The Restaurant Roundup: Michelin in Vietnam, MTR on the Taste Atlas & More
Joanna Lobo rounds up all the biggest news in F&B this month.
It was a matter of time. There is now a social networking platform for food enthusiasts called Foodwall. The founders call it the ‘Quora for food, LinkedIn for foodies’ and it is presently only available in Chennai.
In other online news, Gujarat continues to go viral with its innovative and sometimes bizarre street-food items. The latest is banana in pani puri and fruit chai made with banana and chikoo. Beyond Gujarat, there is Hajmola chai, mango pani puri, and chocolate bhajji.
In more sombre news, a study by Nature Sustainability Journal has found that more than 90% of the world's marine food supplies are at risk from environmental changes; China, Norway and the United States facing the biggest threat.
Here is the other news from the food and hospitality sector.
Making Waves
Good Flippin' Burgers successfully raised $ 4 million in its latest Series A round of funding via Tanglin Venture Partners.
Bagrry’s announced their entry into the metaverse through a collection of its non-fungible tokens (NFTs) in the OneRare Foodverse.
Food guide Taste Atlas’ list of 150 most legendary restaurants in the world features some Indian names – Paragon (11), Lucknow’s Tunday Kebabi (12), Murthal’s Amrik Surthev Dhaba (23), Bengaluru’s Mavali Tiffin Rooms (39), Delhi’s Karims (87), and Mumbai’s Ram Ashraya (112).
The Indian School of Business (ISB) says a new research study has revealed that wild foods constitutes a substantial contribution to food and nutrition security in women’s (especially from tribal communities) lives.
Around the globe
Spain’s el Bulli reopened as a museum this month, 12 years after the award-winning restaurant closed its doors. The museum is called elBulli1846, a reference to the 1,846 dishes developed at the restaurant. On display are photos, notebooks, trophies and models made of plastic or wax that emulate some of the innovative dishes that were served at the eatery.
The Michelin Guide has recognised 103 restaurants in Vietnam (48 in Hanoi and 55 in Ho Chi Minh City) and awarded four of them a Michelin Star.
Danish restaurant Alchemist has been awarded the top spot on the prestigious OAD Europe Top 100-list for 2023 making it the first time in the history of the list that the same restaurant has been crowned winner for three consecutive years.
World’s 50 Best Restaurants announced their list for 2023, with Lima’s Central winning the top spot making it the first South American restaurant to win this honour. Chef Himanshu Saini’s Trèsind Studio was voted the Best Restaurant in the Middle East and Africa (number 11), and Bangkok’s Gaggan Anand was at number 17.
Cricketer Suresh Raina opened Raina Indian Restaurant in Amsterdam. Chef Ritu Dalmia, who owns 10 restaurants in India and Italy, is branching out to Dubai with the launch of Atrangi in July serving honest Indian cuisine.
In Birmingham, Asha’s owned by Asha Bhonsle, continues to attract celebrities seeking Indian food. The latest, after Tom Cruise and Ed Sheeran, is singer Pink who was in town for her summer tour.
New Spirits and Alco-Bev Awards
Nao Spirits' aged gin, Broken Bat, won 'Best Gin in Asia' award at The Gin Guide Awards 2023, and was named a Winner in the Aged Gin Category.
It’s been the season of new spirits and liquors. Great State Aleworks collaborated with The Locavore to release its sixth millet beer, a Cashew Fruit and Jowar Sour called Salt of the Earth. In Goa, Goa heritage Distillery announced the launch of its small batch spiced feni called Ouro (gold in Portuguese). Also in Goa, Adinco Distillery unveiled Cotombi Reserve, India’s first charred whisky.
SLAB ventures in partnership with AB InBev launched a black pearl-filtered vodka, D'YAVOL Vodka, and a blended malt Scotch whisky D'YAVOL INCEPTION; Amrut Distilleries has Amrut Two Indies White Rum in Karnataka; Chhota Hazri Spirits launched a citrus-forward gin in Mumbai called Baagh; Chateau Indage, a sweet fruity white wine called Vin Ballet Mango Wine; and Bisleri International has launched Bisleri Pop (orange-flavoured carbonated drink), Bisleri Rev (cola-flavoured carbonated drink) and Bisleri Spicy Jeera.
Where to Eat & Drink
Tim Horton’s has made its way to two locations in Mumbai—Linking Road in Bandra and Lokhandwala in Andheri. Other new places in Mumbai include Jhelum featuring cuisines that thrive along the river of the same name; all day café and bar Pleo; the middle Eastern Café Zima; Records Coffee for a nice cuppa with a side of vinyl music; the Japanese fine dine space Wakai; pan-Asian Shifuku, Kokum Bar and Lounge; progressive bar & lounge Maikada; cloud kitchens Tokyo Matcha bar and BoomBurger; café Bokka; and galleria bistro Circle Sixty Nine from the Masque folk.
In Goa is Cajoo’s Bar (and curry house); the bar Clumsy; Aangan doing Goan and modern cuisine; the Vietnamese Vietnom; chef Amninder Sandhu’s Bawri serving regional flavours; music bar Bandstand; pan-Asian Chueok; the Goan Alma; and the Indian The Great Bath.
Kolkata has AMPM Kolkata coffee and cocktail bar; in Bengaluru is Soley, a European bistro by chef Viraf Patel; and Delhi has the bar Khi Khi, and tapas restaurant Soul.
Cookbooks & Recipes
Mama Mia! Gelato’s Natasha Celmi launched her new cookbook, My Mediterranean Table, which simplifies classic dishes from Mediterranean countries.
Bengaluru-based writer Zac O’Yeah released a collection of eight essays, Digesting India, which are part memoir, part travelogue and showcase India’s food and alcohol.
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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