The Restaurant Roundup: India's First 100% Millet Beer, Sidecar is India's Best Bar, food book by RDJ

Joanna Lobo rounds up all the biggest news in F&B.

Welcome to 2024. Can you believe we are already one month in?

The new year was good for food delivery, and quick commerce platforms like Zomato, Blinkit, Swiggy Food and Instamart witnessed a massive order surge on New Year's Eve. Zomato CEO Deepinder Goyal shared that the food delivery platform delivered almost as many orders on New Year's Eve (NYE) 2023 as it did on NYE 2015-2020 combined. Albinder Dhindsa, co-founder and CEO of Zomato-owned quick commerce delivery platform Blinkit also confirmed that it logged the highest-ever orders in a day as well as orders-per-minute. Swiggy has been the first online food delivery platform to enter Lakshadweep, launching services on Republic Day.

The biggest (and silliest) news for the year thus far has been the battle of the butter chicken. A lawsuit over the dish's origins was filed in the Delhi High Court last week, involving two parties, both linked to the Moti Mahal restaurant, and both claiming themselves to be the inventors of the popular dish.

Fancy an apple omelette? A viral video showcases a street vendor who has created a special omelette using the fruit.

In news from around the world that borders on the extreme: amid French farming protests, climate activists from Riposte Alimentaire threw soup on Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa at the Louvre, which was sheilded behind a protective cover. Elsewhere, American actor Stanley Tucci is coming out with a new, 10-episode TV series for National Geographic, tentatively titled Tucci: The Heart of Italy. In Flanders, Belgium, packaging will now sport a new label called Beter voor Dieren (Better for Animals) — aimed at identifying products whose companies have followed ethical procedures when raising animals used for human consumption.

Here’s what else is making news in the hospitality space.

Newsworthy: 4 Indian Cities in Best Food Cities List; pop-up by India’s Top 10 Chefs; Robert Downey Jr’s new food book

Taste Atlas, the experiential travel online guide, recently released the list of 'Best Food Cities in the World, and Mumbai, Hyderabad, Delhi, Chennai and Lucknow made the top 100.

Last month saw the launch of Hanu's Table, an initiative to showcase India’s culinary talent. The inaugural event saw the top 10 chefs of India including Hussain Shahzad, Varun Totlani, Vicky Ratnani, Vanshika Bhatia, Arouni Mookerjee, Avinash Martins, Harish Rao, Mythrayie Iyer, and Vinesh Johny, collaborate for a ten-course meal, feeding 156 people, in Chennai.

India’s top chefs got together to cook a ten-course meal, priced at Rs 1 lakh.

Learn all about tuber crops and the communities that nurture them at a day-long celebration called Rooting for Tubers, at Bengaluru International Centre, on February 4. Expect film screenings, panel discussions, a tuber display, and a meal spotlighting tubers.

Actor Robert Downey Jr dons a new hat as author. He has teamed up with climate author Thomas Kostigen to unveil Cool Food, which aims to showcase a category of food that’s good for you and the planet. There will be future food, meal kits, ancient grains, alternative proteins, farming techniques, recipes and even details of his personal diet.

Spirit forward: Millet Craft Beer, Mahua Gin, Don Julio enters India

Nao Spirits, makers of Greater Than and Hapusa, launched Pipa – Rum de Goa, a premium spiced rum made with local jaggery. Pernod Ricard India entered the Indian Single Malt category with Longitude 77, a mahogany-coloured malt double matured in American Bourbon barrels and wine casks. Diageo brought the iconic Don Julio tequila to India; available in Haryana, Chandigarh, Maharashtra, Goa.

Mohulo by Smoke Lab is a sippable gin made with mahua flowers sourced from Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. Allied Blenders and Distillers Limited (ABDL) launched ZOYA Special Batch Gin.

Great State Aleworks has a 100% Bajra Ale, what they call India's first-ever craft beer to completely replace brewers' malt with locally grown millets. 

New Eats: Araku Dedicated to Regenerative Agriculture, an agave bar in Pune, Rahul Akerkar’s Ode

In Goa, Rockpool at W reopened with fanfare offering local and international flavours; Hosa’s backyard has the Thai Fireback; there’s Miri at St Regis Goa Resort; Mumbai’s Tanjore Tiffin Room finds space in Anjuna; and by the riverside is Feri Bar.  In the capital, Panaji, are several new places — Sarvaa, showcasing the rich diversity of India’s coastal food; an all-new Larder & Folk; the café chain Greenr; Praca Prazeres with its European fare; and Nada for coffee.

Miri at Goa’s St Regis

Delhi has American-Italian Restaurant Tablespoon and cocktail bar, Mia’s; Ahmedabad has the Asian Pepito; in Pune are the modern Indian Gulmohar Bar & Curry House, Kyma, and Agave Bar at Aasmana at The Ritz-Carlton; Hyderabad has Xena Brewery & Kitchen and the cocktail bar RÜ; and Kolkata has the Mexican Mehico, and The Griffin Bar in JW Marriott Kolkata. Mumbai Pan-Asian chain Koko makes its presence felt in Bengaluru. The city also has the Thai and Cantonese Muro; Jugni Kitchen & Bar; Nusa with its global fare, and Ishaara.  

Nusa in Bengaluru serves global food.

Aamchee is the new vegetarian café from the makers of the popular Soam in Mumbai. Delivery kitchen Maiz Mexican Kitchen opened their first outlet in Lower Parel. Elsewhere in the city, Rahul Akerkar launched Ode; there’s the branch of Bengaluru-based chain, Trippy Goat; community café, Shelter by Javaphile; the vegetarian Sukoon by Joshi House; the Nikkei cuisine Tango Tamari; the European Larrikin; the casual dining Blanco Bar by the Pool; the global cuisine The Nines; Mag St to open in Bandra; Avartana at ITC Maratha; multi-cuisine Lucy Lou; and Araku launched India’s first-ever restaurant dedicated to regenerative agriculture.

Making waves: Sidecar crowned best bar at 30BestBars, Gaa gets two Michelin stars, Manam Chocolate sweet victory at Chocolate Awards in UK

The fourth edition of 30BestBarsIndia was held in Goa in January and saw Delhi's Sidecar win big, again. It was India’s #1 Bar, and Best Independent Bar Award, and Best Cocktail Menu Award. Other big winners were Pune’s Cobbler & Crew (#2), which took home four awards this year – Highest New Entry, Best Bar Team, Best Bartender (Aashi Bhatnagar), and Best Work in Sustainability (along with Pune’s Soy Como Soy). 

Manam Chocolate won 17 awards, includes 1 Gold, 10 Silver, and 5 Bronze, as well as ‘Overall Winner’ in the ‘Brand Experience’ category, from amongst 1,400 entries, at the Academy of Chocolate Awards, 2023, UK. Paul And Mike clinched 2 spots amongst top 25 chocolates in the world at the International Chocolate Awards World Finals held on Nov 26, 2023 at Florence, Italy.

Hyderabad-based Manam Chocolate won 17 awards at the Academy of Chocolate Awards in UK

Allied Blenders and Distillers (ABD) secured seven golds at the 10th Edition of the Spiritz Conclave and Achiever Awards, 2023. The Spirits Business has awarded a Gold Medal to Stranger & Sons Sherry Cask Aged Gin at the Design and Packaging Masters 2023.

Taj Exotica Resort & Spa, Goa was named as ‘India’s Leading Family Resort 2023’ by World Travel Awards.

Restaurant Gaa, helmed by Chef Garima Arora, has just been awarded Two Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Bangkok, Phuket and Phang-Nga 2024 edition. 

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