occasion. Savor this unique culinary experience for the first month, from February 2 to February 28, 2025, at the incredible introductory price of ₹499 + taxes.

The best of seasonal ingredients and traditional culinary techniques are highlighted in Khandani Rajdhani's constantly evolving cuisine. This winter, visitors may savor delicacies like the rich Gajar Halwa and the delicious Surti Undhiyu, which are expertly prepared for a royal feast. A feast is guaranteed with the endless thali experience, which includes a delectable assortment of appetizers, substantial main meals, and mouthwatering desserts.

 “At Rajdhani, we have always believed in serving not just food, but an experience steeped in tradition and love. Our return to the western suburbs is a tribute to the loyal patrons who have been a part of our journey for over four decades. With the Nesco outlet, we aim to offer a dining experience that is both familiar and refreshingly new, taking our legacy to even greater heights.” said Aji Nair, CEO, Mirah Hospitality and Gourmet Solutions Pvt. Ltd.

In the heart of Gurugram, emerges an enclave; a haven that offers rest, relaxation and the thrill of good food amidst the bustle of India's fin-tech hub. Moonshine Food Ventures opens yet another F&B masterpiece: Glasshouse World Grill & Bar in Worldmark, Gurugram.

“We intend to spread the experience like wildfire. People should be able to walk into a restaurant and come out feeling refreshed, revitalized, and well taken care of. That is what Glasshouse represents; a blend of diversity with the customer at the fore. It's all about offering that wholesome experience, from the gourmet meals and amazing cocktails to some of the best alco-beverages out there," shared Vishal Anand, founder, Moonshine Food Ventures. 

The restaurant is inspired by a Greenhouse with abstract glass enfolding the space from all sides. 

Clothed in creased metal and glass, a large portion of the space is designed as an open-air diner with the mesmerizing view of the night stars and the summer skylight beaming in. Sitting on the top floor of a burgeoning structure, the 150-seater restaurant offers a 360-degree breathtaking view - thanks to the abstract glass skin enclosing the space. 

True to its name, Glasshouse has a variety of planters and a herb wall adding a lush green serenity to the space. What's more, Glasshouse will offer borderless cuisines drawing tastes, flavours, and inspiration from all across the world. Glasshouse will be pouring the best of hand crafted cocktails and holds up great surprises for Gin Lovers. Explore more about the innovative Gin Alchemy: A specially curated menu with Gins infused in house.

The exotic menu is curated by Michelin Star Chef Atul Kochhar that serves some interesting delicacies like Betel Leaves Sambal, Angoori Wine tikka, Goat Tartine, Mozambique Wings, Char Grilled Pesto Fish, Bombay Sadak Pizza, Paneer Kashmiri, Nadan Curry, Raw Banana Sri Lankan Curry, Glasshouse katsu while desserts have some outstanding options like MidSummer, Walk in the forest, Winter darkness, Rose Garden and more.

Providing customers with an enticing experience of the lush green forests, The Bagh in Amritsar is revamped with a brand new concept.

This concept is inspired by the home city, Amritsar which signifies purity and satisfaction.

“We are elated to bring to you a place like Bagh, which is so close to our heart. Our aim with Bagh is to make it a place where people not only fancy the food but also enjoy the warmth, ambiance and aesthetic that comes with it,” shared the founder.

True to its name the restaurant has elements of an orchard which flows from one end to the other with semi closed and open spaces. Every element is handpicked to express a sense of calm to fill you with peace and serenity. The ethos is what is most inviting, a place for rejuvenating. Given that nature is a dominant theme that can blend through the interiors, the outdoors are chic and luxurious.

The eatery has a diverse menu celebrating a wide range of cuisines which is a homage to contemporary Indian flavours with an international essence.

The menu has a variety of options and one can indulge in delicacies like the famous Amritsari Kulcha with a taste of mushroom and truffles, Ambarsar pizza, voodoo chicken, pillow chicken, Raan and a wide selection of dumplings to choose from. The Indian platters have an array of options with a modern twist to them and can be ordered in various choices. 

Multi-brand F&B startup RHNS Food Services is planning to enter the food servive market with its flagship store ‘Rice&Style’ in Varanasi this November.

The chain plans to create a story with each brand, while creating an unforgettable culinary experience, with the same taste every time, at every outlet.

It launched six unique food brands namely, Rice&Style, Munim Café, Inn South, Beer & Grills, Drinkz Inn, and Pasta Oge will cater to our food memories, cravings, and nostalgia.

“The aim of RHNS food services is to bring forward a distinguished culinary style. We wanted to deliver the same taste and same service to every customer, wherever they visit us. The brand works to create real diversity, as well as inventive and creative cuisine,” shared Himanshu Nangia, Director, RHNS Foods.

Bringing alive remembered tastes as well as encouraging us to try new ones, each brand in the portfolio will offer a memorable customer experience.

It is planning to open four more outlets of Rice & Style, Beer & Grills, and Munim Café in the cities like Mumbai, Mau, Mohali/Chandigarh, Noida, and Dehradun by the end of the financial year 2021-22.

RHNS is going to introduce Master Franchise outlets across B & C Towns in various formats starting from 100 – 3500 Sq. Ft.

“Indian spices can create a medley of flavors when perfectly blended together. Our understanding of different food items and research led to the creation of flavors that will easily bring nostalgia to our diners,” added Rahul Singh, Director, RHNS Foods.

Each of the 6 brands of RHNS Foods has been conceptualized to recognize different preferences when it comes to dining out as well as takeaways.

Copper Chimney’s opened one of the biggest restaurant at Juhu, Mumbai.

The new Copper Chimney is in one of Juhu’s most premium locales and is spread across four floors for groups, families and friends to celebrate and enjoy top quality Indian food.

The ground and second floors will seat patrons, the first floor holds the kitchen, the third floor, a well-stocked bar, and the fourth floor, an open-air terrace for small group parties and banquets.

“Mr. J K Kapur’s passion for zero compromise in food quality and ingredients has fueled our passion at Copper Chimney over nearly five decades and continues to inspire us to remain the leader in Indian cuisine. Every detail, from our custom-made tandoors to our secret spice blends, stands the brand apart as a leader in Indian cuisine,” shared Shikha Nath, Brand Director, Copper Chimney that is spread across India, the Middle East and the UK.

JK Kapur opened the first Copper Chimney in 1972 in Mumbai, serving secret recipes he created in the years after he migrated to Mumbai, having left everything behind during the partition of India.

Inaugurated by the legendary actor, the late Dilip Kumar, the first branch had India’s first open show kitchen, and was helmed by Tari, first female ustad, where she dished out some of the most memorable tandoori and roomali rotis to guests.

49 years later, the same original Copper Chimney signature recipes, inspired from across undivided North India, are served using hand-picked spices sourced from select farms, kababs marinated over 8 hours, slow-cooked dals and curries that are cooked fresh for each order.

The restaurant is also open for delivery and takeaway.

Copper Chimney is owned by Charcoal Concepts, a platform for specialist Indian food and beverage, founded by K Hospitality Corp.

North Indian cuisine restaurant Park Balluchi has opened its first outlet with an all-new model that amalgamates the concepts of Cloud Kitchen together with QSR.

Under the umbrella of Café Park Balluchi, the QSR outlet, to be known as Park Balluchi Express opened its doors at Sushant Lok – 1, Gurgaon.

“After the global outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic, people usually fret going out with their families, especially the elderly & the children. The concept of eating out or fine dining has suddenly taken a back seat and it has been established that there has been a paradigm shift in how people want their luncheon & dinner experience to take shape. There has been a speedy transition towards Cloud Kitchens & Quick Service Restaurants,” shared Pankaj Ahuja, the brain behind the resurgence of the brand.

Started in year 1995 under the dynamic & strong leadership of Subhash Ahuja whose idea was to bring to table, the original flavors of Afghani cuisine complimented with the earthy dishes from the Baluchistan & Multan regions of undivided India. It rebranded to Cafe Park Balluchi in 2020 is intended to maintain the same charm of North Indian flavors in the form of authentic cuisines with expert contemporary tweaking.

“The idea is to bring the craftsmanship of fine dining into the panache of a QSR & Cloud Kitchen so that our customers can experience these delicacies either at the comfort of their homes or walk in for a delicious treat but not at the expense of their precious time,’ added Ahuja.

Not only will Park Balluchi Express serve up the signature style of North Indian cuisine, but attention to detail and artistic presentation will hit the right chord with customers.  

“What started as a naive vision of making vegetarian and vegan food accessible & exciting turned into one of the most rewarding experiences of my life,’ shared Shraddha Bhansali of Candy & Green who just announced on her social platform that she is closing her restaurant permamnetly.

Candy & Green is a clean eating vegetarian restaurant & bar promoting India’s first Terrace Farm to Table restaurant.

Also Read: This Mumbai-based Restaurateur wants to Make Clean Eating accessible to All

Known for its impeccable vegetarian delicacies, the restaurant opened for customers in 2016.

“Thank you for loving us and growing with us for the past 5 years. It’s been a great run - but it’s time to say goodbye,” added Bhansali by pointing that Candy & Green will always have the most special place in her heart, and she would love to know of any memorable experiences you have had with them!

Bhansali will however, continue to plant forward her journey with her company Evo Foods where they make eggs from plants.

May Interest: Plant-based egg startup Evo Foods bags Rs 6.2 cr in pre-seed round

Co-founded by Kartik Dixit and Shraddha Bhansali in 2019, Evo Foods intend to make plant based foods more accessible and mainstream.

Also Read: मुंबई का मशहूर क्लीन ईटिंग रेस्टोरेंट कैंडी एंड ग्रीन ने बंद की दुकानें

Newly opened restaurant SAGA in Gurgaon is all set to captivate the taste buds with the newly introduced “9 course Experience Menu: curated by Two time Michelin Star Chef Atul Kochhar”.

SAGA Experience menu is an extension of the rich culinary history and palate diversification from across the regions of India.

Also Read: 'The devil is in the detail', This restaurant depicts the true saga of cuisines from India

The menu is curated to showcase cuisines of India that has inspired Chef Kochhar and brought him closer to the simple idea of India as whole.

“Through this menu we would like to give an experience which is culturally rich and speaks volume of our heritage & love for food. The menu is brought to life keeping in mind different regions, palates, touching hero dishes from our a la carte curation presented in tasting portions to perfection giving an unparalleled dining experience”, shared Chef Atul Kochhar.

The nine course Chef’s Experience menu includes some of the star dishes Crispy Crab, Edamame & Quinoa, Bhuna Mangsho, Parsi Curry to name a few.

“SAGA 9 course experience menu is crafted to offer the best of our selections in a course by course presentation, this enables our guests to travel on a journey of flavors and relish each course thoroughly. The grand ambience & live music which complements the SAGA experience menu, makes it more wholesome and memorable,” added Vishal Anand, Founder, Moonshine Food Ventures.

Must Read: Introducing vibrancy in Food: How Indian restaurants outside India has changed their flavors during the pandemic

Located at the Golf Course Road in Gurgaon, it is a 190-seater restaurant spread over 2 levels and alfresco and boasts one of the tallest bar displays in the world.

Priyanka Chopra recently opened her new Indian restaurant SONA in New York.

Located at 36 East 20^th Street, New York City, the restaurant is a refined, modern interpretation of a classic neighborhood French brasserie, and is designed to appeal to a distinctly urban-American sensibility, with an understated aesthetic that celebrates and pays homage to the Indian subcontinent’s rich cultural heritage.

“I am thrilled to present to you SONA, a new restaurant in NYC that I poured my love for Indian food into. Sona is the very embodiment of timeless India and the flavours I grew up with,” shared Chopra on her Instagram.

Chopra has partnered with Global-Indian Chef Hari Nayak to look at the kitchen and work on the menu.

“Chef Hari Nayak is a masterful talent, who has created the most delicious and innovative menu, taking you on a food journey through my amazing country,” added Chopra who is opening the restaurant later this month.

The restaurant is designed by ace designer Melissa Bowers.

Sharing his excitement, Chef Hari Nayak posted, “Thrilled to be a part of this journey!! Can’t wait to bring the best of India to New York with this incredible team.”

Also Read: Global Indian chef Hari Nayak to open 'Alchemy' in Bengaluru

Nayak also runs restaurants like Jhol, Masti, Charcoza, Alchemy and Tandoor to name a few in different parts of the world including India.

The Beer Cafe recently launched the Powerplay Package in order to woo the IPL fans.

As India gears up for the imminent T20 matches, The Beer Café is all set to elevate its patrons’ IPL fever to beery high temperature with the launch of its latest Powerplay Package offer across all its outlets. The campaign will encompass the entire IPL season from March 23 until its end on April 5, 2019. With this offer, the first six overs of each inning are sure to get a whole keg more exciting!

The Powerplay Package will allow beerophiles and cricket enthusiasts to get a 50% discount on every second tower/tank of beer ordered within the first six overs in either inning of every T20 match throughout the IPL season. If the order for the second round of beer tank/tower is made after the Powerplay of an inning, the customers will get to avail a 20% discount on it.

The diners at the restaurant can choose to order multiple tanks or towers within the Powerplay (i.e., the first 6 overs) of an inning, to avail the 50% discount offer on every second order to throw a beery spin to their beer guzzling and cricket-watching experience!

The Beer Café has established itself as the leading alco-beverage chain in India and as a unique beering-experience provider to its patrons, which is yet to be out-tanked, on the back of its innovative activities, trademark ambience, and eclectic food menu.

The Beer Café, India’s largest alco-beverage chain, has opened its 40th outlet at Aerocity in Delhi. Enhancing the ‘beering’ experience for its patrons, this brand-new outlet is the only place in the city to offer a whopping 16 varieties of the fresh and delicious ale on tap.

With a food menu that perfectly complements the golden brew and an energetic and lively ambience that is a hallmark of the brand, The Beer Café is definitely the new must-visit spot for beer lovers in Delhi/NCR! To add to the beery cheer, patrons can enjoy beers and spirits at Rs. 99 all day long!

Aerocity is fast emerging as one of the poshest and upmarket locales in the Delhi-NCR region. Not only has it become the hub for some of the most vibrant F&B brands in the city, it is also a hotspot for a variety of lifestyle and cultural events. Further, its easy connectivity to the airport and other bustling locations in the city such as Gurgaon, Vasant Kunj and Dwarka made Aerocity the perfect choice for the newest The Beer Café in the capital.       

The brand has been a pioneer of casual, inviting, neighbourhood hangout spaces in India. The innovations in providing superior consumer experiences have played a key role in establishing its domain leadership in India. With its 40th outlet that serves more beers on tap than any other bar or hangout space in the city, The Beer Café has elevated the benchmark for social drinking experiences in the city yet again!

Income Tax officials raided five famous restaurant chain groups in Chennai today.

The restaurant chains include two groups of Grand Sweets, Saravana Bhavan, the Anjappar and Hot Breads groups. The raids were being conducted following the complaints of tax evasion by the afore-mentioned food and restaurant chains in Chennai.

The IT officials carried the searches at 32 locations.

A senior officer said, "We have information that these groups have been indulging in large-scale tax evasion over the last several years. Only after the investigation at these places, we would be able to assess."

Founded by P Rajagopal, the popular South Indian Restaurant chain, Saravana Bhavan, has its presence in 20 countries with more than 80 outlets in Australia, France, India, the US, Singapore and the UK; there are more than 35 outlets of Saravana Bhavan in India.

G. Natarajan founded Grand Sweets and Snacks in 1982 at Gandhi Nagar, Adyar in Chennai. The Grand Sweets and Snacks launched one-of-a-kind Pure Veg Restaurant at Bazzula Road, T. Nagar in April, 2011.

The Anjappar group was established in 1964 and is considered as the pioneer in introducing the Chettiars cuisine. It has around 70 outlets, including abroad.

The famous bakery chain in Chennai, Hot Breads has more than 25 outlets across Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

By Restaurant India Bureau

The drive against plastic is gaining momentum with leading hotel chains adopting a slew of measures  from opting for paper straws and glass bottles to restricting food takeaway packaging to cardboard to eliminate its use even as more states consider plastic ban.

Most restaurant chains and associations, however, sought more clarity from the government on appropriate substitutes, and said eliminating plastic completely would take time due to lack of commercially viable alternatives. They may not have much time going by the speed at which states are looking to control plastic waste that’s polluting land and sea at a drastic rate.

After Maharashtra imposed a ban on single use plastic, Uttar Pradesh has ordered a ban on the use of plastic cups, plastic glasses, and polythene from July 15. Odisha this week announced a complete ban on plastic use in several parts of the state starting from October 2.

Hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt and ITC Hotels said they have adopted measures such as replacing plastic straws with paper, restricting food takeaway packaging to cardboard, replacing inroom amenities with paper and cardboard, replacing plastic water bottles with glass, and eliminating all plastic picks and swizzle sticks, to cut plastic use. Hilton said it plans to become plastic free across all its hotels in the country by 2030. “We have already removed plastic straws from all our managed properties in India,” said Jatin Khanna, VP, operations at Hilton India. “Simultaneously, we are at different stages of the process to remove use of plastic in any form from rooms, F&B, operations, front and back of the house and other locations in our properties,” he said.

Hilton will also remove plastic water bottles from meetings and events in hotels across the country by 2020 as part of its global ‘meet with purpose’ programme to offer socially and environmentally responsible meetings, Khanna said. Hyatt properties are stopping use of all single use plastic items, and opting for cloth laundry bags and bio degradable garbage bags. It has stopped usage of water bottles below 200 ml at Hyatt Regency Pune and is using paper straws and glass water bottles at F&B venues at Andaz Delhi. At Hyatt Regency Mumbai, pet bottles used at the restaurants have been replaced with glass bottles, and plastic spoons and forks used for takeaways are replaced with those made of corn starch.

Dipak Haksar, chief executive at ITC Hotels and WelcomHotels, said his chain has been adapting sustainable practices for over two decades now. In 2012, the company replaced complimentary bottled water at its restaurants with glass bottles. All ITC luxury hotels will replace plastic straws with paper straws by October 2018 and are moving to 100% compostable garbage bags by December this year. “The initiatives we have implemented will ensure elimination of the use of plastic material at ITC Hotels by approximately 24 tons per year,” he said.

Globally, chains like Starbucks and Hyatt this week announced they are moving to eliminate plastic straws for of environment friendly alternatives. In India, though, restaurants are struggling to reduce plastic use. Dilip Datwani, president of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India, said there is no information on what substitutes could be used in place of plastic. “We will hold a seminar for our members this month and are trying to get an appointment from the municipal corporation so that they can enlighten members on what is allowed and what is not,” he said.

Jubilant FoodWorks, franchisee for international quick service restaurants such as Domino’s Pizza and Dunkin’ Donuts, however, said it has implemented eco-friendly measures at all its restaurants in Karnataka, Maharashtra and Chandigarh. “We do not use plastic glasses, carry bags and cutlery (spoon and fork) in these restaurants, and have shifted to biodegradable alternatives made of paper and poly lactic acid (PLA)... and we are in the process of proactively rolling most of these measures at our other restaurants across the country,” a company spokesperson said.

Roshan Banan, MD at Ocean Pearl Hotels that runs Sagar Ratna chain of restaurants, said an overhaul cannot be brought about overnight. “We were using cloth bags for our delivery anyway and we are moving to recyclable biodegradable plastics in our packaging, but it is work in progress. It has to be commercially viable. Everything cannot be done overnight,” he said. Anurag Katriar, CEO at Degustibus Hospitality that runs restaurants such as Indigo Delicatessen and Tote on the Turf, pointed out that viable alternatives for plastic are limited, and in most cases they are in trial stages.

First Fiddle Restaurants head, Priyank Sukhija has announced his biggest collaboration till date with e-tailer, Bent Chair by Natasha Jain and fashion designer Rocky Star for a restaurant trinity in Victoria Mills, Mumbai. A collaboration with Bollywood rap artist, Badshah is already on the way. Through these collaborations, Priyank Sukhija is redefining the way hospitality industry works.

After careful deliberation on the location, concept and innovation, the restaurant chain is bringing 3 new outlets to Victoria Mills with Lord of the drinks that dons Asia’s longest bar, Plum Cafe by Bent Chair, India’s first true retail restaurant, and Rocky Star Cocktail Bar, a high-end fashion bar. The Dragonfly Experience in collaboration with rap artist, Badshah, next on the line, has been already publicly announced to be opened in the coming 2 months at JW Marriot, Sahar in Mumbai with its next stop in Delhi’s Aerocity around September this year.

The collaboration is a step up for India’s most prolific restaurateur and First Fiddle Restaurants and marks a milestone in their journey. Sukhija currently runs 15 different restaurant brands with over 25 operational outlets (Lord of the Drinks, Tamasha, Lazeez Affaire, Flying Saucer, JLWA to name a few) across Delhi, Mumbai, Pune and Lucknow and opening soon in Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru and Mohali.

First Fiddle Restaurants has forayed into the franchising model with several new franchises opening in different cities across the nation.

The overall turnover for the last financial year has been over Rs 200 crore and it is expected to cross Rs 500 crore by 2020.

“The collaboration marks a new step in my experience so far as I have set out and collaborated with different industries and have made an attempt to let people experience the best of the new hospitality world,” Priyank said.

“Expansion to other cities of India and global expansion is what I am looking at. Our target revenue for the year 2020 is Rs 500 crore and we are working aggressively towards achieving that,” he added.

Lord of the Drinks Kamla Mills, adding to the existing legacy of Lord of the Drinks chain that now counts a total of 7 outlets around India is the newest entry to the First Fiddle Restaurants. It features Asia’s longest bar (210 ft) and a global cuisine menu.

Plum by Bent Chair, a collaboration between First Fiddle Restaurants and Bent Chair, is redefining experiential dining. The soon to be opened restaurant is all set to offer a never before dining cum shopping experience, under one roof. At Plum, customers can shop while they eat and take home everything in sight, from the crockery, wall art, to furniture.

Mumbai based fashion designer Rocky Star in collaboration with First Fiddle Restaurants introduces his newest venture called Rocky Star Cocktail Bar, a posh bar with a world traveler’s menu that brings out dishes representing different countries around the globe.

Dragonfly will be opening doors first in the city of dreams, Mumbai followed by another one in the National Capital soon. It is an upmarket restaurant and club which aims to serve lip smacking Pan Asian cuisine and a nightlife experience which focuses on being one of a kind. The menu boasts of fusion drinks and Asian food. Dragonfly is set to be the perfect place for millennial and is planning to run multiple musical nights throughout the week.

Scootsy, Mumbai’s most loved delivery and discovery app, is all set to deliver gourmet dishes and delectable desserts right at customer’s doorstep.

The customers can set up that royal date at home, order for a special family function at home, or simply order-in, all at the click of a button after downloading the Scootsy app which is available on android and iOS.

Many who have dined at the Shamiana are privy to its nostalgia and would know that the menu is international featuring dishes created to fit every mood. Right up from breakfast, to lunch and dinner, there is something for everyone, not forgetting The Taj Autograph collection that specials from each of Taj’s properties across the globe.

Patrons could now look to order from an assortment of starters that include the Glass Noodles, Chilli-cheese toast, Shiitake Crispy Rolls, among other Shamiana specials including the Spaghetti Burmese, keema pav, the Goan prawn curry and rice and the dhansak, to other main course options that include the Risotto Cacio E Pepe and the Roast Chicken, the Grilled Tofu Steak, Tuscan Pomodoro Sauce while ending it royally with the Bomansha Custard Tart.

Sweets, bakes, puffs and croissants can never get more luxurious than the ones ordered from La Patisserie, Taj Mahal Palace’s in-house patisserie and deli solution that will help you fix a quick snack.

“Since our inception, we have stuck to our core business positioning of being a premium market-place for quality brands. On our platform, our customers can discover some of the best brands from Mumbai, most of whom are exclusively available for delivery only on our app. With The Taj Mahal Tower on board, we aim to ensure on-point deliveries of these sumptuous dishes cooked by this iconic establishment’s revered chefs,” Sandeep Das, Co- Founder & CEO, Scootsy said regarding association with the Taj Mahal Palace.

Amit Chowdhury, Executive Chef – Taj Mahal Tower, Mumbai said while commenting on the deal said, “The Taj has always been a pioneer in the food and beverage space; from the first 24×7 coffee shop in the city to the first fine dining restaurant, it all started at the Taj. Our partnership with Scootsy is another first for the hotel. Bringing high quality, nostalgic food and bakery to our guests in the comfort of their own homes, is now a reality. After all, pleasing our guests is the number one aim of our hospitality.”

When Mexican fast-food chain Taco Bell launched its ninth branch in India three months ago, it underwent a makeover.

Food is becoming attraction point of sorts for restaurants. One of the primary focus areas for the US chain was to make its dishes “Instagrammable.” Breaking with the tradition of serving its dishes in boxes, the restaurant started to provide burritos, tacos and chalupas in open plates to elevate the “Instagram game” of their customers.

Gaurav Burman, director of Burman Hospitality said, “Taco Bell menu items are served in open plating, which operates the restaurant in India. The fans love to click and share.”

Clicking photographs of food before eating is becoming a sort of standard operating procedure at restaurants across the country, especially by youngsters accompanied with smartphones eager to share their experiences or simply show off  on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

The new trend that restaurants want to leverage by creating camera-friendly dishes is to spread awareness of their brand and menu and attract customers.

Instagram, the photo-sharing platform, is ideal for enterprises seeking to showcase their offerings and build their brands. While the bulk of Instagram pictures may be of celebrities and highprofile brands, photographs of food are shared in plenty.

According to Brandwatch Analytics, the most popular Instagrammed food in 2016 was Pizza, behind sushi and steak,

In India, not only is the Taco Bell focussing on food display. Californian burger brand Carl’s Jr, which is operated in India by Cybiz BrightStar Restaurants, also does not box its burgers.

Samira Chopra, director of Cybiz Bright-Star Restaurants said, “While taste is number one for us, we do look into how unique our product looks.” The restaurant wraps its burgers in a way that one can see what it’s made of – the lettuce, tomatoes and the patties in photographs.

Chopra said, “If your onions don’t look that perfect purple or your tomatoes don’t look juicy and red or the look of the patty is not right because the char grill has not been done properly - it stays on the web.”

The use of social media by foodies can work to the advantage of restaurants. Instagram, which was acquired by Facebook in April 2012, had more than 600 million users in mid-December.

However, the company does not have data on the number of Instagrammers in India. According to Dr Arti Anand, clinical psychologist at Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, the addiction to social media is on the rise.

"This is a kind of attention seeking behaviour where one feels the need to tell everything they do to the world and feel good when others comment or like. I hope it fizzles out but at the moment it seems to be on the rise."

Arvind Krishnan, managing director of advertising agency which is high on social media marketing said, "Inherently people trust each other more than they trust a brand. They are more likely to listen to me rather than give heed to the word of the restaurant. And so, restaurants are going all out to ensure they don’t miss this opportunity.”

Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta have special chefs whose only job is to take care of plating and garnishing and making a drama. “Presentation has always been an integral part of strategy for restaurants, but now with social media, it has become even more important. Our business is based on word of mouth and the best way to do it is through social media because that is a whispering campaign,” said Anjan Chatterjee, founder of Speciality Restaurants, which owns Oh! Calcutta and Mainland China.

Food blogger Kalyan Karmakar stresses on the significance of the initiative. “A chef at The Bombay Canteen recently shared a picture of a dish prepared with traditional Indian cereal ‘ponk’ on his Instagram. The cereal, which is quite popular in Maharashtra and Gujarat, is not so well-known in the rest of the country. But the post got a lot of people interested in the cereal, creating significant amount of buzz around the dish and the restaurant. While several traditional Gujarati and Marathi restaurants have been preparing the variety of dish around ponk, none has generated as much buzz as this post,” he said.

Instragramming has helped to bring various changes in India’s hospitality industry. The demand for molecular gastronomy, the art combining food and science to create new and exciting textures and flavours, the use of dry ice to create fancy desserts and attractive cocktails and deconstructed meals to create drama for social media and otherwise has increased. The social media pressure has led to the evolution of plating skills, too.

Arun Arora, general manager at Radisson Blu in New Delhi’s Paschim Vihar said that over the years, the restaurant has tried to create a three-dimensional look for its dishes, making every ingredient seemingly appear above the plate.

The colours of the vegetables need to be distinct, whether they are carrots, asparagus or spinach. While social media helps to build footfalls, the risk of overexposure could lead people to judge a restaurant only by appearances.

Keenan Tham, director of Pebble Street Hospitality, which owns restaurants such as Mumbai-based The Good Wife, KOKO and Trilogy, “We do keep ourselves abreast with the latest trends, but that’s what these are – trends. They will come and go. What we concentrate on is giving our patrons an experience. Some feel that such trends could be a diversion from the core focus of restaurants.”

Zorawar Kalra, MD of Massive Restaurants, the owner of Masala Library, Made in Punjab and Farzi Café said, “We may end up creating a stunning portrait with food on your plate, which you’d wish to showcase across social media, but at the end of the day if it doesn’t taste good and offer you value-for-money proposition, it won’t matter.”

Popular Russian waffle chain 'WAFL' today said it will soon venture into the Indian market by opening two outlets in the city.

WAFL, which has over 50 Quick Service Restaurants (QSR) outlets all over the world apart from Bengaluru, will also open stores in New Delhi and Surat in the first phase launch.

The company noted that WAFL is already present in Russia, CIS countries, USA, Czeckoslovakia, Ukraine, Mangolia, Gulf countries and was now entering India, through a joint venture between 'MYBusiness Russia' and 'MBC Hospitality Pvt Ltd'.

The first outlet will be thrown open for public on February 3 here, company officials said in a statement.

"We are going to be present in each state of India by 2020. Apart from Gujarat and Rajasthan, all other states will also have non-vegetarian items in the menu. Apart from franchisee stores, we will also come up with our own flagship, company-operated stores”quoted My Business Russia International Business head Adzhai Sharma.

On the company's revenue target, he said in another three years, WAFL proposes to have 250 stores pan India, with a target of Rs 200 crores, and the expansion will also lead to employment generation.

On expansion plans, WAFL said it is set to open 80 outlets with franchisee module, pan-India in 2018.

Stating that the USP of WAFL is its corn based products, it is targeting the untapped Indian breakfast market as well as the conventional fast food market, by serving foodies trendy food at most reasonable prices. “Products like J-Tube, Wafl Pie will enter the Indian market for the first time,” the company said.

"We are positive that Indian market will like our products, we are eyeing pan India expansion" stated Executive Partner Rajeev Chawla.

Pratiek turned an year older, on 28 November,  is elated about his second restaurant Morgan’s Page in Goa. With an unconventional Alice In Wonderland theme, the restaurant serves as an all-day bistro.

Babbar said, “This birthday I wanted to do something different rather than just throwing a big bash and getting wasted. So I decided to work on my restaurant business along with my partner Bala Murugan. After opening up the first restaurant in Dharamsala earlier this year, we got a five-star rating in no time and felt the need to launch another restaurant,”

He added, “Goa is like second home to me, I have some great memories there when it comes to food, music and dance and since there is a lot of international influx, it poses as a perfect venue. We had a trial run five days ago and now we are fully running,”

Kitchenware and appliances company Wonderchef, promoted by celebrity Chef Sanjeev Kapoor and entrepreneur Ravi Saxena, has planned to open 100 exclusive brand outlets as part of its retail expansion plans in coming years. At present, it has seven exclusive brand outlets in the country besides its omni-channel presence across 5,000 retail outlets.

Wonderchef has recently received two rounds of funding from Zurich-headquartered investment firm Capvent and French Group Labruyere Eberle. Wonderchef, a Rs 200-crore company had recently entered north Indian market by launching its first flagship store in Gurugram.

deGustibus Hospitality, one of the renowned brands in fine dining segment, is now gearing up to explore the casual dining space. As per the recent development, the company, that runs Indigo and Indigo Deli restaurants, is on the verge of launching its 50 Limited Service Restuarants ( LSR), with an undisclosed name. The announcement came just after one year since the brand separated from its co-founder Rahul Akerkar over differences with its lead investor India Value Fund.

Revealing the information about the new project, Anurag Katriar, CEO, deGustibus said that all these units will cost Rs 1.25 crore each and will be installed across the country in the next five years. In India, there is a sharp shift away from fine dining towards casual dining. And the new chail will capitalise on this new particular segment.

Other chains have already started putting their hands on the recent shift in dinners' preferences. For example, Impresario's founder and CEO Riyaaz Amlani is firm that the urge to fine dine has collapsed and instead, people are interested in more casual options. Amlani's energies are now focused on his new Social chain of restaurants and shared work spaces.

Katriar informed the first unit of this LSR chain is likely to open in Mumbai, followed by Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru. The company will focus on housing these restaurants initially in prime downtown and central business districts, but he believes this business can be viable beyond.