The Restaurant Roundup: Dhamaka, Veronica & the Vault Home Bar Festival
Joanna Lobo takes a look at the industry’s biggest news and newsmakers over the last month.
The promise of acche din remains unrealised. The latest Union budget saw a massive 63% slash in foodgrain subsidies for the poor. A news report found that NITI Aayog played an important role in reducing these subsidies, and has been the strongest opponent of expanding food security programmes. Inflation in the cereals category hit 16.12% in January accompanied by rising prices of milk, eggs and meat — India’s consumer inflation hit a three-month high (6.5%).
Now for some good news. In Madurai, the Save Food Share Food initiative launched by the food safety department has benefitted around 93,000 people in the last eight months. India’s millet drive is making waves in China. The Indian Embassy in Beijing is curating events, is organising a millet cooking challenge, launching a recipe book and Indian restaurants in the country are coming up with exclusive millet dishes. Meanwhile in Goa, the state’s agricultural department put up a float at the recent Carnival celebrations urging people to grow, and eat millets.
Making waves
Delhi is abuzz with the arrival of chef and culinary innovator Gaggan Anand who is hosting a 20-day-long residency at Hyatt Regency Delhi – the 25-course meal costs Rs 50,000. Another Indian chef, Himanshu Saini is also making waves — his Trèsind (#18) and Trèsind Studio (#2) found favour on the Middle East and North Africa 50 Best Restaurants list.
Masters of Marriott Bonvoy, and Culinary Culture, have brought the famed NY restaurant Dhamaka — run by Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Foods — with pop up dinners in Delhi and Mumbai this month and the next.
Colaba’s Nara Thai teamed up with chef Avinash Martins to create a limited-edition menu celebrating Thai and Goan food.
In the news
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) announced a new food delivery app, Zoop, which lets people order meals via WhatsApp from places near select stations. India’s frozen food market is doing well — a report by IMARC Group puts the reach ₹144.3 billion in 2022 and is expected to reach ₹353.3 billion by 2028. The food processing industry is expected to reach a $535 billion.
The Vault Home Bar Festival in BKC was where drinks and cocktails, from India and across the world, made an appearance. Notable pop-ups included Barcelona’s Paradiso Bar (#1 bar on The World's 50 Best Bars list), Cyprus Lost & Found Drinkery, and Japan’s Le Club.
In Kolkata, the Jugal’s Literature Festival centred on all thing mishti, from panel discussions, art and photo exhibitions, to spoken word performances and workshops. Also in February was the Indian Cacao and Craft Chocolate Festival, dedicated to the craft chocolate industry.
Drink up
Moët & Chandon launched Grand Vintage 2015 — the House’s 76th vintage and 45th rosé vintage — in white and rosé. The newest seltzer to hit the markets of Bengaluru and Hyderabad is Spyk Hard Seltzer — available in lime, orange, and mixed berry flavours.
Rage Coffee and Keventers combined forces to create Hazelnut Cold Coffee, which will be available across Keventers outlets in India. In Bengaluru, two coffee enthusiasts launched Wicked Coffee, combining cold brew and hot coffee flavours to create a range that includes salted popcorn, strawberry mocha, coconut, kesar malai, and cold brew mocktails (like kewra).
Bartenders in Goa, Mumbai, Pune and Bengaluru across India were invited by Maya Pistola Agavepura to be part of its first bartending competition, Pistola Duels; the winners will walk away with Rs 1 lakh and other prizes.
New eats
Aditya Birla Group made its foray into the premium casual dining space with a collaboration with chef-restaurateur Rahul Akerkar. The Aditya Birla New Age (ABNA) will build premium casual dining restaurant chains across India, with food that is an ode to the chef’s mixed Indian & European parentage.
In the 2nd edition of Goya’s ongoing partnership with Masque Lab, the spotlight is on Saee Koranne-Khandekar’s experimental and modernist take on Maharashtrian cuisine, scheduled for March 2nd & 3rd, featuring lesser known ingredients like Kaakvi and Gahvle, through a 7-course meal.
In Goa is Blue Turtle in Morjim where chef Rohan D’Souza brings Mediterranean & Asian influences along with regional Goan favourites; Badmaash that does progressive Indian cuisine; São By The Shore with its Goan-European inspired food; the breakfast and brunch spot Hello Sunshine; party spot Sábado; and the modern European Azule Goa. Restaurant chains continue to open new spaces in Goa: Raasta, Underdoggs and Yeti-the Himalayan Kitchen launched together; Arriba’s Miss Margarita brought in the flavours of Mexico; and Terttulia opened its third branch in Panjim.
Mumbai’s newest cloud kitchens are Coastal Fry offering coastal delicacies, and Poie & Pao with sandwiches. Other new places include Café by The St. Regis with all-day-breakfast favourites; Folk serving Indian meals; Amazonia in BKC doing Asian and Italian fare; and the soon-to-launch Cacao Mill by Subko Cacao, which aims to be a 'serious' pod to bar experience. The biggest buzz was associated with Veronica’s, the latest venture by Hunger Inc (the folks behind The Bombay Canteen) — a deli selling wine, kombucha and sandwiches.
Italian food lovers are in for a treat in Delhi with the fine dining Thai cuisine space Erawaan and Ristorante by Café Dali inspired by rustic Italian fare. Hyderabad has the pan-Asian Kembara. Bengaluru has Daysie doing global fare; and Adda1522.
Get booked
Restaurateurs Gauri Devidayal has a new book, Diamonds for Breakfast, written together with Vishwas Kulkarni. In it, Devidayal and Jay Yousuf, the book gives a peek into the journey behind the running of the beloved restaurant The Table.
British-Indian writer Gurdeep Loyal’s debut book, Mother Tongue: Flavours of a Second Generation, explores British Indian cooking, from traditional Punjabi dishes to UK's curry favourites.
Joanna Lobo is an independent journalist from Goa who enjoys writing about food, her Goan heritage, the freelance life, and other things that make her happy. Follow her on @thatdoggonelady.
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