The Claridges to host Beer & Burger fest

Award-winning Burmese vegan restaurant chain, Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room, has raised $2 million in Seed funding led by Negen Capital.

The fundraising round also saw participation from Bbigplas Poly Pvt. Ltd. and a few Angel Investors led by Investment Bankers Sarthak Ahuja and Aditi Randev.

Commenting on the debut fundraising round, Ankit Gupta, Co-founder, Burma Burma said, “I’ve grown up eating the Burmese dishes we serve at Burma Burma, as my mother learnt these recipes while growing up in Burma before the migration in the 1960s.”

Burma Burma Restaurant and Tea Room is the first to introduce Burmese cuisine, combining the authentic taste and cooking of Myanmar while providing a window into the culture.

A brainchild of Ankit Gupta and Chirag Chhajer, Burma Burma was started with the intention of making Burmese cuisine accessible to all. The brand is now fulfilling its vision of going beyond just a restaurant and providing its patrons with a new, wholesome and innovative dining experience that interacts on various levels.

He further added he is glad to see that India has not just welcomed, but has adored the authentic Burmese taste, which so far has been unknown to the world.

With Burma Burma Pantry Retail Products among their India-wide operations, Burma Burma is on its path of realising its dream of popularising Burmese cuisine and helping the bold flavours travel to their patrons. Started in 2014 in the heart of Mumbai and quickly spread to the other five metros, Delhi, Noida, Gurgaon, Bangalore and Kolkata, the restaurant chain is looking at expanding its presence in the country.  

“Nine years in this business, we’ve thoroughly tested all 4 zones of the Indian market for Burmese cuisine across 6 cities in India. With this round, we’re committed to entering new cities and expanding our base in existing ones,” added Chirag Chhajer, Co-founder, Burma Burma.

The restaurant chain is looking at opening 8 new outlets within the next 15 months taking total count to 14 outlets.

“With our 450+ member strong team, our next target is to take Burma Burma beyond India, we’re now ready more than ever,” added Chhajer.

Speaking on their decision to invest in Burma Burma, Jigar Shah, Director, Negen Capital said "Burma Burma is a perfect fit for a fund like Negen Capital. Niche, profitable and a very strong brand name. We believe in the food sector of India and its growth trajectory and are very confident that Burma Burma will be able to scale further with our growth capital.”

Vegemite, Carman’s, San Remo and Arnott’s are amongst the Australian food brands set to feature in a new Taste of Australia campaign, which will shine the spotlight on Australian products to millions of Indian consumers.

Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment, Simon Birmingham has launched the Taste of Australia campaign which will run in one of India’s luxury supermarket chains, Foodhall, over the next two weeks.

Minister Birmingham said, “This campaign is about lifting the profile of Australian food products in India and highlighting their quality and safety to millions of Indian consumers. There are enormous opportunities for Australian food and beverage brands to stand out from the crowd and that’s why campaigns like this one are so important in highlighting the quality, freshness, and safety of Australian food products.”

“We want to make sure Australian food and beverage products are front and centre in India’s supermarkets as India’s economy continues to grow over the next 20 years,” he added.

Over 20 Australian brands are on show and available for sale at Foodhall supermarkets across New Delhi and Mumbai in the coming weeks, as part of the Taste of Australia campaign.

Birmingham stated, “With India’s growing and aspirational middle class, more and more consumers are looking for healthy, safe and premium food options, and this is where Australian brands can capitalise. Our premium products, whether it be Australian lamb, world-class wine or sensational cheeses, have the potential to become staples in the diets of discerning Indian consumers.”

The launch of the Taste of Australia campaign also coincides with the release of a new Austrade premium food and beverage guide to give Australian exporters further insights and advice on doing business in India.

“Foodhall is to India what Harrod’s Food Hall is to Britain. Featuring our brands in its luxury stores in Mumbai, Bengaluru, New Delhi, and Gurugram will significantly raise the profile of Australian food and flavors in this country of 1.3 billion people. With many high-end restaurants throughout India now featuring Australian food and wine, our next challenge is further expanding the presence of our brands on supermarket shelves and online,” he further said.

With exposure to global cuisine and increasing health orientation, consumers are getting more conscious about the choice of oil for day-to-day consumption.

Leonardo Olive Oil, a leading brand from Cargill Foods India meets the nutrition and health needs of the consumer seeking the right mix of health and taste.

Produced according to the highest quality standards in Italy, Leonardo Olive Oil is available in three variants – Leonardo Olive Oil- Pomace, Leonardo Olive Oil- Extra Light and Leonardo Olive Oil- Extra Virgin.

All the three variants cater to different needs of the discerning consumers; serving every cooking need and bringing wholesome balance of taste and nutrients to their daily diets.

Positioned as the olive oil for Indian cooking, Leonardo Olive Oil has resonated well with the needs of every Indian homemaker and that has made the brand a market leader and a household name in the country.

Leonardo Olive Oil offers 1/3rd oil usage as compared to other refined oils while keeping the level of palatability high. High MUFA (75%) content helps form a crust on the surface of the food that blocks the penetration of oil, making the food light and tasty.  Leonardo Olive Oil Pomace is ideal for frying food and other forms of Indian cooking; Leonardo Olive Oil Extra Light is ideal for stir frying, sautéing and shallow frying and Leonardo Olive Oil Extra Virgin is ideal for salad dressings, pastas, dips and other forms of flavoring.

Leonardo Olive Oil Pomace and Leonardo Olive Oil Extra Virgin are available across pack sizes of, 500ml, 1ltr and 5ltr and 250 ml, 500 ml and 1 ltr respectively. Leonardo Olive Oil Extra Light is available across pack sizes of 1 ltr and 2 ltr. The 1 ltr pack of Leonardo Olive Oil Pomace, Extra Virgin and Extra Light costs at Rs. 300-350, Rs. 600-650 and Rs. 500-550 respectively and is available at all modern retail stores and hyper markets.

Chef Toshiyuki Okabe is appointed as the Japanese Chef at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar.

Chef Toshiyuki Okabe began his culinary journey in 1997. With over a decade of experience in the industry, Chef Toshiyuki Okabe brings to the table, his expertise in handling operations, training, planning, developing and executing new concepts and various trends for many renowned hotels.

His zeal towards food, strong communication and interpersonal skills and extensive knowledge of culinary processes and procedures has helped him evolve into a versatile personality thus accepting various roles.

Prior to joining JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, he was profiled as Japanese Head Chef of Saki Lounge Restaurant, Fairmont Hotel Cairo. Chef Toshiyuki was responsible for several kitchen operations at many prestigious hotels like Four Seasons Hotel Mumbai, Grand Hyatt Mumbai, Resorpia-Atami, Takakuraya, Kaikagetsu.

He gained thorough knowledge on Japanese cuisines, became expert handling in food preparation, stock control, food ordering developing the menu and sourcing kitchen.

A connoisseur of Japanese cuisine, Chef Toshiyuki Okabe attributes his thorough knowledge and expertise to his family roots that have greatly influenced his tastes, cooking concepts and style.

At leisure, Chef Toshiyuki Okabe enjoys reading books and travelling across the globe.

Sankalp Restaurant, the Ahmedabad based south-Indian cuisine chain, is planning to enter ready-to-eat and ready-to-cook market, reported ET.

"Having catered to Indian and international customers with our signature sambar (spicy South Indian curry) and other Manglorean delicacies, it is time to offer it to Indian customers a range of our other products off-the-shelf," said Kailash Goenka, Chairman and MD, Sankalp Group.

Sankalp which has over 175-crore business is planning to compete with MTR, GITS and McCain in the category.

The group is also aiming at Rs 300 crore businesses over five years.

Sankalp is the flagship brand of the group's subsidiary, Sankalp Recreation Pvt Ltd, which owns brands such as Saffron, Sam's Pizza and Salt N Pepper. Sankalp Recreation.

The brand which was earlier supplying frozen curries and pastes to its restaurant chains and institutional buyers will cater to business-to-customer while continuing with business-to-business model.

The division produces 10 tonne of sambar per day at its Mehsana facility in Gujarat, which is frozen and sent to over 150 Sankalp outlets in India and the US, the UK, Australia, Canada and West Asia.

It also produces 45,000 idlis and 5 tonne of pastes for Manglorean cuisine offers at other outlets.

"I want to ensure that Sankalp generates over Rs 400 crore turnovers with a chain of 500 outlets (franchised and company-owned) before I would divest," Goenka added.

Zu Tisch, the German Bistro Bar located at GK I M Block Market is planning to open four more outlets by entering Gurgaon, Bangalore and Mumbai.

The restro-bar, which started its operation in September is also in talks with VCs to raise fund.

“We are planning to enter Mumbai, Bangalore and Gurgaon in next four months and we will be using the raised fund for our expansion,” said Pulkit Khurana, One of the partner, Zu Tisch.

A thematic bistro-pub, Zu Tisch aspires to become the centre of social experiences, a place which lets you wind down your day, meet up with friends or just enjoy their wide array of drinks with a cuisine that is hearty and comfortable.

Unlike its very German eulogy, Zu Tisch is not a place where you will only find German food; its menu reflects some handpicked master dishes from other parts of Europe too. It is a perfect getaway from the mundane flow of life, bringing alive the very essence of the pub culture made famous by the typical pubs of Germany.

According to the trio - Mayank, Eshaan and Pulkit, “Zu Tisch is apt for people of all generations to have a great time. It is a café to get lost in thoughts during an afternoon, a restaurant with delicacies that you can’t resist savoring, a pub for those who wish to groove with beats by some of the best DJs in town late at night and a relaxed bar to hang out with your buddies or just alone over some German brews.”

Pebbles, the multi cuisine fine dining restaurant located at Andheri West, Mumbai is celebrating the festive season of Diwali by offering a wide variety of delicacies.

The restaurant will be offering International cuisines having similarities and a connect with Indian Culture. Their first choice is from the ‘Island of the Gods’ - Bali. Hinduism permeates daily life in Bali. With so many similarities with Indian culture as it embraces theology, philosophy, mythology, ancestor worship, animism and magic. Balinese cuisine takes you on a journey that’s blissfully bursting with flavour.

Pebbles will be using all sorts of wonderful exotic Balinese goodies like fresh galangal, tamarind, turmeric root and kaffir lime to create the most amazing Balinese Chicken Curry served with a choice of steamed rice or rice noodles.

The offer will be available throughout October at its Andheri outlet in Mumbai at a very reasonable price.

The restaurant also celebrated the festive of Ganesh Chaturthi last month by offering Modak to its customer. 

GourmetItUp, the online portal for gourmet cuisine, will start functioning in Delhi. The company has partnered with restaurants like Olive Bar & Kitchen, Yauatcha, Mia Bella, Rara Avis, Shiro, Guppy amongst other to create a range of delightful experiences for casual diners and foodies.

Kunal Jain, Partner, GourmetItUp.com, said, “Delhi is a melting pot of cultures  and traditions and this is reflected in their eagerness to try cuisines from the world over. GourmetItUp.com offers dining experiences for its members from off-menu meals and wine pairings to mixology and master classes.”

Currently it has partnered with the best restaurants both in Mumbai and Pune and has more than 20000 members that range from connoisseurs to first-timers.

Lokah, the multi cuisine restaurant at Kochi, Ernakulam, Kerala, is offering a wide range of menu from around the world over the past four years. The restaurant has planned to introduce Indonesian, Mexican, Thai, Russian, Italian, French, Cantonese and Arabic cuisines besides the Indian and Sri Lankan.

Speaking on the same, Abhishek Nair, Owner, Lokah, said, “Since its inception, the restaurant has dished out around 300 specialities. The new menu will offer a platter of exotic dishes culled out from various cuisines to pamper the palate of foodies. To make it more appetising, the menu will keep changing every six months.”

The restaurant also plans to have weekend food festivals specialising in different cuisines each week starting with Mexican cuisine this week.

Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre (NHCC) has introduced Spanish menu by the name 'Tapas Temptation’. The menu will offer dishes like brocheta de pollo a la parrilla, calamares rabas, albondigas carne, verdures marinadas, paella, ropa vieja, serrano ham, churros and much more.

Speaking on the launch, Shyam Sunder, Manager F&B, Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, said, "Tapas is the most innovative invention from Spain and has a whole range of cuisine surrounding the same. We at Novotel have planned the Tapas Temptation to serve the Spanish cuisine to our customers.”

“This is my father’s magnum opus, a culmination of his over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry,” says Zorawar Kalra, son of celebrity chef Jiggs Kalra, setting a rather high benchmark for their new venture. The restaurant, Masala Library, will open at the  Bandra-Kurla Complex on August 4.

Tandoors from Lucknow, molecular gastronomy lab equipment from Delhi and special ingredients from around the world have already been flown in. Kalra has also spared no expense in the decor and the staff’s attires. “It’s Indian fine-dining 2.0. We’re doing away with the staid, ’80’s way of serving curry in a bowl with a swirl of cream, and taking Indian cuisine to the 21st century”. “We plan on serving food from across the country. For this we have devised three pillars; progressive Indian cuisine, where the basic flavours and methods of preparation remain traditional but the presentation and accompaniments are modern; kebab trail, where we will serve kebabs ranging from classic north Indian to lesser-known south Indian ones; and the curry trail, which will take you on a gravy tour to all corners of India,” says Kalra.

For one of their dishes, the garnishing involves 16 local and imported ingredients. The restaurateur, who studied business management in the US, wants Masala Library to be the one-stop shop for all your regional food cravings. “If your international friends were to visit the city and you wanted to take them to a place to sample cuisine from all over India, then this would be it,” he elaborated.