Apr-May ’12
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E d i t o r i a l The buffet is a utilitarian concept in the food & beverage industry, whose origin can be traced back to the 17th or 18th century France. Though the exact year or decade of its origin is wrapped in enigma, but its popularity in the English speaking world since the second half of the 19th century is not a hugely debated issue. To the US goes the credit of making buffet popular among the common people at large. Today in India, in restaurants of five-star properties and also at high-end stand-alone restaurants in metros, the popularity of buffet
Publisher cum Editor Rajneesh Sharma
rajneeshhammer@gmail.com
Associate Editor Swarnendu Biswas Feature Editor Kanishk Gupta Resident Editor Sharmila Chand (Delhi) Ashok Malkani (Mumbai) Sub-Editor Tapapriya Lahiri Layout & Design Hari Kumar. V Narender Kumar Photographer Mahendra Singh Mehta Production Assistant Mamta Sharma Advertising Sales Mumbai: Rajesh Tupsakhre Subscription sales Dattaram Gangurde Director Sales Sanjay Anand Director Operations & Finance Rajat Taneja Editorial & Advertising Offices: Delhi: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 1202, Pragati Tower, 26, Rajindra Place, New Delhi-110008 Phone: 45084903, 25854103 Telefax: 25854105 Mumbai: Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. 105, 1st Floor, Aarpee Centre, Gufic Compound, 11th Road, MIDC, Near Tunga Paradise, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400093 Ph.: 022-28395833 Telefax: 022-28388947
Website: www.fbrmag.com E-mail: hammerpublishers@vsnl.net © 2012 Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. No article can be reproduced in part or as whole without prior permission of the Publisher. Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review is a bi-monthly magazine, printed, owned and published by Rajneesh Sharma from 302, Himgiri Apartments, J-Block, Vikaspuri, New Delhi. Printed at Age of Enlightenment Publications, Green Fields Colony, Faridabad, Haryana. Annual Subscription rate within India is Rs. 450 and overseas US $110, for surface mail. Single issue is available for Rs. 90 in India and US $25 overseas. Cheques are payable to Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd. Editorial Policy: Editorial emphasis in Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review magazine is on educational & informational material specifically designed to assist those responsible for managing institutional food & beverage business. Articles are welcome and will be published on the sole discretion of the editor.
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is evident. And there are enough reasons behind buffet’s growing popularity among the consumers and as well as the restaurateurs. First of all, in buffets you can get a wide array of sumptuous choices at affordable prices. This makes it an ideal eating out option for a Sunday family outing, as the buffet is expected to have something of interest for all the family members. The cost incurred by a family to dine at a buffet generally tend to be less than the cost incurred by the same family to dine at a formal fine dining restaurant. Moreover, at a formal fine dining restaurant specialised in a particular type of cuisine, the choices of food items would be much lesser than in an informal buffet arrangement. There are other advantages of buffet too; as in buffet you have the flexibility to decide what quantity of which dishes you can have from the buffet spread. The guests can have all the time to inspect the spread of choices before them before arriving at their eating options. Buffets also offer people the opportunity to try new types of food that they would not find in a menu of a conventional restaurant. No wonder, buffets can encourage great footfalls and hence great revenues for the outlet. The buffets are also more economic options for the restaurateurs and hoteliers since they require lesser cost of operations than personalised fine dining as buffets do not need many waiters. All these advantages are likely to make buffets the preferred choice in the cost-conscious and price-sensitive Indian F&B industry, in the times to come. In this issue’s Cover Story, we have explored the genesis of buffet and its popularity in the Indian context, which we hope our valued readers would find to be an interesting read. There is no denying the fact that refrigerators and freezers are the backbone of kitchen operations in the hospitality industry and finding the right refrigeration equipment for the restaurant kitchen is a challenging task, depending upon myriad factors like the availability of space, the requirement at the respective outlet/restaurant and the size of the equipment, the cuisine/products to be handled, the quality of after sales service, the operational ease, etc. The Business Story of this issue can throw some light on the issue of purchase of the refrigeration and freezing equipment from both buyers’ and suppliers’ perspective. Besides these relevant topics for the industry, this issue is packaged with articles and features reflecting industry insights and trends, which are covered under our regular and as well as new sections. I hope our valued readers would share their appreciation/criticism on our endeavour through articulate feedbacks, which would help us to improve further.
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Apr-May ’12
CONTENTS
Cover Story
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Industry Votes for Buffets
Business
36
The Freezing Factors
Focus
42
Food as Wellness and Freshness
Agri
46
Cumin to Taste and Health
Profile
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Scripting an Enduring Growth Story Cover Pix: Delhi Taj Food Shot
Apr-May ’12
Health Comfort Food Gets Haute and Healthy
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Departments Event
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News
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Pub
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Bartender Watch
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Theme Cuisine
60
Restaurant
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Chef Voice
66
Trend
68
Product Preview
70
Business Opportunity
72
Interview
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EVENT
THAIFEX – A Platform for F&B Industry
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ith over 1,100 exhibitors covering 60,000 square meters of exhibition floor space, Thailand once again hosted the region’s largest congregation of global food and beverage players, THAIFEX – World of Food Asia 2012, the premier sourcing platform for food and hospitality trade buyers. It took place at Bangkok’s IMPACT Exhibition Center, from 23rd-27th May. The event was officially launched by the Prime Minister of Thailand, Yingluck Shinawatra. The event attracted international food and beverage producers, culinary experts, as well as leading exporters and buyers. THAIFEX – World of Food Asia hosted over 24,000 visitors from over 100 countries in an extravaganza showcasing the latest advances in the food and hospitality industries. With the global food industry expected to increase to more than S$7 trillion by 2014, this year’s THAIFEX – World of Food Asia was the biggest ever in nine years. A journey through gastronomic delights Asia continued to dominate the trade floor, with 16 out of 18 country and provincial group representations from Brunei, Japan, Korea, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan and Vietnam, among others. For the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO), this year represents its second participation as a country pavilion at THAIFEX - World of Food Asia. Japanese industries, including the food and beverage sectors, are undoubtedly showing strong recovery after an earthquake shocked the nation in March 2011. The number of Japanese exhibitors represented at the pavilion increased by 425 percent; from just four last year to 21 this year. “We are proud to be showcasing the best of Japan’s food, beverages, products and services at an important regional platform like THAIFEX – World of Food Asia. Our food exports to Thailand and other ASEAN countries
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saw a 10 percent increase in 2011,” said Tomofumi Inoue, Director, Trade Promotion, JETRO Bangkok. Another emerging contender in Asia’s vibrant processed food market is Vietnam. Stamping its presence in the global food and beverage arena, the seven exhibitors in Vietnam’s pavilion provided a unique insight into the country’s offerings in the frozen food, beverages, readyto-eat, sweets and confectionary, as well as Halal product sectors. At THAIFEX – World of Food Asia, visitors looked forward to a sampling of products from Vietnamese companies such as Acecook Vietnam JS and Tan Quang Minh Manufacture and Trading Co. Ltd. Asia’s rapidly rising economy and increased affluence registered 17 percent increase in exhibitors from outside Asia. Serving up a cultural smorgasbord Stirring up excitement among gourmands and hospitality professionals at THAIFEX – World of Food Asia 2012 were fringe events designed to highlight the vibrant flavours of Asia’s food and beverage industry. This year Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge debuted where professional Chefs from the region competed to serve up the best in 19 categories ranging from poultry to petits fours. Endorsed by the World Association of Chefs’ Societies (WACS), the inaugural competition featured the first-ever Mekong Culinary Challenge. A total of 20 world-renowned judges from Australia, China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand and USA assessed the 250 Chefs participating in the challenge. “I was very excited to be a part of the judging panel for the Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge at THAIFEX – World of Food Asia. The challenge is not only a perfect platform for chefs in the region to showcase their skills to leading food and beverage players in the region, but also opens the window to the array of culinary creations unique to Asia,” said Alan Orreal, Executive Chef, Resorts World Sentosa and Chief Judge for the Thailand Ultimate Chef Challenge. THAIFEX – World of Food Asia 2012 also introduced a three-day Coffee Barista Event and Workshop. In tandem with rising income across Asia, the region is witnessing a growing coffee culture, defined by the preference for social interaction in cafés which primarily serve prepared coffee. With coffee joints sprucing up from India and Indonesia to Thailand and Vietnam, Asia’s growing markets offer vast
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potential to café owners. Designed to increase the standard of service delivery among coffee joints, the event provided participants with industry perspectives on the business of coffee, featuring sessions such as: • Industry perspectives – AEC 2015 and its impact on the coffee industry – Barista Association of Thailand • Bump up your profit, double your income through the beauty of latte art – Benyapa Naowan, First Runner-Up of the ASEAN Barista Championship 2012 • How to choose the best coffee beans for your shop? – Sutinee Amornpatanakul, Sales and Marketing Manager, K2 Company Limited • Barista education activity – Barista jam and barista throw down – Barista Association of Thailand. Highlighting the opportunities in the Halal market The Halal food market continues to be an important segment in the global food industry, contributing to about 17 percent of the worldwide market. Driven by growing Muslim population in regions experiencing strong economic growth, as well as rising per capita income among the 1 billion global Muslim population, the Halal food market promises immense opportunities for global food producers. In particular, Asia, home to 62 percent of the global Muslim population, is set to be a Halal market hot spot. For buyers hoping to carve a slice of this US$661 billion market, THAIFEX – World of Food Asia offered the latest insights and updates, through the Halal products segment on the trade floor, followed by a Halal Seminar. “THAIFEX – World of Food Asia continues to be the leading trade exhibition for the food and hospitality industries in this region. The rising Asian participation across the 13 product segments provided a comprehensive platform for buyers and sellers in the region to expand their trade. I am confident that Asia’s demand for high-quality food products, combined with positive sentiments around a recovering global economy, has made this edition of THAIFEX – World of Food Asia the most successful outing yet for our participants,” said Michael Dreyer, the Vice President Asia Pacific of Koelnmesse.
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EVENT
SIAL CHINA 2012; Leaving a Sweet Aftertaste
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n 9th May 2012, Asia’s largest food & beverage show broke its own record at Shanghai New International Expo Centre. The three-day-long show reached the finishing line with a huge unprecedented success and left its exhibitors & visitors with a sweet aftertaste. The 13th edition of SIAL CHINA attracted over 40,722 professional visitors across its 73,200 sq.m exhibition space. La Cuisine by SIAL – The Meeting Place for the Asia HoReCa Industry In partnership with ESCOFFIER for its 5th edition, more than 40 International Chefs disclosed their culinary secrets during La Cuisine by SIAL. On May 9th morning, 8 young Chefs from 8 different countries and regions in Asia competed for the Best Young Asian Chef; in the afternoon, four teams selected from five-star hotels in Greater China competed for the best Culinary Team Award for its first edition. On 10th May, they awarded the Thai Candidate, Amnad Tanasombat the title of the ‘Best Asian Young Hope Chef’ and the Macau Team the title of the ‘Best Culinary Team.’ SIAL Innovation – Where Customers Find out the Latest Trends and Innovations of the Food Industry SIAL Innovation competition; the showcase
of the latest food and beverage products exhibited in SIAL CHINA has revealed for its 8th edition 35 selected innovative products from more than eight countries. One awarding prize has been given by the professional jury to Shijiazhuang Junlebao Dairy from China for its La Smooth Tiramisu Pudding. Hospitality & Retail Forum – The Place to Meet the Under-the-Radar Buyers of HoReCa and Retail SIAL CHINA’s very first hospitality & retail forum, where visitors met HoReCa and retail professionals. It offered a highly B-2B platform for presenting and exchanging of industry information, trading and negotiation. A special zone was combined with forum and One-to-One meeting. Wine Innovation Forum – Main Event of Wine & Gourmet World Shanghai by SIAL CHINA Wine & Gourmet World Shanghai, for its 2nd edition attracted more than 350 exhibitors coming from the Old and the New World. Under the patronage of OIV-International
Organization of Vine and Wine, the 4th edition of the Wine Innovation Forum had an educational area dedicated to the wine culture
SIAL China at a Glance
1,750 exhibitors (+15% vs 2011) from 68 countries and regions ✸ 73,200 sqm exhibition space (+25% vs 2011) ✸ 37 international pavilions: Brazil (Guest Country of Honor), France, USA, Spain, Korea, Poland, Japan, India, Greece, Canada, Holland, Germany, Turkey, Ireland, South Africa, Morocco, Belgium, Italy, Australia, Argentina, Switzerland, Denmark, Portugal, Tunisia… ✸ 22 Chinese provinces and cities ✸ 40,722 visitors (+22% vs 2011) ✸ 13 Products Zones: Wine & Gourmet, Dairy, Sweets & Snacks, Organic, Tea & Coffee, Halal Food, Frozen Food, Seafood, Fruit & Vegetable, Meat, Chocolate World, Packaging, Canned & Preserved food. ✸
(geographical area and grapes’ varieties), which has been a huge success. More than 19 conferences and tastings attracted an audience of 5000 visitors. Best Buy China Competition – Professional Wine Competition in China For its 13th edition, a panel of 15 judges comprising wine buyers, sommeliers, specialists, wine educators, bar tenders from hotels and restaurants, journalists from professional media, performed a blind tasting of more than 92 wine and spirits submitted by the exhibitors. The event helped to identify the products sold by SIAL CHINA exhibitors. Nine prizes were awarded in nine different categories. One new category was built for Brazil Cachaca as the honor prize. Brazil was the guest Country of Honor at SIAL CHINA 2012.
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EVENT
National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show
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t Chicago, the 93rd National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and the 5th annual International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event posted strong growth in terms of both attendee and exhibitor numbers. This year’s event attracted more than 61,000 registrants from all 50 states and more than 100 countries; a more than 6 percent increase over 2011. Among NRA Show registrants, there was a more than 8 percent increase in the Restaurant/Foodservice category, more than 6 percent increase in the Dealer/Distributor category, more than 21 percent increase in Retail, and more than 7 percent increase in the Press category. The significant increase in attendance also fuelled a gain in the number of hotel room nights sold;
representing a 5 percent increase over 2011. The NRA Show was held at Chicago’s McCormick Place, during 5th-8th May, and IWSB was held in conjunction with the NRA Show, during 6th7th May. On the exhibitor side, there was a 5 percent increase in square feet occupied over 2011, covering more than 5,40,000 square feet. The soldout, newly redesigned exhibit floor showcased more than 1,900 exhibiting companies, offering a stream of exciting new products and services, including over 500 new exhibitors, as well as a wide variety of learning opportunities. “NRA Show 2012 and IWSB were blockbuster events, each delivering a high impact springboard to energise the restaurant and foodservice industry,” said Jack Crawford, Convention Chair for NRA Show 2012 and President and CEO of
Ground Round Independent Owners Cooperative, LLC. “The event gathered more industry leaders than any other industry event, from celebrity Chefs and restaurateurs, to the largest commercial feeders and lodging companies, to executives from some of the most successful independent restaurants and top-performing chains. Restaurant operators are returning home in a revitalised and optimistic frame of mind and they are ready to put new products, ideas and contacts to work,” he added.
Highlights from NRA Show 2012 and IWSB included:
• Operator Innovations Awards: The inaugural Operator Innovations Award winners in each award category: Sustainability, Technology, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition and Menu Development, plus the Innovator of the Year, Evelyn Hill, Inc. (Liberty Island), were revealed live at the Destination: Celebration event at the Harris Theater Rooftop Terrace at Millennium Park. • Star of the Bar Mixology Competition: Patti Frank from Chicago's Roots Handmade Pizza won the coveted IWSB Star of the Bar title and $5,000 cash prize. Her Drunken Flower was selected as the winning cocktail by judges ‘The Master Mixologist’ Tony Abou-Ganim, Dale DeGroff, and Bravo TV’s Top Chef contestant Fabio Viviani.
Institute of Food Technologists’ 2012 Annual Meeting & Food Expo
F
ood professionals from all over the globe will be gathering together in Las Vegas for the Institute of Food Technologists’ 2012 Annual Meeting & Food Expo, to be held during 25th–28th June 2012, at the Las Vegas Convention Center. This is the only annual event that brings together professionals involved in both the science and the business of food — experts from industry, academia and government. With more than 900 companies exhibiting, this event showcases the largest, most diverse collection of food ingredients, equipment, and packaging suppliers from all over the world. The Annual Meeting & Food Expo is on schedule, along with unique networking and educational opportunities. Attendees will get to see, touch, taste and experience the latest
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food products and innovations first hand. “The education content in this year’s Scientific Program is unmatched,” said Jerry Bowman, the Vice President of Communications & Media Relations for IFT. Howard Schultz, the President and CEO of Starbucks who has been named Fortune magazine’s 2011 Businessperson of the Year, will keynote the first day and focus on the importance of innovation. The conference will cover such
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
diverse areas as Food Safety & Defense, Food, Health & Nutrition, Food Processing & Packaging, Sustainability, Product Development & Ingredient Innovations, Food Chemistry, Public Policy, Food Laws & Regulations, Food Microbiology, Education and Professional Development, Food Engineering, and Sensory Science, in over 1200 different presentations. “The international contribution to this year’s event is enormous,” continued Bowman, while adding, “For example, we have no less than 15 speakers directly from India or of Indian origin.” The FSSAI, APEDA, Ministry of Food Processing Industries, among others, have expressed strong interest. “We look forward to an outstanding event,” concluded Bowman.
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EVENT
Alimentaria 2012 — Showcasing the Evolution in Agri-food Industry
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ollowing an intensive week of trade fair activity at Fira’s Gran Vía venue in Barcelona, Alimentaria has once again reaffirmed not only its status as a benchmark Spanish event for the agri-frood industry, but also its position among the three most important food trade fairs in the world. The focus of the show was on internationalisation, innovation, brands and competitiveness. The show presented close to 94,800 sq m of product offerings and activities, focussing on business, promotion, gastronomy and agri-food R&D&I. Alimentaria 2012, which was held during 26-29 March in Fira’s Gran Vía venue in Barcelona, Spain, attracted approximately 142,000 professionals and close to 4,000 exhibiting companies. The number of visitors at Alimentaria 2012 increased by 1.4 percent when compared to Almentaria’s last edition. 40,000 of these professional visitors were from foreign countries. They came from 60 countries. The number of foreign professional visitors to the show was 11 percent more than that of the last edition of Alimentaria, in 2010. Out of the approximately 4000 exhibiting companies at Alimentaria 2012, 1,300 were from abroad; from 75 countries that included the first time participants like Thailand, Dubai, Sweden and Japan. China, which has doubled its space allocation, Indonesia, India, Iran, Brazil, Chile, the USA and practically all EU countries participated at the exhibition. The growth of Asian
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participation has also been noticeable and confirms the interest in the continent about Spanish gastronomy. At Alimentaria 2012, Mexico, with its 40 exhibitors and dynamic activities related to gastronomy, has been the first to gain the distinction of the Guest Country. Besides being a platform for commerce, contacts and business opportunities, Alimentaria 2012 has also conveyed the vitality of Spanish gastronomy and its close ties with the food and tourism industries. During the course of this week, Alimentaria 2012 presented the latest industry innovations — pertaining to ice-creams, mussels, fried corn snacks and Catalan sausage to rose tequila, rosemary beer, water with caffeine, cured meats with nuts, canned ecological paella, Spanish nougat coated in edible gold, chicken popcorn, powdered vegetable teas and tuna sausages among others. One of the big innovations at Alimentaria 2012 was The Alimentaria Hub space – a centre joining all those trade fair’s activities looking to strengthen the innovative and multidimensional nature of their industry, and identify business opportunities. The Alimentaria Hub hosted diverse activities, conferences and exhibitions on RDI, nutrition, globalisation, marketing and corporate social responsibility, among others.
E V E N T S’ CALENDER MIFB 2012 12-14 July 2012 PWTC, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia www.mifb.com.my Hong Kong International Tea Fair 16-18 August 2012 Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Center, Hong Kong www.hkteafair.com Ahara International Food Fair 2012 23-25 August 2012 Chennai Trade Centre www.aaharchennai2010.com India F&B Pro + Hospitality Expo 6-9 September 2012 Expo Centre, Panaji, GOA www.trinityworld.biz Asiafruit Logistica 5-7 September 2012 AsiaWorld-Expo www.asiafruitlogistica.com Food Tech / Bakery Tech & Hotel Tech 2012 7-9 September 2012 Milan Mela Exhibition Complex, Kolkota www.kolkatafoodtech.com Sweet and SnackTec India 2012 11-13 September 2012 Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai www.koelnmesse-india.com Fine Food India 2012 17-19 September 2012 Pragati Maidan, New Delhi www.finefoodindiaexpo.com Annapoorna World of Foods India 2012 26-28 September 2012 Bombay Exhibition Center, Mumbai www.worldoffoodindia.com Hotel Expo 2012 10-12 October 2012 The Venetian Macau, www.hotel-exhibition.com SIAL Paris 21-25 October 2012 Paris Nord Villepinte, Paris, France www.sial.fr TRAFS 2012 25-28 October 2012 Hall 103, BITEC Bangkok www.thailandhoreca.com Oishii Japan 2012 and Delicioso Spain 2012 1-3 November 2012 Suntech, Singapore www.oishii-world.com
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EVENT
Food&HotelAsia2012 (FHA2012) and Wine&SpiritsAsia2012 (WSA2012) as trendsetters in the eyes of industry professionals, and the events are highly regarded by exhibitors as the choice platform in Asia to launch their latest products and cutting-edge technology and services.
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fter a flurry of business-making and relationship-building activities conducted over four days, Food&HotelAsia2012 (FHA2012) and Wine&SpiritsAsia2012 (WSA2012) have surpassed all previous records by emerging with a new high score. The event saw more than 60,000 industry visitors, exhibiting staff, conference speakers and delegates, and media in attendance. This represents more than 10 percent increase compared with its previous edition. 44 percent of the total attendees hailed from overseas. FHA2012 and WSA2012 showcased an even stronger line-up of state-of-the-art products, services and cutting-edge technologies, alongside exciting world-class competitions and thought-leadership conferences, which gathered over 60 world’s leading industry experts and powerful speakers. “Positive feedback from show participants further testifies the tremendous success of FHA and WSA, and exhibitors are already scurrying to secure their space for the next edition in 2014. The outstanding attendee result strongly affirms that the show is Asia’s most relevant biennial trade event for the F&B and hospitality industries,” said Chief Executive of the show organiser Singapore Exhibition Services (SES), Stephen Tan. Visitors Pleased with Wide Spread of Quality Exhibitors at Show “FHA2012 and WSA2012 is a real eyeopener. Together with two big importers, Werdenberg International Corp and Alternatives Food Corporation from the Philippines, I am able to identify my specialised food product needs all under one roof. That makes it a very effective trip for both parties. It is also a great place for networking.” said Mark Biddle, Executive Chef from The Bellevue Hotels & Resorts, the Philippines. Asian Launch Pad for the Global Food and Hospitality Industry FHA and WSA have always been seen
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Topical Trends Addressed by Over 60 Experts FHA’s thought-leadership conferences, seminars and workshops assembled more than 60 world’s leading industry experts and powerful speakers to discuss the latest food and hospitality industry trends and issues. Key topics addressed at this knowledgegathering platform included the latest market outlook and investment opportunities in Asia, contemporary hospitality and restaurant operations and designs, as well as cuttingedge technology solutions which enable techsavvy hoteliers and restaurateurs to streamline their operations and enhance their customers’ experience with well-integrated systems and solutions. “I benefitted tremendously from the conference and met with the right people, made the right connections and got the right information and updates on the various new developments,” said Ng Hong Leng, Financial Controller from Amara Singapore. Wine&SpiritsAsia (WSA) As the lights went down, on the 12th edition of biennial Wine&SpiritsAsia (WSA), one of the region’s largest trade shows of its kind, exhibitors must surely be reflecting on what has been a very fulfilling four days. Held from 17 – 20 April, WSA2012 attracted a truly cosmopolitan exhibitor mix, with more than 140 exhibitors coming from 27 countries/regions. Even more impressive was the number of attendees. WSA2012 and FHA2012 (Food&HotelAsia2012) combined had witnessed some 60,000 attendees (44 percent from overseas). WSA2012 featured an international selection of some of the world’s most celebrated winemaking regions, with Australia, Austria, France and Singapore being prominently represented by group pavilions. The French group pavilion showcased a variety of products from food to wine and spirits. The French pavilion featured Hervé Kerlann, the President of Maison Kerlann, a winemaker now plying his trade in Burgundy. “We have returned to WSA after some time as we have seen a renewed interest in Burgurdian wines and we think that it is now the right time to make a comeback,” confirmed Kerlann. He continued, “Asia is a very important region
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
for us and WSA2012 was an ideal platform to meet plenty of new contacts and renew old ones as well. Overall, WSA2012 has been a fruitful event for us.” Adding to the buzz on the show floor was the first edition of the RIPE-WSA Cocktail Challenge, jointly organised with RIPE Australian Fruit Juices, and supported by the Association of Bartenders and Sommeliers Singapore (ABSS). Comprising five categories, cocktail, mocktail, speed bottle cap-opening, flairing, and choya-based cocktail; the event witnessed over 30 local bartenders and even a pair from the Maldives and Macau, battling for top honours. More than just a platform for bartenders to showcase their skills, the RIPEWSA Cocktail Challenge also provided a stage for those new to the art of mixology to expand their horizons in the crucible of competition.
The Latest Product Offerings and Deals Sealed at FHA2012 Included:
• The worldwide launch of a state-of-theart professional dishwashing technology, the M-iQ series, by German-based Meiko. • Drawing on a 100-year-old rich heritage, deZaan Gourmet made its first brand appearance in Asia with its new Gourmet Chocolate collection, which aims to inspire Chefs, craft bakers and chocolatiers to produce sensational chocolate collections. • Belgian company Night Orient launched its 100 percent alcohol-free ‘champagne’; a sparkling grape drink very similar to champagne, in Asia. • Regular exhibitor Kong Shiang Engineering (KSE) sealed sales of kitchen equipment worth more than S$1 million at FHA2012. The company sold a gigantic 400kg capacity multifunction vacuum pressure cooker for S$425,000 and a vacuum seal form fill packaging machine worth S$100,000 to an Italian buyer; a 200kg capacity multifunction steam cooker to a Philippines buyer for S$325,000; and a pilot multifunction steam cooker worth S$250,000 to an Indonesian buyer.
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Tea to Get National Drink Status by 2013 India is likely to accord tea the status of national drink by April 17, 2013. This occasion would coincide with the 212th birth anniversary of the first Assamese tea planter and a leader of 1857 Sepoy Mutiny, Maniram Dewan. Dewan was also the first indigenous tea planter in India. He was hanged by the British for his role against the colonial rule. Montek Singh Ahluwalia, the Deputy Chairman of Planning Commission, has expressed that he would strongly take up the case of according tea the national drink status with the centre. In the recent past, while addressing the Assam Tea Planters Association’s (ATPA) platinum jubilee celebrations in Jorhat, Ahluwalia gave an assurance on the matter and also advised Dispur to build a strong case, based on its history of tea. “I shall go back to Delhi and personally take up the case with the ministry or department that is responsible for granting the coveted recognition,” said Ahluwalia. He also expressed his liking for the black tea that he picked up from his student days at Oxford. Here it deserves a mention that India happens to be the largest producer and consumer of black tea across the globe. 83 percent of households in the country consume this beverage, which is considered to be the cheapest beverage in the world. The Chairman of the North Eastern Tea Association Bidyananda Barkakoty pointed out that the anticipated new status for this beverage would provide a major impetus to the brand-building exercise of Indian teas. “Besides symbolism, the declaration will serve as a good idea for strengthening the marketing of lndian teas. Tea is now accepted as a health drink all over the world, and this fact, along with upcoming the national drink tag, is likely to attract the huge youth population of India towards this healthy beverage,” he said. No wonder, this move would give an impetus to the Indian tea industry.
Metro Grill Runs at Jaypee Siddharth Jaypee Hotels has come up with the ‘Jaypee Metro Grill Outlet’, the open air barbeque restaurant on the rooftop of Jaypee Siddharth, characterised by mouth-watering dishes and live counters. The restaurant offers an impressive view as the guests can savour the delicacies of North Indian cuisine while watching the racing metros. The restaurant offers North Indian cuisine with a variety to choose from. The specialty of the restaurant comprises of kebabs, sea food and Dum Biryanis (both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options). Operational from 7.30 pm-11pm, the Metro Grill has been designed for 30 covers. The restaurant also provides exclusive meal packages.
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NEWS SCAN
Government to Build Spice Natures Bounty and LUCA Wines Join Hands Parks In order to promote the export of spices from India, the government would set up ten spice parks by the end of 2012. The Spice Board of India has decided to introduce the spice parks at most strategic locations of the country. An investment of Rs.167 crore were allotted for the proposed spice parks, out of which Rs. 75 crore were already being invested in setting up three completed spice parks at Chhihdwara in Madhya Pradesh (MP), Puttady in Kerela, and Jodhpur in Rajasthan. The other parks will be completed during the year in states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan. Spice parks comprises of three units namely, processing, packaging and certification. Here it deserves a mention that India has exported a total of 4, 36,175 tonnes of spices, valued at Rs. 7,849.47 crore, during the April-January period of the last fiscal. The setting up of these spice parks can also give more flavour to the popularity of Indian dishes in the overseas market.
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Po 1618, Fax: +9 Nand Park, Near Bhalasw42 (INDIA), Tel: +91 11 27,05 ami Sharda Nagar, New Delhi-1100 w.munnilaltandoors.com. Factory: C-7 Sw ndhi Transport website: ww Ga y opp. Sanja @munnilaltandoors.com, E-mail: sales
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Natures Bounty Wines and Allied Products Private Limited, a company owned by Amit Burman, the Vice Chairman of Dabur India Ltd., has entered into a strategic alliance with Delhi- based LUCA Wines — a product of Nirvana Biosys— for sales, marketing and distribution of LUCA Wines, both in the domestic and international market. Natures Bounty is presently handling imported wellknown international brands of wines and spirits like Blue Nun, Silver Swan Vodka, Kuchh Nai Scotch Whisky, Richard Delisle Brandy and Cognac, etc. This is the first time when Natures Bounty has joined hands with any Indian wine brand to market it domestically and overseas. The alliance will be a win-win situation for both the partners as Luca will have wider access of Natures Bounty’s marketing and sales network, while on the other hand Natures Bounty who is till now into highend wines, would have a complete range of product to cater to each and every segment of this industry. Commeting on this alliance, MK Rustagi, the Joint Managing Director, Nirvana Biosys said, “With the support and reach of Natures Bounty, LUCA Wines is all set to become a leading wine company in India. This strategic alliance between the two companies will help the industry at large in terms of better product and high-end services.” Disclosing the products’ details, Rustagi further added, “Innovation is a passion at LUCA Wines. Besides, grape wines, Luca has innovated few unique wines for the first time in the world. It has Lychee Wine, and soon it is launching Mango Wine, Herbal Wine & Edible Rose Wine.” LUCA Wines already has presence in over 1000 outlets across 11 states, within one year of its introduction. LUCA Wines are also being exported to Japan, Dubai, Hong Kong & Nigeria.
An Endeavour to Formalise the Food Business There are hardly three months left for the food stalls, restaurants and five-star hotels in Maharashtra to register with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) or get a licence. Otherwise, their enterprises will be considered as illegal. FDA has initiated a special drive to ensure that all food operators in Maharashtra with an annual turnover of more than Rs.12 crore get a license and those food operators in the state with an annul turnover of less than Rs.12 crore get a registration certificate as per the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006. However, having valid licenses or getting registered with FDA seems to be a long way off for every unorganised food stall in Maharashtra. Presently, out of around 45 lakh food operators in Maharashtra, only 1.6 lakh possess valid licences or are registered with the FDA.
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SIRIUS Innovations. Click ’n’ Go! www.siemens.com/industry
The permanent advancement and continuous innovation of SIRIUS optimally prepare our customers for current and future requirements and provide them with efficient solutions. All components of the SIRIUS modular system are characterized by their space-saving design and high degree of flexibility. Configuration, installation, wiring and maintenance can be realized easily and in minimum time. SIRIUS system has global acceptability with UL/CSA and CE marking. SIRIUS components are suitable for 60°C without de-ration. Thanks to the latest innovations of sizes S00 and S0 up to 40 A, the SIRIUS modular system now offers even more functional diversity:
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• Very high termination reliability, shock and vibration proof terminals thanks to Spring loaded terminals • Application monitoring integrated in the feeder due to direct mounting of current monitoring relays on the contactor • Innovative function modules for the easy assembly of star delta starters that replace the control wiring. • Ease of data communication to PLC with communication capable contactors with open communication protocols like AS-i and IO link
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NEWS SCAN
Twisteez Announces Franchise Oriental and Italian Flavours Opportunities in India Meet at Park Hyatt Twisteez has built a strong, trusted brand in the food retail Hyderabad industry and has a loyal customer following. The potato twist of Twisteez has been already launched at The Waterfront Shaw in Lavasa and now opens at Q Cinemas at Gold Souk in Cochin, currently the largest mall in Kerala. The Twisteez concept recreates the fun element in the work place by offering a product that is exciting to make, look at and taste. Twisteez, which offers an easy to handle on the go snack that can be enjoyed by all age groups, has announced plans to offer franchise opportunities in India. For all those who are running a franchise or running a business dealing in hot fast food or snacks and looking for expansion, Twisteez may well add to their profits. The Twisteez potato snack is easy and quick to make. It is a great tasting fried potato snack once salted with one of their different Twisteez flavours. A Twisteez franchise will also compliment any of the other snacks or food that the potential franchisee would sell. The specially made Twisteez flavoured salts are also great for other types of foods such as popcorn, pizza etc.
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Park Hyatt Hyderabad has recently opened the doors of its signature classic Italian bar and restaurant named Tre-Forni, and the Oriental Bar & Kitchen. Both the outlets are located on the mezzanine floor. Tre-Forni means ‘Three Ovens’ and it offers a home-styled and comfortable dining experience to people having a great appetite for authentic Italian cooking. The entrance to Tre-Forni opens to soft-hued colours of customised hand laid and articulately designed tiles that adorn the walls in a contemporary setting. As the name suggests, Tre-Forni is designed around three ovens, which is the focal point of the restaurant. The ovens fill the restaurant with the aroma of warm baked breads – made fresh every day – like that of a family kitchen. Restaurant Chef Matteo Grandi, a native of the Verona region, has created a selection of unique, authentic flavours with an opportunity to explore cuisine and tradition from the northern regions of Italy. “Italians know how to eat and celebrate the pleasures of living” said Matteo, while adding, “We are delighted to offer a place where guests can gather to celebrate the best of cuisines that northern Italy has to offer through our traditional home style cooking, which we showcase at Tre-Forni”. The wine cellars at the bar of Tre-Forni features more than 2000 premium and regular collection of Italian wines. Also served on the beverage menu is a selection of Italian aperitif, bitters, cocktails, homemade Limon cello, Amaretto, Grappa, Sambuca, freshly squeezed juices and other warm Italian coffees. Tre-forni seats 96 guests in the restaurant and 40 in the bar. A semi-private dining room to seat 24 guests is also available for holiday parties, business meetings and other gatherings, at this outlet. The Oriental Bar & Kitchen is designed to be the perfect place in the evenings to enjoy premium selected beverages and authentic oriental flavoured specialities. The bar at this classy restaurant boasts of an impressive collection of the finest range of spirits, which include rare and selected single malts — Glenfiddich, Balvenie, Highland Park, Macallan, Armagnacs … dating back to the early 1900s, and premium handpicked Cognacs. Then there are cask strength whiskies to make you heady. These impressive collections of spirits are spruced with a variety of innovative and refreshing flavoured cocktails from the orient such as Singapore sling, Mai Tai, and a selection of Asian beers, Sake and Sochu among others. The Oriental Bar & Kitchen, a 96 cover restaurant, presents selective cuisines from Vietnam, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and India, and includes satays, fish cakes, spring rolls, fried tofu, marinated octopus salad, green papaya salad with peanuts, deep fried shrimp wantons, spicy nasi goreng and other culinary delights.
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NEWS SCAN
Healthy Move Towards Food Ultimo to Facilitate Kitchen Operations Exports For the first time, the Union Health Ministry has specified a time frame for which ‘food-producing animals’ or marine products have to be kept off antibiotics before they enter the human food chain. The insertion to Rule 37 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1945, which came into effect from January 17, states the withdrawal period “shall be less than seven days for egg and milk, 28 days for meat from poultry and mammals, including fat and offal, before they enter the human food chain. For fish, it is 500 degree days (taken into account both the temperature of the water and the number of days).” These parameters shall be inscribed on the labels of the container. The European Union has been urging India to state the withdrawal time as its imports meats and fish from India. According to a Ministry official, “Earlier, the rules didn’t even measure how much antibiotics can be used in animals and till when. Now that it has been incorporated into the Act, states will start clamping down on food producers who fail to abide by the withdrawal time.” The Ministry official also added that, “When cows, swine, chickens and fish pumped with antibiotics enter our food chain, we consume the residual antibiotics and develop resistance to these drugs. The withdrawal period will ensure the meat does not carry antibiotic residues in quantities in excess of the maximum residual limits prescribed.”
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Tupperware, one of the renowned direct selling companies in the globe, has launched its new ‘Ultimo’ range of premium kitchen wares. This lifestyle range, apart from offering exceptional beauty in shape and form, also offers a chance to break away from the everyday drudgery in the kitchen and can help make cooking a truly creative and enjoyable experience. Tupperware has joined hands with Master Chef Kunal Kapoor to promote this range and the idea of adopting healthy cooking practices. The Ultimo range includes ‘Chef Series,’ comprising of casserole, wok and fry pans with a triply construction, which gives them superior heat conduction properties ensuring even heating and minimal oil usage while cooking. All the ‘Ultimo’ products have a mirror finish on the exterior, which adds glamour quotient to the kitchenware. The product range also offers ‘Steam It’ products, an inspiration from bamboo steamer which is made from special quality plastic. These products have ridges that prevent food from sticking, which is a problem with bamboo. The Ultimo range also has eco-fiendly products to offer, which give safe alternative for electricity. The ‘Quick Chef ’ is a 1.2litre energy saving food processor which offers sharp blades for chopping vegetables and fruits along with a paddle whisk for mixing and whipping creams, dips and dressings. The ‘Smart Chopper’, another smaller product, comes with an easy to use pull-cord mechanism, which is very apt for chopping vegetables, fruits, nuts and even small chunks of meats, thereby saving on time and energy. These new-age alternatives to electric food processors, which are introduced keeping environment conservation in mind, have mixing bowls which come with a clear base where one can check on the progress of chopping and mixing. On the launch of Ultimo range of kitchen wares, an elated Asha Gupta, the Managing Director of Tupperware India, said, “With the gradual enlightenment of the Indian consumer and her exposure to world class amenities, the consumer demands the best and expects world class quality products for herself. Addressing this need, the ‘Ultimo’ range of kitchen wares brings together unmatched class, superior design and functionality and offers an easy to use world class product-line to the consumer.”
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NEWS SCAN
ITC Bukhara’s Pop-up Culinary Show in London ITC Hotels, a part of the diversified business group ITC Ltd., has collaborated with Starwood’s Luxury Collection to showcase the celebrated cuisine of ‘Bukhara’, in a two-week pop-up at the Sheraton Park Tower, a Luxury Collection Hotel, in Knightsbridge, London. The pop-up, which was inaugurated on 17th May and will last up to 1st June 2012, has been ‘sold out’ for dinner, as soon as reservations for the popup of the iconic brand was announced in London. The two-week-long pop-up has been showcasing Bukhara’s globally acclaimed cuisines. The Bukhara showcase at Sheraton Park Tower, London is an indoor and outdoor epicurean experience, styled by Waris Ahluwalia; an impassioned traveller, designer, actor and The Luxury Collection’s newest global explorer. During the inaugural dinner, ITC Hotels’ Corporate Chef, Manjit Gill introduced guests, residents and the local
community in London to signature dishes such as Sikandari Raan (marinated whole leg of spring lamb), Murgh Malai Kebab (creamy chicken kebab) and the notto-be-missed Dal Bukhara (a combination of whole black lentils, tomatoes, ginger and garlic; slow-cooked over coals for 18 hours). “Given Londoners’ proclivity for Indian cuisine, we are excited to introduce this legendary culinary institution to Britain’s gastronomic scene,” said Paul James, Global Brand Leader, St. Regis, and The Luxury Collection Hotels & Resorts. Bukhara has been voted among the Top 10 hotel restaurants in the world by HOTELS magazine US, among the S. Pelligrino TOP Restaurants of the World and Miele Guide’s Top 20 restaurants in Asia.
A Curb on Mumbai’s Five-star Pub Culture in the Offing? Mumbai’s five-star party-hoppers may soon have to stop their wavy steps by 1.30 am as Police Commissioner Arup Patnaik has written to the State Government seeking permission to shut down 14 pubs located across five-star hotels of Mumbai by 1.30 pm. These pubs, by virtue of being inside the five-star hotels have been enjoying the freedom of remaining open till 3am in the morning. According to reports, clubs that will be forced to bring up their closing time to a comparatively more sedate 1.30 am include names like Enigma at the J W Marriott, Rock Bottom at Ramee Guestline, Sutra Bollywood Bar at the Grand Intercontinental, Cyclone at The Leela, and China House at the Grand Hyatt among others. Patnaik’s endeavour to force these pubs at five-star properties to shut down slightly earlier came in the wake of the ugly fight between actor Shah Rukh Khan and the noted Director Farah Khan’s husband Shirish Kunder at actor Sanjay Dutt’s party, which took place on January 29, at Aurus. The members of the Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRA-WI) have decided to appeal to the Mumbai’s Commissioner of Police against this seemingly unjustified move. The owner of one of the five-star hotels in the line of fire said, “This is totally unfair. Cops have full right to prosecute those who have violated laws, but showing prejudice against all the establishments just because one person has broken the law is unfair. The government should positively be strict in the implementation of law and order, but it is also vital to attract tourists and garner revenues.”
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Regulation of the Alcohol Content to Become a Reality in India This news might not make a chronic lover of spirits particularly spirited. Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has finalised draft standards for all categories of alcoholic beverages, which include whisky, beer, gin, wine, vodka and rum among others, with the objective of fixing the maximum permissible alcohol content in the alcoholic beverages, and thereby enforcing safety of the drinkers of spirits. FSSAI plans to notify these draft standards by 1st July of this year, following the final discussion over these standards in its forthcoming meet. Here it deserves a mention that till now, there has been no formal yardstick for prescribing safe and permissible limits of alcohol content in drinks, in the country. Developed countries have safety standards for all alcoholic drinks and these are enforced stringently to safeguard the health of their people. Thankfully, the new standards will cover practically all branded alcoholic beverages that are permitted for sale in India, according to the current licensing regulations. It doesn’t deserve a mention that this healthy move has the possibility of adversely influencing the sales of the alcohol industry, which happens to be a major revenue earner for the Indian states. No wonder, the industry is strongly resisting this move from FSSAI to set standards on alcohol content in branded drinks. The proposed move has created lots of debate between FSSAI and the Indian alcoholic beverage manufacturers. According to FSSAI, the setting of standards for food products is part of its mandate by law, whereas the alcoholic beverage manufacturers are of the view that the state governments alone had the legislative competence to govern the manufacture and sale of the alcoholic drinks. Citing the existing state laws governing the manufacture and sale of liquor under the Excise Act, the manufacturers of alcoholic drinks, under the banner of Confederation of Indian Alcoholic Beverage Companies, have moved the Bombay High Court, challenging FSSAI`s move to set alcohol content standards. Alcoholic beverage manufacturers have also moved the Jabalpur High Court where they have challenged the inclusion of alcoholic drinks in the definition of ‘food’ under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006.
Chill Yourself With Organic Mango Juice 24 Letter Mantra, an organic food brand of Sresta Natural Bioproducts Pvt. Ltd., has launched the country’s first organic mango juice to coincide with the summer and give juice lovers a totally new and wholesome experience in terms of taste, quality ingredients and health. The company claims that this mango juice is 100 percent pure, with no synthetic additive, and no preservative. According to the company, this organic mango juice is also pesticide free and is safe for kids. The company claims that in 24 Letter Mantra’s organic mango juice, the juice lovers will discover a higher percentage of pulp as compared to other juices now available in the market and this organic mango juice, according to the company, is closest to Aaamras as it is natural and free of any synthetic additive. Under the interesting banner of ‘Chak Le Pi Le India’ the juice is being sampled and is now available in leading supermarkets and food outlets in New Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Kolkata. The juice is available in 1 litre tetra pack and is priced at Rs.120. “In our mango juice we have kept the organic integrity while keeping the Indian palate in mind,” said N. Balasubramanian, the CEO of Sresta. Here it deserves a mention that 24 Letter Mantra has a range of organic food products from staples, cereals, oils, snacks, confectionery and more.
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Eurail — a New Address to European Fine Dining A country or a continent can always be recognised by its signature foods and culture. In India, pan European fine dining restaurants are creating a buzz in the food & beverage industry. The European food aficionados in the capital should now grab a seat at Eurail — a newly opened pan European fine-dining restaurant in the capital’s satellite town, Gurgaon. The word ‘Eurail’ is symbolic of the pan-European rail network that passes through 21 countries of the continent. Dining at Eurail is another way to become well acquainted with the European continent’s diverse gastronomic legacies. The Eurail restaurant endeavours towards filling the huge void in Gurgaon’s fine dining culture by encapsulating the flavours of almost an entire continent. The restaurant blends the influences of classic dishes from France, Italy, Germany, Greece, Spain, Switzerland and Portugal. When you take hold of a seat, a mild fragrance of olive oil kept on every table will sway your taste buds. With its all glass and wood interiors, the ambience at Eurail is all about transporting the food aficionado away from the clutter and noise of Guragon’s streets to a European street, wherein the cobbled aisles and lamp-posts give a flair of a modern European city; making the atmosphere and the décor apt to accompany classic European cooking. Here, guests can experience a private dining room at the first level with a warm, elegant & intimate space that can seat up to twenty people at a time. The wide array of European cuisines on offer of course includes red meats and steaks, which are perfect to savour with a wine or champagne of your choice. In soups, the fine dining eatery has Cream of Wild Mushroom Flavoured with a Drizzle of Truffle Oil, and Classic French Onion Soup with Gruyere Crouton. Salad lovers will have a great time by indulging in Bocconchinni Berry Salad, and Crispy Duck and Water Cress Salad with Toasted Sesame. Stews and curries that are served with hard crust bread and herbed pilaf, and conventional European desserts give your taste a distinctively European feel. The bar lounge offers modern beverage concept and a unique finger food menu, replete with some pulsating international lounge music to build the mood. The bartenders present some invigorating mixes based on the freshest ingredients. The restaurant houses an array of exquisite wines, and the walk-in wine cellar houses more than sixty options to choose from, that is expected to be expanded in the coming future. “We take great pride in serving food items which have exquisite flavour and texture, and which are beautifully presented in a convivial atmosphere. We aim to fuse classic and modern techniques of cooking that would suit the local and global palate” affirmed Aditi Goel, the Director, Eurail.
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NEWS SCAN
Incredible Tiffin Would Promote Indian Tourism A tour to India is incomplete without savouring its innumerable delectable cuisines. After the success of ‘Incredible India’ by the Tourism Ministry, now capturing the flavour of India through its incredible variety of cuisines seems to be the
next big idea in India’s tourism. A recently launched project named ‘Incredible Tiffin’ that is partnered by the Indian Ministry of Tourism and the Cuisine India Society, has been endeavouring to showcase the variety in the country’s cuisines to attract tourists. Recently, the ‘Incredible Tiffin’ project was launched in Delhi, which would provide tiffin packaged with local food for people outside the country, which in turn is expected to help them to get a feel of the awe-inspiring culinary choices available in India. The project is part of the Tourism Ministry’s popular Incredible India campaign. Under this promotion, several events would be held in different regions of the country to celebrate the local khaana. This ‘Incredible Tiffin’ will probably attract more discerning overseas tourists to India in the near future, who would appreciate the age-old tradition of culinary experience of packaged tiffin with local foods. Under this project, all the Indian state cuisines can grab the limelight by showcasing their own savouries. It took four years down the line by Cuisine India Society to develop this concept. V Sunil, the Creative Director of Incredible India, has conceptualised the ‘IncredibleTiffin’ concept too. The first event of this ambitious project was held in Delhi, while celebrating 100 years of evolution of the capital’s diverse cuisine. The occasion attracted a number of food lovers of the capital, where an impressive selection of the Dehlvi cuisine was there. The five-year-long research for the menu was done by the noted Chef Manisha Bhasin. Manisha also said that the ‘Incredible Tiffin’ project is also an initiative to document the rich legacy and history of Indian food so that rare dishes are not lost to our future generations. “Indian cuisine embodies the spirit of India. When we have such an incredible variety of exquisite cuisines to offer then why not let our tourists nurture a life long passion for Indian food,” asserted Anil Rajput, the Senior Vice President, ITC Maurya, which hosted the project launch inaugurated by the Tourism Minster, Subodh Kant Sahay.
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Asha’s is Coming to India! G
ood music and good food always go hand in hand. Together, they create music for the soul, which very few people in the world can create better than the legendary Asha Bhonsle. Very soon Indians in India will savour the music for the soul at the internationally renowned Indian restaurant chain named Asha’s, owned by the Indian Bollywood playback icon Asha Bhonsle. In the recent past, Asha’s announced its expansion plans for the near future, with nine new outlets to open in several regions between 2012 and 2014. The award winning restaurant chain will expand its presence in various countries including the UK, India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore & Hong Kong. Asha’s already operates ten restaurants across United Arab Emirates (Dubai and Abu Dhabi), Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain, Egypt and the United Kingdom. Asha’s has also been recognised in the prestigious Michelin restaurant guide for the past four years in Britain, as one of the world’s top destinations for quality Indian cuisine outside the Asian sub-continent. The great Asha Bhonsle has been sharing her passion for the north-west Indian cuisine by creating signature dishes that promise to delight the Indian food lovers. Menu specialties include mouth-watering creations such as Nally Gosht, Tandoori Lobster, Chicken Jhalfrezi, and desserts such as the Asha’s platter with specially prepared Gajar Ka Halwa and Mango Kulfi. A s h a , w h o t a ke s a personal and active interest in each of her restaurants by choosing the spices for the traditional Indian fare on offer, has launched her first GCC restaurant in Wafi, Dubai. The venue claimed a major award this year, taking home the Best Indian Restaurant in Dubai Award by Time Out Dubai 2012. The unique dining experience at the Wafi, Dubai is perfectly complemented by modern design where plush interiors and deep, rich colours — orange, gold and brown —exude warmth, giving the stylish decor of the restaurant an opulent feel. While revealing the expansion plan, the great music icon said, “Expanding the number of outlets was the logical step, given the success and popularity of our existing restaurants around the globe. I am proud that Asha’s has rapidly become the leading choice among people of all nationalities who want quality Indian cuisine with an unforgettable experience.”
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COVER STORY
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ention buffet and you are likely to whet up a person’s appetite as it provides him with an opportunity to satiate his palate with unlimited quantities from a wide variety of dishes and cuisines. What started as a Sunday brunch in some fivestar hotels has culminated into a daily affair at all meal times – breakfast, lunch and dinner, across many restaurants. The main cause of its popularity is perhaps value-for-money. Ashok Malkani takes a look at how it all started and some of the places serving this format of meal.
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COVER STORY morning, in between the normal time of breakfast and the normal time of lunch, as a substitute for both of these meals) option. The spread was laid out by the pool side and the buffers were allowed a complimentary dip in the pool. Today buffet is served as lunch and dinner in many restaurants of the city.
Buffet Backgrounder
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tep into a star hotel or an A grade restaurant on Sunday in a metropolitan city and you, more likely than not, are to see a lavish spread of sumptuous meal comprising of various cuisines with people serving themselves. Yes, buffet has become a regular feature in highend restaurants of India. In Mumbai it started over two decades ago as brunch (a meal eaten in the middle of the
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The buffet gained popularity in the English speaking world during the second half of the 19th century, but the genesis of its name dates much more backwards in time. The term buffet is derived from the French sideboard where the food was served, and the name probably originated in the 12th century. However, the concept of buffet as a system of serving of food in a public area where diners generally serve themselves and choose their dishes and their respective quantities at their will, emerged much later. Many food historians believe that serving of food in a buffet form originated in the 18th century France, but like any good idea, it soon spread
was found in the cold room.” This seems to be a very plausible explanation behind the origination of the concept of buffet as we know today. In earlier centuries, buffet was often a regal affair. Soon, the term buffet was being applied to the display of food items and also to the furniture on which it was mounted. This
across the European continent. However, in 1922, Lillian B. Lansdown in the housekeeping book ‘How to Prepare and Serve a Meal,’ wrote: “The concept of eating a buffet arose in the mid 17th century France, when gentlemen callers would arrive at the homes of ladies they wanted to woo, unexpectedly. Their surprise arrival would throw the kitchen staff in to a panic and the only food that could be served was a selection of what
furniture on which buffet was served was often draped with rich textiles in the seventeenth and the eighteenth centuries, but with the passage of time, an elaborately carved cupboard surmounted by tiers of shelves, began to replace these ostentations. In 1888, the definition of buffet was formally extended to mean a ‘meal served from a buffet’. To the US perhaps goes the credit of making buffet a commonplace affair;
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COVER STORY that could be accessible by all and sundry. In 1946, Herb McDonald, a hotel manager in Minneapolis, Minnesota, came with the ‘Buckaroo Buffet,’ which a guest could partake just by spending one dollar. Soon most of the big gambling hotels in the US were imitating him. In fact, the ‘all-you-caneat’ buffet concept has been ascribed to this visionary Manager. In the all-youcan-eat buffet, customers pay a fixed fee and in exchange can have as much food as they wish from a single buffet spread. Quickly the idea of a buffet gained its foothold in the hospitality industry, on a global scale, during the twentieth century. Besides ‘all-you-can-eat’ buffet, which is a more flexible buffet option, there are other variants of buffet too. Among these various forms of buffets, one of them is very much prevalent in cafeterias. In this buffet, a table is filled with plates containing fixed portions of various food items and the guests choose plates containing those food items, which they prefer to partake as they move along.
The Spread of Great Tastes Today, buffets may not be so elaborately decorated like those of the earlier centuries in Europe but they are equally impressive in terms of the variety they offer. Some of the F&B outlets, however, also lay stress on the presentation of the dishes. “For our buffets at The Brasserie, the Kitchen Chefs are being asked to give a playful look to each dish, which makes them more creative and keep guests interested as well. The guests really appreciate the food and enjoy the dishes even more when there is a certain look and unique flavours given to them,” informed Rajeev Arora, the Executive Chef at Hilton Mumbai International Airport. The Brasserie has an elaborate multi-cuisine buffet spread comprising salads (eight vegetarian and
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Hemant Tenneti eight non-vegetarian salads), main course (seven non-vegetarian and 12 vegetarian), Arabic station, desserts, starters, Jain counter, two kinds of soup, international cheeses and live counter. “The people have appreciated the buffet spread at The Brasserie as there is a vast choice in the main course, salad, desserts & starters. There is a lot of detailed attention given to the food quality and the authenticity of the dishes that we offer. We also have special dishes on the buffet. We offer classic south Indian dishes, retro continental dishes, Arabic food, and Jain specialty food. We are highly focussed on health foods as well. Hence, on the buffet, guests will find sufficient options of healthy choices of dishes to choose from,” affirmed Arora. Here it deserves a mention that this buffet is available for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The Tangerine at the Mirador
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Hotel, in Mumbai not only offers buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner but also at midnight. The breakfast buffet, however, is exclusively for the hotel guests. “Our buffets are popular among the corporates for lunch and dinner because of the large variety of dishes and different cuisines, consistent quality and mouthwatering taste. This is what has made our buffets a success story. They entail a five course meal during lunch, dinner and midnight. However, the number of items and menu format keep changing for lunch, dinner & midnight. There is always something new for our guests so they never get bored, thus we have more than 50 percent of repeat guests,” elaborated Krishna Rao, F& B Manager, Mirador Hotel. The buffet at Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel has interactive counters, kids’ zones, live performance, etc. “We have 18 live counters, 25 main courses, 20 salads, 25 desserts, 20 soups and starters. The idea behind the brunch was serving a buffet which is the largest in the vicinity and catering to all types of guests. Special emphasis is given to friends and family with loads of fun activities for the children to indulge in like tattoo painting, colouring, balloon making, etc., whilst the parents enjoy the lavish brunch. Complimentary access to the pool is the main highlight of the brunch. We want our patrons to have a memorable experience at a true getaway in the heart of Mumbai,” informed Hemant Tenneti, the Director of Food & Beverage at the property. The Mythh, the 24-hour coffee shop at Hotel Hindustan International, Kolkata, serves buffets for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Mythh serves cuisines ranging from Italian, Mexican, French, Thai and Indian. Mythh has a live interactive kitchen serving the best of European, pan Asian and Indian cuisines over buffet lunch, buffet dinner and
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COVER STORY a-la-carte, which are washed with the choicest of spirits. “We have buffet options for all three meals. The menu is an extensive spread of soups, salads, cuisines and desserts,” affirmed Amitava Chandra, Restaurant Manager at the Mythh. “The interactive kitchen at the Mythh offers interesting opportunities for diners to interact directly with the Chef behind the counter and customise their salads and cuisines,” added Kausik Sengupta, Executive & F&B Manager, HHI. At the Goa Marriott Resort & Spa, the meals are segregated as per the three basic meal periods. The breakfast buffet at the property gives a wide variety of dishes to pick from, ranging from English breakfast –comprising sausages, hash browns, grilled tomatoes, two varieties of porridges — to the Indian breakfast, which include dosas and utappams and other regional delicacies which change every day as per the cyclic menu. “Our lunch buffet has a wide variety of seasonal salads to choose from. This buffet also offers you a vegetarian and a non-vegetarian soup to pick from. We have a cheese board with international cheese and international bread counter with fresh breads from the oven. For the non-vegetarian lovers, the buffet offers you two non-vegetarian Indian main courses (chicken /lamb / seafood), a Chinese main course, and two western main courses,” asserted Rajdeep Singh, Sous Chef, Goa Marriott Resort & Spa. “We also have a choice of pasta, oriental rice or noodles, western vegetarian main courses in the buffet. Our Indian buffets offer you fresh breads which are baked in the clay oven as per your order and its main courses constitute of four vegetarian main courses, and a delicious home style lentil preparation. All the food items in our buffets are kept simple and low spiced to extract out the maximum flavour. Like our breakfast and lunch buffets, our dinner buffet is again equally balanced,” elaborated Singh. “We offer an elaborate buffet with the main course offering 13 vegetarian and four non-vegetarian dishes. To start the buffet, the guests can enjoy a choice of starters (vegetarian/non-vegetarian), soups (vegetarian/ non-vegetarian) and a variety of vegetarian/ non-vegetarian salads with cold cuts preceding the main course,” stated Neeraj Balani, Director
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Neeraj Balani F&B, Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar, while adding, “We also serve pizza, pasta and dim sums on the table, which are also a part of the elaborate buffet. Our specialties are thin crust pizzas, dim sums, live pastas, and chaat papdi counter on weekends. We offer six continental and two Indian desserts along with a fruit platter. As per the market demand, we specialise in sugar-free and egg less desserts.” The hotel has also introduced a welcome drink to rinse these elaborate buffet spread. “A very different thing that we are planning to introduce very soon is Shawarma, which is also going to be a part of our exhaustive buffet options,” pointed out Balani.
Advantage Buffet Besides buffet options in five-star properties, there are several stand-alone fine dining restaurants in Mumbai and other cities which are now offering Sunday brunches in buffet format. Buffet serves as an affordable and effective dining option for catering to large numbers of people at one go. For this reason, they are very much in practice in the hospitality industry, which often hosts banquets, business conventions and large parties. For the guests, the buffets have a distinct advantage over conventional personalised table service as here the diners are given much more choices in terms of dishes and cuisines within a given budget. With buffets, the guests can decide which dishes they can have from the buffet spread, and in which quantities. Buffets are also more
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
economical options than conventional dining and offer great value for money. Buffets, which involve diners serving themselves, is less formal than formal table service, but the cost incurred by a family to dine at a buffet tend to be less than the cost which the same family may have to incur if it prefers to have a formal lunch or dinner at a fine dinning restaurant. At the same time, the family is likely to have much lesser choices in terms of food & beverage offerings in a formal dining option in a specialised (in a particular type of cuisine) fine dining restaurant than it would have in a buffet. Succinctly, these days, buffets are gaining popularity with people, because it presents them with a plethora of food varieties at reasonable prices. Buffet is especially very convenient dining option for families with children, where they can indulge in a whole range of sumptuous delights, and where each family member can have their choice of delicacies without making a hole in the family’s monthly budget. In buffets, the guests can also closely survey or inspect the spread of food before arriving on their selections. For the restaurateurs too, a buffet is advantageous as it generally has a lower cost of operations than personalised fine dining since you don’t need many waiters for organising a buffet. Moreover, with buffets, people with large appetites can feed themselves without waiting for seemingly unending minutes for their food to be served. Through buffets people also get the opportunity to taste new types of dishes that they may not find in a menu of a specialised fine dining restaurant. However, though buffet affords you an egalitarian route to fine dining, it deprives one of the enjoyment of sitting together and leisurely partaking of a delicious meal. No wonder, the buffets are gaining in popularity at restaurants in hotels and also at stand-alone restaurants across urban India, and this trend is likely to be an enduring one. It is because everybody wants value and money, but more importantly, value for money. This is especially true in an economy suffering regular beatings, with recession threatening to relapse. In this climate, a cost-effective option to have more choices for the consumers is a wise option for the Indian food & beverage industry. ■
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BUSINESS
The Freezing Factors By Kanishk Gupta
I
n the present times, the refrigerators and freezers are very important in any hotel’s kitchen and are in fact, the backbone of the entire F&B operations of the hotels. Perishables and beverages are stored in them till use and they help in maintaining the freshness and quality of these products. Refrigerators also help preserve pre-cooked food as it is not possible to prepare a dish fresh every time on the request of the guest. Items which are received in a frozen state by the hotel kitchen are also kept in
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freezers so as to give them a long shelf life. Refrigerators and freezers check bacterial growth in foods thereby ensuring a longer shelf life of the food products. Commercial kitchen refrigerators are designed to achieve a temperature between 1 degree to 4 degree centigrade, and the freezers’ temperature does vary from -18 degree to -22 degree centigrade. In fact, refrigeration can be construed as the most important factor that can determine the success or failure of F&B operations in a hotel. No amount of refrigeration can ever be enough when a food and beverage production unit promises a good variety in its offerings. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the need for refrigeration has grown precisely for this reason. “Many companies manufacture refrigeration equipment, however, only a few of them can cope with the tropical conditions which demand that machines work at 43 degree Celsius,” said M Ram Vittal Rao, Director, Vital Concept Design. It is for this reason that identifying and purchasing suitable refrigeration and freezer equipment by hotel kitchens has become more elaborate and professional now as compared to say 10-15 years back.
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
Today this exhaustive process involves more of data collection and processing of used information. Many manufacturers are able to link capacity data with actual meals served. However, since each specific work centre (restaurant’s kitchen where the food is being prepared) may be located remotely, this may result in a certain amount of duplicity.
Kitchen Planning and Design “Normally in hotels, for raw material storage, hot and cold kitchens are kept separate for ensuring maximum efficiency,” informed Bharti Madan, Manager — Hygiene & Quality, Eros Hotel Managed by Hilton New Delhi Nehru Place. She added that cold kitchens are normally used for vegetarian and meat pre-preparation, salad and pastry sections. Since these kitchens do not cook, here the ambient temperature is kept quite cool which helps in maintaining optimum temperatures for chillers and freezers in these areas. In hot kitchens, which are normally kitchens attached to restaurants, bulk storage is not done. Materials kept in their fridges are for a day or two usage only, due to space constraints in restaurant kitchens.
Rahul Maini
Apr-May ’12
BUSINESS Further, refrigerators and freezers are installed in a hotel’s kitchen in a manner so that they are within easy reach during operations. “The refrigerators have to be ideally located. Commodities which are not used frequently may be kept at a distance, even on different floors, but refrigerators and freezers which store ingredients, which are being used very frequently should be readily accessible. At the same time, care should be taken that these are not too near the heat producing equipment and have adequate space around the compressors,” conferred Ramit Wason, the Executive Chef, Crowne Plaza Today New Delhi Okhla. Consultants like Rao play an important role in assisting the hotel’s kitchens in identifying and placing orders for refrigeration and freezer equipment. Rao adds that this is done after the detailed design development stage is over. The specifications of walk-in refrigerators and freezers are normally the first ones to be released by a food or hotel operations design consultant. Consultants also use a number of parameters for recommending to a hotel kitchen the supplier or the
Apr-May ’12
Different types of refrigerators and freezers are used in hotel kitchens,
depending on space and usage. Walk-inchillers/ freezers are used for supporting mass storage as cold rooms should be able to hold various types of food so that the kitchen staff have easy, walk-in access to their stock. Free standing upright chillers are most commonly used fridges of variable capacity and design to suit the need of a kitchen. Under counter fridges are commonly used inside kitchens where the top of the fridge can be used as working table for effective utilisation of space. Blast chillers are quick chilling devices, which eliminate the hazards of slow cooling of food items, and ensure HACCP compliance in kitchen operations. Mobile refrigerated carts are mobile fridges which can be taken from one location to other. Specific purpose fridges like a sandwich prep/pizza prep counter, ice cream freezer cabinet, beverage chillers, are applied for specific uses. With respect to technicality, both air cooled and water cooled compressor refrigerators are available. Water cooled require a cooling tower whereas air cooled do not need any such facility and also they can be easily moved from one place to another as there
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Ramit Wason
refrigeration/freezer equipment. “The first thing is to understand the number of meals to be prepared, the second is the zoning of work centres, and lastly the function wise requirement needed to be considered,” added Rao.
Food Products and Equipment
BUSINESS is no water pipe attached. Other common types of refrigeration solutions include walk-ins or reach in fridges, deep freezers, under counter fridges (horizontal), vertical traulsens, refrigerated drawers, cooling rails and blast freezers. Consultants assist the hotel kitchen with their expertise regarding the proper use and purchase of refrigeration/freezer equipment. Various brands reach out to the consultants and share the actual installation data. Some brands provide opportunities to see actual installations in stages of use by other hotel operators or when the project is still in the process of being constructed. A range of different types of raw, pre-cooked and cooked vegetables, fruits, grains and other dishes are stored in refrigerators/freezers. Vegetables such as onion, garlic, potato tend to keep well even when stored at room temperature, but most raw vegetables and fruits including fresh herbs need to be refrigerated to maintain their freshness for long. Raw grains can be stored at room temperature while storage of semi-processed grain products like dough and batter need refrigeration. Finished food storage of grain products depends on their perishability and moisture content. Cookies and breads can be stored at room temperature whereas filled products like patties, cake with icings could be maintained for long if they are kept in fridges. Products containing dairy and meat items must be refrigerated due to their high perishable nature, if they are to be kept in healthy state for some period of time. Cooked vegetables, cut fruits are also refrigerated. “Products which come in frozen state must be stored frozen in kitchens till it is time to thaw for use. Most of the cooked products should be consumed within 1 or 2 days of preparation. Raw and packaged products are stored as per shelf life from producers,” elaborated Bharti. “There are many such items that can be stored in refrigerators depending upon their shelf life. As per the guidelines, once the seal is open then we prefer to consume the item within 72 hours. If the seal is not opened (except vegetables) than they can be stored in freezer for around three months also,”concurred Wason.
Nitin Kumar
range of refrigeration/freezer equipment and supply them to star hotels. “We have entered in the new-age cold chain market with the advent of our products like air-cooled and water-cooled condensing units, and evaporators. We supply a wide range of refrigeration equipment to star hotels like semi hermetic and open type reciprocating compressors, pressure vessel, cold room, blast freezers, and chillers,” stated Rahul Maini, CEO, Sea-Bird Refrigeration Pvt. Ltd. “Our increased sales indirectly reflect on the market value of our products. Our core competency is quality for which our equipment enjoy No. 1 ranking in the Indian market, and slowly we are heading towards increase in export quantity, which itself proves the international quality of our products,” he added. RANS Technocrat manufactures refrigeration/freezer equipment for hotel
Range of Equipment Suppliers like Sea Bird Refrigeration and RANS Technocrat manufacture a
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M.Ram Vittal Rao
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
kitchens like under counter refrigerators/ freezers (with door/with drawer or combination of door and drawer), under counter refrigerators with cold pan, ice cream cabinets, chest freezer, and also, the walk-in refrigerators and walk-in freezers having various applications. For buffet systems, they manufacture cold pan, frost top, ice cream serving cabinet and frost top with granite. Cold pan and frost top are used for salads and desserts and frost top with granite is for ice cream teppanyaki. With regards to bar equipment, they manufacture back bar chillers, glass frosters, and beer keg chillers. For display, there are display counter refrigerators/ambient/hot and ice cream display counter. “As of now we are manufacturing close to 30 machines per month and our prices start from Rs.45,000 and goes up to the client’s requirement,” stated Nitin Kumar, Director, RANS Technocrats (India) Pvt. Ltd. The refrigeration/freezer equipment that manufacturers supply to star hotel kitchens could be in some way different from such equipment supplied to say hospital/ airport kitchens. “For instance, in most of the star hotel kitchens, the refrigeration equipment we are mostly using and suggesting are water-cooled units. As the equipment in hotel are placed in basements, they have provisions for the same, whereas institutions/airports have these limitations of space due to which we provide air-cooled equipment there,” explained Maini.
Influence of Technology In the past, refrigerators consumed more energy, but in the last 10-15 years, progress has been made in terms of design and manufacturing, and this has encouraged the sale of refrigerators with improved energy efficiency. “Ozone depleting refrigerants have been replaced with environment-friendly refrigerants,” articulated Bharti. Of course, technological developments have surely influenced the hotel kitchens, as earlier very few kitchens had deep freezer or the instrument for keeping food items at ultra-low temperature, but now it has almost become mandatory. “This has certainly increased the shelf life as well as the storing capacity of hotel’s kitchens,” opined Wason. Technological developments are the factors that drive the manufacture and
Apr-May ’12
Apr-May ’12
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BUSINESS design of refrigeration/freezer equipment and suppliers use the inputs/feedback from hotel kitchens to improve their products. The management at Sea Bird follows a strategy to create only those products which the customers wish for and then develop them so as to have an assured return on investments. Sea Bird’s success is also attributable to a large extent to the freedom it provides its sales team in carrying out its assignments. This encourages creativity and personal responsibility and has a positive impact on the company as a whole. This is called customer-oriented product development which is one of the pillars of the company’s sales and after-sales policy. Space availability is an important factor to drive technological developments in the manufacturing and design of refrigeration equipment. Efficiency of water-cooled equipment is approximately 15 percent more as compared to air-cooled equipment, but due to space availability factors, Sea Bird suggests air-cooled units to its customers. The company requires that a customer specification detail form be filled up from the customer’s side, which is send to the R&D department where they design the equipment, approve it and then release the work order to the production team; as per the customer specification, to improve its efficiency and fulfill the customer requirements. Also customer satisfaction and feedback form filled up by the customers give the company an input to its R&D department to make changes if required; for example to change the design for creating more efficient masterpieces. An ideal refrigeration equipment entails minimum breakdowns, customerfriendly handling and easy maintenance. “To achieve these factors, we have to use international accredit spare parts, which we have imported as still they are not available in the Indian market,” informed Kumar of RANS Technocrat. To achieve standardisation some of the equipment sizes/specifications of RANS Technocrat have been frozen. Maini informed that his company’s refrigeration/freezer equipment were totally manufactured in India, but approximately 80 percent of the components were imported. RANS Technocrat also manufactures its products in India only. “The equipment we manufacture are totally manufactured and assembled in our works in India.
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help complete the assessment while recommending the ideal brand to the client/hotel,” pointed out Rao.
Orders and After Sales Service
Bharti Madan
As of now we do not have any tie-up for manufacturing with any of the international brands,” asserted Kumar.
Factors in Placing Orders Different types of factors are taken into consideration by hotel kitchens while deciding on the refrigeration/kitchen equipment. One of them is the space. Fridges and freezers are ordered according to the space available. Accordingly, the walk-in chiller, upright chiller and under counter fridges can be chosen as per the needs. Fridges can also be fabricated as per the space available. Secondly, the kind of products to be handled is another factor, which influences the hotel kitchens while placing orders. Cuisine/products to be handled also determine the kind of fridges required. A restaurant using many frozen items would require large freezer space. Restaurants serving sandwiches/ pizza might need specific chilled counters. The capacity of the restaurant and the volume of operations also determine the kind of storage refrigerator/ freezer space required. “Large operations would prefer walk-in coolers over stand-alone fridges,” said Bharti. Then there are financial factors – both capital and running costs and functional factors, that is whether the fridge/ freezer is required for continual or batch operations, to be taken into account. Consultants help connect the supplier with the hotel kitchen and strive to ensure that the hotel gets the best possible deal, products, costs and discounts and after sales service. “As various brands reach out to us we in turn re-verify, do reference checks, get to review the manufacturing processes, etc. which
Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
“First of all the requirement and size are identified. Then quotes are received from companies and the product/s is/are selected based on quality/ pricing/ features. Installation is generally done by the company representative,” conferred Bharti. Rahul Maini of Sea Bird informed that their company follows the following process: generation of leads through different channels to know the requirements of the industry; sending the sales person to visit the actual location; getting the customer specification detail form filled duly from the customer; sending the filled form to R&D Department for design; approval of design from R&D and release of design to purchase & PPC & installation in-charge; releasing of the costing sheet to the sales person for quotation; follow-up calls to potential customers to convert opportunity into orders; price negotiation; after order finalisation & receiving PO; release of work order to the production department and installation department; on-time delivery; installation; four times free service in a year and break-down service if required; AMC for installed equipment. After sales service normally depends on the warranty terms and conditions, and later on annual maintenance contracts can be given for maintenance of refrigerators/ freezers. It is very important to select those manufacturing companies who have a good record of after sales service. Training to the kitchen staff is also very important for maintenance and upkeep of refrigerators and freezers. They must be trained to keep the fridges clean, by cleaning gaskets regularly, avoiding overloading, and keeping the door properly closed as far as possible to avoid cooling loss. Also, monitoring temperatures regularly by users helps in identifying the problems quickly. Also the items purchased should not be very difficult to operate and the kitchen staff should be properly trained about the handling and the temperature which the instrument requires. And lastly, as far as after sales service goes, it is desirable that the supplier should himself provide the post sales check up at regular time intervals. ■
Apr-May ’12
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FOCUS
Food as Wellness and Freshness By Kavitha Srinivasa
F
rom Vedas we can learn that what we eat does influence our mind and body. The Vedas have categorised food into sattvic (pure), rajasic (stimulating) and tamasic (base). It is commonly believed that sattvic food is healthy, and is refreshing to the senses. With the growing health consciousness in the society, sattvic cuisine is gaining popularity and making its niche in modern India’s gastronomic map. Sattvic cuisine, which is gaining popularity in the Indian food & beverage industry, many a time provides for an esoteric experience. The essential culinary philosophy of sattvic cuisine is to use fresh ingredients to harmonise the mind, body and soul. A sattvic or ascetic diet is also purely vegetarian, and it doesn’t have any place for food products which involve the killing or harming of animals within its ambit. Sattvic cuisine is known for its freshness. Sattvic food should always be freshly cooked. It is believed to nourish the body and mind and endows the being with a peaceful state. A sattvic diet is also known as a yoga diet as this food was originally meant for the sadhaka or yogi, or an ascetic. In sattvic cuisine, food is identified with the elements of earth. The intake of this food can make you endow with a feel-good factor,
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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
Apr-May ’12
FOCUS and spiritually aware. They usually avoid alcohol, stimulants like tea, coffee, tobacco and non-vegetarian food. Many of them also view food as prana or the carrier of life force.
sattvic. Sometimes yogis go on fruit fasts, where they dispense all foods except fruit and fruit juices, when doing a special sadhana or advanced practice or while undertaking a vow. Traditionally, if a yogi is doing advanced practices, dairy products give the much needed lubrication, grounding and nourishment. In fact, dairy products along with fruit, is described as the epitome of the sattvic or yogic diet,” said Gary Gran, a certified yoga teacher and Ayurvedic practitioner, and Co-director of the Evanston School of Yoga. A glass of fresh fruit juice, for example, is an ideal mid-day sattvic drink, sought after for its live enzymes and easy absorption. There are certain ingredients, which contribute to the ‘wow lip smacking’ factor in a sattvic dish. A sprinkling of fresh nuts and seeds, which haven’t been overly roasted and salted give a crunch to the sattvic platter. “Good choices are almonds, especially when peeled and soaked in water overnight, coconut, pine nuts, walnuts, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds and flax seeds. For sattvic dishes, oils should be of highest quality and cold-pressed. It is best to opt for olive
Vegetarian and Non Vegan without being guilty of overloading yourself with fat. Succinctly speaking, sattvic foods are light, simple, wholesome and vegetarian. Their roots lie in Ayurvedic and Yogic philosophy. It has caught the imagination of food researchers and restaurateurs who are tweaking recipes to include the sattvic flavour in their culinary creations. Sometimes, these creations do turn out to be their signature dishes, sought after for their freshness. One very soothing example of sattvic cuisine is a glass of Badam aur Tulsi ka Shorba. The drink is ideal to soothe the senses and harmonise the body. It is the ingredients which make the difference. People who include sattvic ingredients in their diet are generally assumed to be clear-minded, balanced
A sattvic dish is generally prepared using fresh sattvic ingredients like vegetables, milk products and grain. It does not contain onion and garlic. Jain food is very close to sattvic cuisine. The sattvic cuisine also does not include root vegetables like garlic and ginger. Sattvic food is consumed before sunset. Though both vegan and sattvic food items pack in the goodness of health, vegan food doesn’t use dairy products and all other animal-derived ingredients, unlike sattvic food. At the same time, vegan dishes may contain onion and garlic, but sattvic food dishes will avoid these ingredients. A vegan diet includes all grains, beans, legumes, vegetables and fruits. While vegan food could be stored and consumed over time, sattvic variants should be consumed soon after they are prepared. “Most fruits are considered
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FOCUS oil, sesame oil and flax oil,” added Gran. You can whip up a gourmet dish with mild sattvic spices like basil, cardamom, cinnamon, coriander, cumin, fennel, fenugreek, fresh ginger, and turmeric.
Mainstream Challenges To think of it, almost any vegetarian cuisine can be oriented towards a sattvic approach. Domestically, sattvic dishes are popular in many of the Indian homes, especially in the rural areas. However, their commercial preparation involves challenges. The challenge of adapting mainstream vegetarian food to sattvic lies in the fact that some of the commonly used vegetarian ingredients like onion and garlic are not part of sattvic recipes. Hence, mainstream vegetarian restaurants find it difficult to match the tastes of its guests without these ingredients. The other challenge is that sattvic food needs to be freshly cooked and consumed within a few hours of its preparation. For this reason, many mainstream restaurateurs find it difficult to have exclusive sattvic delicacies on their menu, although they do make a few dishes without onion and garlic on request. However, despite the easy availability of canned processed and ready-to-eat foods, despite the average Indian in urban areas perpetually facing shortage of time and energy to cook, sattvic cuisine is emerging as a niche segment in the Indian food & beverage scenario.
Catering to the Sattvic Taste The Higher Taste, a fine-dining pure vegetarian sattvic restaurant at the ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple, Bangalore, has put together 3000 recipes, many of which contain a signature stamp, thanks to the intricacies of the sattvic flavour. Ample dosage of imagination and research has urged The Higher Taste team to blend the sattvic essence into their Italian and Mexican delicacies. “In the case of Italian and Mexican cuisine, the sauces and dips are prepared fresh, without onion and garlic,” explained Arvind Chowdhary, Head — PR and Marketing, The Higher Taste. The sattvic cuisine of The Higher Taste, which claims to be the Bangalore’s first exclusively sattvic cuisine restaurant,
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satisfies the senses, captivates the mind and enriches the soul. Prepared from the freshest ingredients and rich in nutrients, the food is as nutritious as it is delectable. Chowdhary associates sattvic food with purity and goodness. “These foods are easily digestible, not fat or protein heavy, and are devoid of excess spice. Although a vegetarian diet is healthy, it is important that the ingredients are blended together in order to make them agreeable to all body types, in terms of assimilation and nourishment. Sattvic foods leave us feeling calm, alert and refreshed,” explained Chowdhary. The Higher Taste’s R&D lab is working on a new a-la-carte menu with several signature dishes flavoured with a sattvic touch. The two-year-old restaurant has been promoting the essence of sattvic food by distributing printed booklets on sattvic food to its diners. Moreover, the temple’s bookstore packages sattvic cookbooks for food connoisseurs. At its best, sattvic food could accommodate different genres of cooking, and can pave the way for fusion food, but with a difference. It doesn’t necessarily mean frugal food. One can feel satiated while enjoying its flavour. “We do artful presentations and use our imagination as we play with vegetables and the ingredients. We have created our own specialties. Many of them contain herbs, which act as digestive boosters,” said Rakesh Puri, Director, Bluechip Hospitality, which operates a sattvic restaurant in Delhi. Looking back on his early days, Puri felt it was a challenge to open a vegetarian restaurant, which would find acceptance. “But our results have been encouraging; 30 percent of our clients who were non-vegetarians, are now our frequent guests,” he added. Ever since its inception, foodies have chomped their way through Puri’s exhaustive menu, which is holistic in every sense. Long lost traditional cooking methods are paired with a modern outlook at the restaurant. This explains the presence of bhawari, a very aromatic and sharp herb that fortifies items like Paneer-e-Sattvik. The culinary innovation extends to Dal-e-Sattvik or a sattvik dal, made with beetle leaf and tempered with smoke. Angelica glauca roots are used to prepare Dal-e-Sattvik. Saunf ka Saag is
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paired with Poi ka Saag in the Gobi aur Poi ka Saag dish. It is a known fact that beetroot helps control blood pressure and Puri’s kitchen staff has reinvented beetroot in the form of a fresh snack. No doubt it comes across a snacky comfort food with a healthy twist. We also find many fine dining restaurants, whose focus is not on sattvic cuisine, piggy- backing on the sattvic delights. E-inn, a vegetarian business hotel in the outskirts of Bangalore believes in a smoke-free, alcohol-free and meat-free philosophy. The emphasis is on health, and it had already whetted the market by conducting a sattvic food festival sometime ago. It was a flavourful response. This time, the hotel has decided to bend convention through a sattvic-cum-vegan food festival in the coming months. This combination has its fair share of challenges. “Sattvic food is basic and it is cooked with very less heat. It does not involve exhaustive cooking and processing, and this form of cooking is usually closest to the way the food item exists in its natural form,” explained Nitin R. Phadnis, General Manager, E-inn. The hotel is working on a menu that will highlight the food without any frills. “Sattvic preparations don’t involve red chilies, black pepper and other pungent astringent spices. Those who intake sattvic food combine physical, mental and emotional harmony and well-being, and are at peace with themselves. The food keeps the digestive and other related systems of the body in good shape,” said Phadnis, while describing the cuisine. The sattvic food has the ability to connect with the inner self and this has encouraged restaurants to distill the essence of sattvic food. Besides restaurateurs, wellness retreats are also promoting the sattvic food’s culinary philosophy. A case in the point is Satvik Sadan in Bhimtal, Uttarakhand. This Vedic retreat is built on part of the legendary Chyawan Rishi Ashram and nurtures the mind, body and spirit of its guests. Sattvic is packaged as a concept here, with yogasanas and Ayurvedic massage treatments, matched by tea freshly brewed from tulsi or basil grown outside the rooms. Sattvic meals, which reflects the aroma of wellness spreading through the atmosphere, is a part of this holistic sattvic spirit. ■
Apr-May ’12
Apr-May ’12
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AGRI
Cumin to Taste and Health By Sharmila Chand
Recipe by Head Chef, Prakash Kundan, Spice Water Trail, New Delhi Bombay Duck Fry
C
umin is an ingredient, which is known for its distinctive aroma. Cumin can be used in grind form or as whole seeds. Cumin has a rich history matching its rich flavour, and the ingredient has been used to season food for more than two thousand years. The ancient Greeks and Romans were known to use cumin for medicinal purposes and as a material for makeup with the objective of producing fair skin. Today, the cumin seeds have wide
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Ingredients: Bombay Duck Green chilli Ajwain Cumin seeds Rock salt Corn flour Refined flour Gram flour Fine semolina Ginger garlic paste Lemon juice Turmeric powder Oil applications as spice in many popular cuisines and cumin can be regarded as an integral part of the modern food & beverage industry. The cumin seeds are characterised by strong, warm scent, sharp bitter flavour and hot taste. The cumin seeds look similar to those of caraway seeds, but there are some essential differences too. Cumin seeds are straighter than caraway seeds, reflecting a much more coarse taste and smell. Here it deserves a mention that there is a difference between cumin and sweet cumin. The latter is known as anise or black cumin.
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– – – – – – – – – – – – –
300 gm 30 gm 5 gm 5 gm 5 gm 10 gm 10 gm 10 gm 15 gm 15 gm 10 ml 5 gm For frying
Method Clean the fish, wash and dry. Add the lemon juice, ginger and garlic paste, rock salt and turmeric powder, and keep it aside for 10 minutes. Make a smooth paste with green chillies, ajwain, cumin seeds, refined flour, corn flour and gram flour. Now mix the paste with the fish. Roll the fish in semolina. Fry the fish on a low flame to give it a crisp and light golden finish.
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The Spice for All Seasons Ideally, small amounts of cumin are used to season foods, as cumin does tend to overwhelm other flavours. The Chefs should know that the grind version of cumin is generally spicier than the whole cumin seeds. In the Indian dishes cumin seeds are commonly used. Also known as jeera in Hindi, the cumin seeds have been essential elements in the gastronomic legacy of the Indian sub-continent since ages. In the Indian curries the role of cumin should not be undermined. When cumin seeds are toasted, their flavour is enhanced and helps to infuse greater zing to the dish. What is more, cumin adds flavour and aroma to the dish without loading you with calories. Cumin can be used in a variety of cuisines, be it Brazilian, Mexican or Indian. Cumin has been traditionally playing its aromatic roles in Indian, Middle-Eastern, Spanish, Italian, Cuban and Mexican cuisines. The grind cumin can not only add a sense of excitement to the minced meat and vegetable dishes but also make rice and beans more flavoursome. The spice can complement citrusy marinades for chicken or can gel well with barbecue sauce, and can play delightful roles in bread or cornbread batter. Cumin also plays its role in some Dutch cheeses, such as chese, and also is used in some traditional breads from France.Cumin also adds to the taste and warmth of the soups, with its distinctively peppery characteristics.
Healthy Cumin Cumin seeds not only contribute to the taste and aroma of dishes but also have beneficial effects on the body. Cumin seeds are a rich source of iron, which is an essential feature of digestive and metabolic enzymes, and hemoglobin. Hence the intake of cumin in the diet is very much advisable for anaemics, lactating mothers and pregnant women. Cumin seeds also facilitate in digestion and prevent indigestion, diarrhea and nausea. A pinch of raw cumin seeds can afford you immediate relief from the attacks of acidity. That is not all. Cumin seeds are also endowed with antiseptic properties and can be of help in curing common colds. Cumin seeds prevent cough to develop in the respiratory system. The hot nature of cumin helps in drying mucous. Cumin seeds also contribute towards stimulating the secretion of enzymes in pancreas, which facilitates in the absorption of nutrients. They also endow the liver with added potency which helps it to clear the toxins from the body. ■
Apr-May ’12
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PROFILE
Scripting an Enduring
Growth Story By Swarnendu Biswas
T
he Moti Mahal Delux outlets are not just other havens for fine Mughlai cuisine. The intrinsic brand value of the Moti Mahal Delux chain of restaurants derives from the culinary tradition of the ninedecade-long journey of Moti Mahal, whose timeless taste and aroma of Mughlai cuisines have created generations of Mughlai food lovers across India and aboard. Moti Mahal Delux chain of restaurants continues and thrives with the same enduring culinary legacy of Moti Mahal, which is a challenging and painstaking option to choose in these times of fast foods and quick profits,
and when striving for excellence in any field is getting increasingly overshadowed by short-term gains and pragmatism. Therefore, when one meets Yuvraj Kohli one finds it difficult to imagine that this young unassuming man in his twenties with a perennial smile on his handsome face; radiating the glow of innate optimism, happens to shoulder the onerous responsibility of spearheading the impressive growth and more than threedecade-long reputation of Moti Mahal Delux chain of restaurants on his elegant mind. As the Managing Director of Moti Mahal Delux chain of restaurants, Yuvraj’s youthful and dynamic appeal has helped him to ideate and innovate to further enhance the brand. In fact, Yuvraj has shown great enterprise, vision and perseverance to keep the timeless tradition of Moti Mahal thrive among the hearts and linger among the palates of not only the old timers but also among the young fast food generation crowd of the capital and elsewhere, by
Yuvraj Kohli
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Apr-May ’12
PROFILE infusing the seminal culinary offerings with the modern décor, ambience and presentation.
The Spread of Delightful Aromas We can say that the Chefs of Yuvraj’s outlets are still stringently adhering to the timeless recipes of Moti Mahal which are incidentally a closely guarded secret, but those unique amalgamations of spices and gravy are presented in a trendy ambience and décor, which are appealing to the young generation, and also to the not so young people like me and many others. For everybody likes the combination of the best of the change and the best of the tradition, which Yuvraj has been so intelligently presenting; with remarkable consistency. Here it deserves a mention, Moti Mahal Delux chain came into inception in 1973, with the opening of its GK-I outlet in Delhi by Amrit Lal Kohli, the grandfather of Yuvraj and the erstwhile business partner of Kundan Lal Gujaral —the founder of Moti Mahal. Soon the overwhelming popularity of the flavours and aromas of Moti Mahal necessitated the opening of the second Moti Mahal
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Delux outlet in South Extension-II, in 1975. Since then there has been no looking back in this success story, which Yuvraj is presently writing, since 2004 onwards. His illustrious father Sanjeev Kohli has now taken a relaxed backseat, as he is now assured that the future of their legacy is in safe hands. After delighting the guests with authentic Mughlai cuisines for close to two decades, Sanjeev Kohli thought about diversifying his clientele, whom he knew were getting accustomed and friendlier with authentic international cuisines. His thought sprouted into the reality of Princess Garden in 1992, which serves authentic Chinese cuisine from the same building (owned by the Kohlis) which houses the Moti Mahal Delux’s South Extension-II outlet. The building is aptly named as TK’s or Tri Kitchen Bar as it also houses a heady offering from the house of the Kohlis —the Voda Bar & Lounge. This elegant well-stocked bar serving premium liquors in an elegant décor has been attracting discerning crowd of the capital since 2004. Princess Garden has the credit of becoming one of the few
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Moti Mahal Delux—Saket
early fine dining Chinese restaurants in Delhi.
Food for the Soul Presently, the Moti Mahal Delux chain, which did notch up an impressive turnover of approximately Rs.9 crore in the last fiscal solely from its owned outlets, has three owned outlets catering to Mughlai cuisine in Delhi — at Saket, Greater Kailash-I, and South Extension-II respectively. A live band named Astitva adds food for the soul at the Saket outlet, which is a 92 cover restaurant with contemporary
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PROFILE understated décor; attracting an average footfall of 80 per day. As the wonderful aroma, flavour and tastes of Naan, Dal Makhni, Butter Chicken, Rahra Meat, Barra Kebab and many other succulent delicacies linger on the diners’ palate, the soul-stirring and as well as foot-tapping musical repertoire which is played by the band from 8.30 pm to 11.30 pm, help to take them on a gastronomic-musical journey. Recently, Astitva has given music to a Bollywood film named Valentine’s Night. Salman Khan, the lead singer of the live band, has the aesthetic potential to take you to another world with his renderings of ghazals, and the old and new Bollywood numbers. In my first visit to Saket, with Astiva’s help, I was soon transported to an ethereal world where only music, aroma, flavours and taste reigned. Similar experience was lived in my subsequent visits to the outlet. The rapt attention of the guests reflected on Salman Khan’s vocal appeal. “The idea of hosting a live band at our Saket property has paid off handsomely, both in terms of appreciation and revenues, as people get the bonus of great music with great food and drinks,” explained Yuvraj modestly.
The Upcoming Ventures Yuvraj has many ambitious expansion plans which he is in the process of fast actualising. “We are also coming up with a restaurant of Moti Mahal Delux at Rajouri Garden, in west Delhi. The upcoming property would become functional by December 2012. The property would be spread across three floors and a basement, and we are planning to have an authentic Mughlai restaurant, a Chinese restaurant, a banquet hall, and a lounge within the building,” elaborated Yuvraj. The upcoming restaurants and the banquet hall in Rajouri Garden would together house 200 people at a time. Soon Moti Mahal Delux would further extend its exploration into the realm of Chinese culinary zone. In fact, under Yuvraj’s leadership, it is now almost unfair to pass off Moti Mahal Delux chain as a chain of restaurants serving only authentic Mughlai delicacies, though it remains the USP of the brand. Keeping with the international trend, Yuvraj, like his father, is also extending the brand value
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season and closes in the winters; that is during December -March. According to Yuvraj, this beautiful 98 cover restaurant in the scenic hill station spruced with colonial heritage attracts uncertain but satisfying footfalls and according to Yuvraj, “we are content with that.”
Exploring Franchising
of Moti Mahal Delux by including high-end Chinese cuisines within the ambit of its future culinary offerings. “We are also coming up with a unique property in South ExtensionII, which will be a singular restaurant serving high-end Chinese cuisines,” averred the savvy young restaurateur, reflecting uncommon entrepreneurial vision. The singularity of the proposed property, which is expected to become a reality in September 2012, is that the restaurant would be a water themed one, with water flowing besides the table. The hanging bar and retracting roof would be other futuristic features of the upcoming property, which would be spread across the third and fourth floor. “When the whether is not conducive to our guests, we will pull in the roof, and when the guests want to enjoy the sun and air we would pull back the roof,” stated Yuvraj, while simply explaining the innovative retractable roof concept. This upcoming Chinese cuisine restaurant in South Extension-II would serve authentic high-end Chinese cuisine, with both its skilled Chefs and raw ingredients would be coming from China. “This upcoming outlet is my dream project whereby we have tried to create a natural environment by affording our future guests a experience of highend fine dining, in an atmosphere dotted with lots of plants and water flowing all over the restaurant,” said the dynamic entrepreneur, his voice betraying his excitement. Besides these thriving and upcoming owned Delhi properties of Moti Mahal Delux, the chain also owns a property in Mussorie, which operates in the
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Recently, Yuvraj’s brand upgradations have taken the franchise route. “I am looking at expanding our footprints through both ownership and franchising routes, and in this regard, we have initiated several franchise operations since 2011. We have introduced franchised properties in Kathmandu, Amritsar, Chennai, Ghaziabad (Indirapuram), and Faridabad,” asserted Yuvraj. To him goes the credit of not only successfully running and managing the owned properties of Moti Mahal Delux but also of initiating and giving momentum to Moti Mahal Delux’s journey through the franchising route. “As a brand with an enduring name, we must optimally explore the business opportunities that some wise franchising decisions can facilitate,” said the business scion with a difference. He acknowledges that franchising is a cost-effective way of giving the name of Moti Mahal Delux a wider reach, but at the same time Yuvraj is extremely careful of not tarnishing the brand image of Moti Mahal Delux by going for indiscriminate franchising. “We select our franchises only after a careful and detailed evaluation of their background, their financial soundness, and their interest and passion to make it big in the realm of food service industry,” asserted the young visionary. The recently opened Fraidabad property (April 2012) carrying the brand name of Moti Mahal Delux, is spread across approximately 5000 sq.ft. This franchised property has a separate banquet facility for 150 persons, besides the 60-seater restaurant, whereas the other recently opened franchised property carrying Moti Mahal Delux’s brand name at Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, comes across as a 50 cover restaurant. In all these above-mentioned franchised properties, our relationship is much more deep than that of a conventional franchiser and franchisee,” stated Yuvraj. I was obviously interested
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PROFILE to know more about these partnerships, to which Yuvraj smilingly obliged. “We help our franchisees in selecting the kitchen staff, spices, kitchen equipment, the right furniture that goes well with the décor of the place, the tandoor, etc. and provides them continual guidance in helping them run their businesses,” explained the talented entrepreneur, while pointing out that, “Succinctly, our involvement with our franchisees is much higher than what you can expect from a conventional franchiser. You can say our franchised ventures are more like partnerships, and obviously, our share from our franchisees is also much higher than what an average franchiser derives from a franchisee in our industry.” Yuvraj is very elated that Mughlai food of Moti Mahal Delux has attracted great popularity in Chennai, especially among its north Indian crowd. “At the property, the average daily footfall during weekdays varies between 100 -200, whereas it goes somewhere around 300 during weekends. The property is doing an average daily sale of about Rs. 40,000 - Rs. 50,000, whereas during weekdays the value of this daily sale escalates from
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Rs.75,000 – Rs.1 lakh or at times more,” elaborated Yuvraj enthusiastically. He also confided to me that Rahul Nath, the owner of the Chennai’s Moti Mahal Delux property, has evinced great interest in opening another franchised outlet with Moti Mahal Delux brand name, in Chennai. That amply speaks of the brand’s appeal in another corner of this vast country.
The New Face of the Industry However, Yuvraj is not content with resting on his laurels. He is continually experimenting with new restaurant ideas in his fertile mind, many of which are absolutely futuristic expressions in the F&B industry. I hope that very soon many of such ideas would see the light of the day, only to revolutinise the Indian food & beverage industry. “I desire to permeate the taste of Moti Mahal across the globe,” said the entrepreneur passionate about expansion. At the same time, his creativity is complemented by his down-
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Moti Mahal Delux—GK-I
to-earth attitude. He doesn’t believe that fine dining should be the exclusive preserve of the high profile crowd. “I have always aspired to make our aromas, flavours and tastes to reach out to the middle class crowd, and I am happy that I have managed to achieve so with my outlets,” affirmed Yuvraj. As I left his Saket outlet for the umpteenth time, with my stomach and soul contended with music and food, and my mind heady with Black Label, I knew that with Yuvraj at the helm of affairs it is not long when the brand of Moti Mahal Delux would acquire a global dimension. ■
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HEALTH
Comfort Food Gets
Haute and Healthy By Kavitha Srinivasa
C
omfort food and healthy food, which are commonly perceived as the two ends of the food spectrum, are now blending fast. All credit goes to some fine dining restaurants, high-end bakeries and fast food brands, which are merging the two with some tweaking and hints of imagination. They don’t miss any opportunity to woo the consumers as they scale up the health quotient with their unusual offerings. India is in the throes of a grand culinary experience, as restaurateurs and bakers are making an earnest effort to present comfort food in a lighter and healthier vein. Given the fact that woodfired pizzas are the latest addiction to a city’s foodscape, Via Milano, a finedining Italian restaurant has given the soft, easy pliable dough a healthy twist.
The Age of Healthy Pizzas The decision has predictably met with approval. “We have a customer base for whole wheat pizzas, wherein most ingredients are nutritive and comparatively healthy. Even if we use yeast, we opt for whole wheat yeast,” said Roger Hessing, Partner, Via Milano, which has a presence in Bangalore and Hyderabad. “We make our pizza sauce from scratch by adding fresh basil,
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Hammer Food & Beverage Business Review
Apr-May ’12
HEALTH oregano, crushed black pepper, minced garlic and of course fresh tomatoes. This is the best way to ensure that it is healthy. A part skim mozzarella is used as a topping as it has less fat and fewer calories,” added Hessing. Toppings include fresh veggies and in case of non-vegetarian pizzas, lean meat is being used. This summer, the restaurant is planning to whip up a complete low calorie menu, as a nutritionist will be on board by then. While the pizzas will remain light and digestible, they may not have cheese at all. While pizza may not exactly be treated as health food, it certainly can be presented as a healthier option and helps keep a check on the cholesterol level and calorie count. “Pizza is generally seen as an indulgence; hence health concerns about having a pizza are generally relegated to the background by consumers and retailers. However, consumers tend to eat out more than before. In the case of convenience foods, the frequency of having that ‘onetime’ indulgence has gone up in urban India. As a result, the health aspect has now caught on with the consumers,”
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highlighted Pratichee Kapoor, Associate Vice-President, Food Services & Agriculture, Technopak Consultants. While the wow lip-smacking factor comes through comfort food, the ongoing gastronomic revolution holds tremendous promise for health food aficionados. Fast food brands like Domino’s have introduced healthier options to keep health conscious consumers coming to them. For instance, it launched ‘Wheat Thin Crust Pizza’ in 2010, positioned as a pizza for the health-conscious lot, with a choice of the fibre-rich, very thin and light crust versions. “Pizza Hut also has come up with a thin crust variant as part of its extensive menu,” added Pratichee. According to her, a brand that stands out in the ‘healthy fast food’ space is Subway, with its focus on fresh, low fat, healthy convenience food. During the last decade of its operations in India, the brand has grown steadily to reach 256 outlets in India. Traditionally, people have used ultra-nurturing food as an escape from stress and that is how they have gained and are still gaining weight. Most
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people binge on comfort food either for taste or for the sake of lifestyle. The layer, texture and buttery feel of these food products address emotional and gastronomic requirements. However, it means an expanding waistline and the thought of it leaves behind a bitter aftertaste. This is because these conventional comfort foods are either high in fat or sugar or both. Sugar and refined flour or maida are regarded as the worst forms of carbohydrate consumption. Nevertheless, with some tweaking in their product profiles, you can still satisfy your craving without unduly compromising your health.
The Right Infusions Brown bread and lettuce sandwich is always preferable to white bread with a mayonnaise spread. Yogurt with a dollop of honey is not only delicious but is also a coolant especially when the mercury level rises. And it is healthy too. Yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, vitamin B6 and B12, and contains useful bacteria, which helps in digestion and improves the body’s immune system. “As a broad guideline, you can reduce the quantity
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HEALTH of fat used in almost any dish by at least 50 percent. This can be done by adding or increasing the quantity of vegetables in the dish, so that at least some of the effects of high fat are mitigated,” felt Sheela Krishnaswamy, an independent diet, nutrition and wellness Consultant. Then, white flour or maida can be replaced with whole wheat flour, especially in breads, burger buns and pizza bases. Roasted or steamed foods can replace fried foods. “Add a salad to your plate along with the comfort food. Sugar-based sweets can be substituted with fresh fruits, served with pine nuts, apricots and a drizzle of honey,” elaborated Sheela, while sharing a tip or two. Overall, the accent is on enjoying great food without putting on a good deal of weight. Celebrity Chefs have also come out with nutritive recipes through TV shows and cookbooks. A case in the point is Seema Chandra, a well-known person in the food space who presents the Guilt Free show on NDTV. The show allows you to enjoy a little bit of everything, as Chandra dishes up something new every week. For instance, desserts are made with oats, and tiramisu can be shaped up as a low calorie variant.
Drink to Your Health When we talk of delectable food, can delectable beverages be far behind? It is only natural that we progress to wine because it is a known fact that crisp wines go down well with epicurean food. However, wine is not just an experience to be savoured, there are some sparkling truths that need to be acknowledged as far as wines are concerned. “People living in certain regions of France have a relatively low occurrence of heart attacks, though they enjoy a high-fat diet. Their healthy hearts may be associated with consumption of red wine that many French people drink with their meals,” explained Krishna
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Shantakumar, General Manager, Aswati Group, which owns eclectic restaurants like Ebony, and On the Edge in Bangalore. Experts have come across a potential link between red wine and health, identifying some specific health benefits that seem to be connected to moderate consumption of red wine. Its antioxidant content may be one of the biggest health benefits of red wine. Antioxidants are molecule compounds that repair cell damage triggered by baneful oxygen byproducts in the body. “Some research has found that antioxidants can help reduce the risk of certain kinds of cancer, heart disease, and diabetes, and red wine is full of them. Researchers from the University of Santiago de Compostela in Spain had revealed that each glass of red wine per day reduced the risk of lung cancer by 13 percent,” explained Shantakumar. The skins and seeds of red grapes contain resveratrol, an antioxidant. Red wine has a high level of resveratrol because the skins and seeds of grapes are fermented in the grapes’ juice. This has shown to protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. “New research unearths that red wine, especially Cabernet Sauvignon, Chianti, and Merlot contains melatonin. Melatonin regulates the body clock, and therefore savouring a glass of red wine before retiring to bed may facilitate your sleep to come easily. Melatonin is also an anti-oxidant, which means it also has anti-ageing and cancer preventative properties,” explained the restaurateur. At a broader level, it is not just red wine. The connoisseurs can raise a toast to all wines as they are blood thinners. “Wine is a relaxant as it is a low impact beverage. If you drink one peg of whiskey, versus a glass of wine, versus a bottle of beer, the amount of alcohol going into the body is the same,” reasoned Devesh R Agarwal, a wine collector. The pace at which the alcohol enters the blood stream makes the difference. Wine enters the
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blood stream most slowly, among the three. Needless to say, it is a pleasurable drink as well. According to Agarwal, rosé can be paired with Indian food. “They have the body of red wine and the crispness of white wine. The combination is ideal for a desi fare,” said Agarwal.
Dark and Delightful As we move beyond this heady trail, we should also realise that certain kinds of chocolates too pack in quite a healthy punch. Chocolate brings to mind images of being sinfully sensuous and loaded with nuts. Many chocolatiers are endeavouring to change this mindset by creating dark and bitter variants of chocolates. The purpose is two-fold, these new-age chocolates are loaded with health benefits and at the same time satisfy taste buds as indulgent food option. Mumbai-based chocolatier Zeba Kohli, the creative mind behind Fantasie Fine Chocolates, never misses an opportunity to play the role of both a friendly host and an educator. “We conduct blind tastings of dark, milk and white chocolates with our friends and customers to gauge preferences. This helps generate awareness about the nuances of chocolates. We also focus on educating all clients, whilst placing orders, by offering complimentary samples and talk to them about dark chocolates,” explained Zeba, the Managing Director, Good Housekeeping Company Pvt. Ltd., which manufactures and markets chocolates under the brand name Fantasie Fine Chocolates. Zeba — the creative chocolatier — has developed an exquisite range of organic chocolates, just to drive home the point that chocolates can also be
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HEALTH made in an organic form and that they are not just mood enhancers sought after for their aphrodisiac properties. “Indians have an inherent sweet tooth, and majority of them have grown up on Indian homemade sweets, which are very sweet! Our palates are usually drawn to milk and sweet desserts rather than aromatic, fragrant dark chocolates, whose flavour lingers in the mouth. It is an acquired taste but is gaining popularity in India,” explained Zeba, who has achieved the cult status in the creation of handmade chocolates. For the uninitiated, dark chocolates contain about 65 percent cocoa and bitter chocolates have approximately 70 percent cocoa. The cocoa content in these variants is more than that of the milk and sugar, which are relatively less expensive ingredients than cocoa. This is why dark and bitter chocolates generally cost more than milk and white versions. As India is a price-sensitive market, dark chocolates are expected to
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have only a niche market, but in that niche market they are having promising appeal. In their own way, many enterprising choco entrepreneurs are making every effort to popularise dark and bitter versions of chocolates, which retain the characteristic delicacy of a chocolate. And for the right reason, of course. This is because dark chocolates contain substances like neurotransmitter serotonin, which acts as an antidepressant. “They contain chemicals called phenols that protect against heart disease and cancer,” highlighted Zeba, the chocolate artisan. That is not all. Dark chocolate also helps in regulating and maintaining blood pressure because of the presence of vital minerals in it like magnesium and copper. And dark chocolate has some cosmetic applications too, which this age with its great premium on looking great simply cannot afford to overlook. Dark chocolates are found to enhance the appearance and texture of skin and help protect it from sun damage, which gives a moisturised, smoother and better look.
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Along with independent chocolatiers, Indian branded chocolates have also created dark and bitter flavours for their discerning consumers. India’s ardent health conscious chocoholics can also check out international variants, considering the fact that foreign brands like Lindt, Hershey’s and Chocolate Stella have flooded the market with dark and bitter flavours, among others. However, being global brands they are priced higher than the locally available variants. But chocolate is now being viewed as luxury shopping and those with deep pockets are expected settle down for dark and bitter chocolates from these brands. So now is the time when you can chomp your way through a pizza teeming with delectable toppings or munch through a chocolate bar, and then top these delightful sensations with a cup of yogurt, and you are not likely to feel the weight of guilt of putting on weight. Comfort food no longer necessarily means guilt food. Welcome to the age of healthy comfort food, which is free of possible adverse health affects. ■
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PUB
The Trail of the Spiced Water By Swarnendu Biswas
A
midst the crowded maze of t he posh Greater Kailash-I market at M Block, adorned with glitzy shops and restaurants, you may chance upon a quaint haven of South Indian coastal cuisines. This is one address, which a discerning food & beverage aficionado of Delhi must note. The restaurant has a wellstocked bar that serves some singular spiced beverages, which I doubt can be found in any other bar of the capital. The restaurant-cum-bar is located at M 24 of the M Block Market of Greater Kailash-I. Welcome to Spice Water Trail (www.spicewatertrail.com), which is positioned as the capital’s first southern coastal cuisine restaurant. Spice Water Trail owes its birth to Alchemist Hospitality, which again is part of the Alchemist Group. Alchemist Group is a Rs.10,000 crore group that currently comprises of 11 companies with over 8,000 employees across India and overseas. Alchemist Hospitality manages a chain of restaurants across India and overseas catering to a variety of cuisines ranging from Pan Asian to European cafe culture and regional.
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Gaurav Sachdeva
Aesthetic Décor But despite the huge branding to back it, the place appears to be very cosy and down to earth with an understated ambience permeating through its portals. A soothing and warm environment with Onyx lit bar counter welcomes you as you enter the place. The Chettinad pillars, temple doors and artworks also contribute to the aesthetic décor of the dining area, and may infuse in your heart a reverential feel. Spice
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Water Trail is spread across first and the second floors. The lounge area is dotted with cosy chairs and low height tables, which enhances the element of relaxation for the guests. On the second floor there is a private dining room, which overlooks the live kitchen where the guests can see the cooking proceedings; tailormade for them. “The place did cost Rs.2 crore to construct, and in the last fiscal of 2011-12, we notched up an impressive turnover of approximately Rs.1.22 crore,” informed the Restaurant Manager of Spice Water Trail, Gaurav Sachdeva. He is confident that the outlet, which is attracting brisk sales, is expected to break even by the end of 2012.
Coastal Cuisines in Delhi The elaborate menu consists of delectable offerings from the coastal states of Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and promises to be a culinary adventure that treats diners to traditional southern delights with a twist and let them savour a variety of the intricate flavours of the South, which include various avtaars of rice, seafood and desserts. By
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complementing the impressive array of sumptuous offerings like Andhra Prawn Curry, Lobster Kudla, Ghongura Chicken Fry, Chettinad Chicken Roast, Vegetable Bondas, Kerala Crab Curry, and a plethora of other predominantly spicy delicacies with the spiced beverages, you can endow your dining experience here with the holistic coastal flavours from South India. The restaurant-cum-bar, which was introduced to the gastronomic landscape of the capital on February 2011, has been attracting 40-50 footfalls on an average, per day. Almost all the guests to the restaurant, according to Sachdeva, have been availing the services of the well-stocked bar too, irrespective of whether they order vegetarian or nonvegetarian dishes, and irrespective of whether they prefer alcoholic or nonalcoholic beverages. Sachdeva is confident of the longterm success of this F&B venture focussing on South Indian coastal cuisines as he believes, “The people of Delhi have now become more experimental over their eating habits and culinary preferences, and in this regard, the launching of a restaurantcum-bar specialising in South Indian coastal cuisines, and having beverages with distinctively spicy southern flavours would give them more room to experiment and afford them with more choices.”
Hoegaarden, Foster, Tuborg, Budweiser among others, some of the innovative and indigenous cocktails served at the bar include the likes of Kokam Martini, Kodumpulli Martini, Tamarind Jacuzzi, and Spice Water Cocktail. Then there is the mojito with cinnamon, ginger and pineapple infusions. Among the non-alcoholic beverages at the bar, Coconut Passion, and Virgin Pina Colada are worth savouring again and again, on repeat visits. “Here we create alcoholic beverages with infusions of tamarind, kokam, kodumpulli, cinnamon and orange peel, and our guests are finding these unique intoxications really exciting,” affirmed Sachdeva. While the Spice Water Cocktail has influences of cinnamon and orange peel, in Tamarind Jacuzi, the concoction of rum, tamarind pulp, and ginger slices helps to create a wonderfully bubbly cocktail, simulating the environment of a Jacuzzi in a glass. Besides the flavour, taste and headiness, these indigenous cocktails can soothe the jaded nerves. Some of these drinks have a health quotient too, as according to Sachdeva, “tamarind improves metabolism and digestion, and also improves immunity, whereas kokam purifies blood.” Sachdeva opines that as we are more prone to diseases in summers, kokam and tamarind-based beverages are especially good for this scorching season. I queried Sachdeva about some ideal combinations of food & beverages at Spice Water Trail. “Spice Water Cocktail and Kodumpulli Martini are perfect combinations with Chettinad Chicken Roast, whereas Tamrind Jacuzi gives a heavenly feel with Mangolorean Sardine Curry and Mangalorean Mixed Vegetables,” conferred Sachdeva. Similarly, according to him, Ghongura
Chicken Fry goes very well with Kokam Martini. Along with the out-of-the-world food and drinks are some unique chutneys, pachadis and pickles on offer too at the elegant restaurant-cum-bar. The raw mango pachadi, mint chutney, coconut and pumpkin chutney, tomato tamarind chutney are only some of the several tangy delights on offer to accompany your gastronomic trip through coastal South India.
Home Cooked Truths The restaurant-cum-bar is not only different in its gastronomic offerings but also in terms of its staff. The Chefs hired over here are not exactly Chefs in the conventional sense. “They basically were the cooks from the rural South India, who have imbibed the cooking styles of their region with which they use to cook at their homes, in their tastes and senses. And the bartender was just a steward who has been thoroughly trained at our outlet to make the delicious spiced drinks,” explained Sachdeva. I asked whether there were any plans of opening more Spice Water Trail outlets across Delhi and other Indian cities, with similar culinary and beverage focus, in the near future, to which Sachdeva said that, “Yes, there are plans to open other restaurants of same specifications in the near future.” We can say that in the near future, the success of Spice Water Trail can spawn the idea and reality of many such innovative restaurant-cum-bars in Delhi, and their eventual acceptance and success would reflect on the fact that Delhi’s F&B choices have over the years become more cosmopolitan and experimental. ■
The Spicy and Heady Concoctions Besides the regular premium heady offerings like JW Black Label 12, JW Red Label, Teachers Highland Cream, single malts, Jim Beam, Bacardi Superior, Old Monk, Smirnoff, Bombay Sapphire, Baileys Irish Cream, tequilas, wines, and a host of beers which includes brands like Stella Artois,
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BARTENDER WATCH
Creatively Focussed on Perfection
A
consistent performer with a proven track record, Manjeet Gole, the Bar Manager at Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar has extensive experience of working with well-known hotel groups like The Oberoi Group, ITC, The LaLiT, Shangri-La amongst others. Besides managing the bar, Manjeet also shoulders key operational responsibilities like assisting the F & B Manager in planning and budgeting the revenues and cost for the food & beverage department. He also assists the team in organising food festivals and developing guest loyalty and retention programme. The excerpts of the interview follow: By Sharmila Chand
How do you define yourself as a bartender?
I am a bartender who loves to mix drinks and serve them with lots of enthusiasm. I love to focus on the art and craft of mixing cocktails, studying the classics, concocting new and exotic drinks, and, overall, in pushing the limits of conventional bartending.
What are the qualities a bartender should have?
I think the bartender should know his/her drinks and should be creative. I mean the bartender should have good knowledge of drinks and ingredients and know how to mix specific drinks. The bartender should also check what his/her guest likes. A good bartender’s customers must come back because of his/her passion to serve them the best. He/she must also have a likeable personality and should understand the guests’ choice. The bartender must also
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have a great reservoir of energy. Also the bartender must make the guests whom he/she is serving feel like they are interesting and important.
beverage and cocktails got me into the right track.
Why did you decide to get into bartending?
I am very good at multi-tasking and in memorising very long drink orders. When I get into the bartending zone, my hands move very fast, as though they have a mind of their own! I have had customers joke that my hands are almost a blur. I don’t think that everyone at the bar needs to have booze, so I try to learn a lot about non-alcoholic drinks too, on a continual basis. I also have the ability to fake happiness even though I am in a very bad mood. I think these are my strengths as a professional.
I studied science & hotel management in college. Then I went to work for a big MNC after college. I found that work to be soulless and uninspiring. Being another cog in the wheel is not my cup of tea. I got into F&B and soon realised I was good at this job. From then onwards, the journey has been very interesting and I want to excel in this profession.
How did you go about getting your first bartending gig? Was it tough to land your first one? My first bartending job was hard to get though I had experience of serving drinks. However, my knowledge of
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What are your strengths as a bartender?
And what are your weaknesses?
I tend to be a perfectionist, therefore I don’t like to delegate work to others. But I have found that in order to develop the organisation, efficient team
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BARTENDER WATCH work is necessary.
What are the challenges a bartender has to face? There are many of them. It is a bit like that of the air-hostesses’ job, where being glamourous and beautiful is an advantage. Moreover, here you may have to deal with drunken people and their moods. Also for this job you need great stamina, as you are required to stand for long hours with full energy.
What is your favourite drink to make? It is mojito. You name the flavour of mojito, and I will make it for you.
And what is your least favourite drink to make? It is Miami Vice, which is a combination of pina colada and daiquiri.
If you have to make a drink for your girl friend, which one will you make
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for her? I would go for green apple mojito. Usually girls like it.
Which kinds of guests you like to serve? All kinds of guests who can afford to drink in the bar, and know how to enjoy their time. And if he/she is a good tipper then there is nothing like it!
What is your pet peeve as a bartender? I get peeved or irked when guests ask for the very first drink to be complimentary.
What is the most interesting/ scandalous thing that has happened to you on the job? Once a beautiful rich girl asked me for a night out!
Who would you want to have a drink with and why? I want to drink with my good friends, so that I can talk in a carefree way and unwind myself.
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Tell us one thing about tending the bar that people might not know It might be interesting to know that bartending is not just about mixing drinks; it involves planning and creativity, and an understanding of peoples’ tastes and moods.
So many bars are opening every day, but according to you how is the business of bars going these days? With the rise in spending power and the growth of the culture of eating out among a section of people people these days, bar business is expanding and flourishing day by day.
What are you passionate about? Working at the bar is my passion. I am passionate about mixing drinks and delighting all my guests.
What is your dream to be fulfilled? To be known as a perfectionist in the field of bartending.
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THEME CUISINE
The Timeless
Flavours of Wazwan By Sharmila Chand
W
azwan is inextricably linked with traditional Kashmiri culture. It is an elaborate multi-course meal in Kashmiri cuisine. Preparation of Wazwan is no less creative and time taking than an art form and is no less than a ceremony. It is a ritual of the culinary culture of Kashmir in which the guests participate together. Wazwan has achieved international acclaim and is served at Kashmiri food festivals. The serving of a Wazwan follows hours of cooking and days of meticulous planning. It is the most formal meal of the paradise on earth, or a troubled valley, whichever way you look at it. Generally Wazwan is restricted to occasions of celebration at homes. A Wazwan takes place with settings for groups of four on the floor where course after course is served; each exclusively prepared with the fresh produce of the region. Guests are seated in groups of four and they together share, partake and savour the delicious and elaborate meal out of a large metal plate called the trami. “The ultimate formal banquet in Kashmir is the royal Wazwan. Of its
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thirty-six courses, between fifteen and thirty can be preparations of meat, which are cooked overnight by the Master Chef known as Vasta Waza, and his team of wazas,” said Mohd. Khalil Sofi of Kashmir, the visiting Chef at The Grand, New Delhi. The ceremony begins by passing around the traditional basin named ‘Tash-t-Nari’ where the diners wash their hands from warm water in a samovar. Then the first trami is served. Conventionally, a Wazwan begins with heap of rice; quartered by two seekh kababs and spruced with four pieces of Methi Korma, two pieces of Tabak Maaz, one piece of Safed Murg, one piece of Zafrani Murg, and the first few courses. As the food on each trami is consumed, it is removed and a new trami filled with other delicacies replaces it. The delicious process continues until the elaborate meal is completed. Yogurt or curd and chutney are served separately in small earthen pots. Seven dishes are a must according to the conventions of Wazwan. They are Rista, Rogan Josh, Tabak Maaz, Daniwal Korma, Aab Gosht, Marchwangan Korma and Gushtaba.
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Recipe : Gushtaba Ingredients
Mutton (Boneless) Mutton Fat Green Cardamom Powder Mutton Stock Yoghurt Cloves Green Cardamoms Black Cardamoms Fennel (saunf) Powder Dry Ginger Powder (saunth) Brown Onion Paste Garlic Paste Ghee Salt Dry Mint Leaves (Crushed)
: : : : : : : : : : : : : : :
1 kg 200 gm 1 tsp 4 cups 5 cups 6-8 4-6 2 3 tsp 3 tsp 3 tbsp 1 and ½ tsp 4 tbsp To taste ¼ tsp
Method Keep the mutton pieces on a stone base block and then pound, using a wooden mallet. Add fat and continue to mince. Add cardamom powder and salt and continue to mince again. Shape the mince into koftas in either round or oval shapes. Heat the mutton stock in a pan. Add koftas and cook for sometime. Heat the pan. Add yoghurt, cloves, green cardamoms and black cardamoms. Cook for sometime. Make paste of fennel powder and dry ginger powder and add to the yoghurt mixture and cook. Add brown onion paste and garlic paste diluted in a little stock. Add salt and ghee and continue to cook. Drain the koftas from the stock and add to the gravy. Simmer for a while. Add crushed, dried mint leaves and mix well. Serve hot.
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THEME CUISINE The meal commences with the Gushtaba ; a velvety textured dish of meatballs in white yogurt gravy. Gushtaba is served piping hot. It is a very exclusive dish, which by the conventions of Wazwan should be never refused. The other main dishes of Wazwan are Maithi Maaz, Lahabi Kebab or Moachi Kebab, Daeni Phoul, Ruwangan Chaman, Waza Kokur, Yakhni, Dum Oluv among others.
The Phirni for dessert and a cup of Kahwah — the green tea flavoured with saffron, cardamom and almonds — follows the meal. Wazwan can be termed as a wonderful gastronomic journey that is also an experience in Kashmiri hospitality. The Vasta Waza generally personally supervises each dish of Wazwan and the ingredients for this meal are hand-picked.
An Ideal Menu for Wazwan Chef Mohd. Khalil Sofi shares with our readers an ideal menu of Kashmiri cuisine, which was part of the Jammu & Kashmiri Food Festival, held at The Grand, New Delhi. Starters Tandoori Mushroom Mushroom and vegetables grilled in a clay oven with a blend of herbs, saffron and spices. Chicken Kanti Supreme of chicken with exotic Kashmiri spices and garlic, cooked in a clay oven. Mutton Kanti Small chunks of meat cooked with onions — the Master Chef’s specialty. Fish Tikka Fish marinated in authentic Kashmiri spices, cooked in a clay oven. Kabargah / Tabak Maaz Roasted lamb rib chops, flavoured with Master Chef’s spices. Main Course I. Vegetarian Ladyer Chaman Kashmiri cheese in yogurt-based gravy; seasoned with turmeric in traditional style. Veth Chaman Indian cheese, cooked in oil and Kashmiri spices, without yogurt, and seasoned with chili peppers. Dama Oluv Potato roundels cooked in Kashmiri spices with generous amount of powdered chilli pepper.
Bhaderwah Rajma Red kidney bean curry. II. Non-vegetarian Kashmiri Roganjosh This is a fine delicacy from Kashmir, which derives its name from red Kashmiri chillies. It literally means red lamb. Gusthaba Chopped lamb with spices cooked in oil, milk & curd. Rista Meat balls in delicious rich red gravy, a culinary delight from Kashmir. MuttonYakhani Yogurt-based mutton delicacy, flavoured with cardamom and saffron. Kokur Yakhani Yogurt-based chicken delicacy, flavoured with cardamom and saffron. Dhania Korma Chicken chunks cooked with exotic spices. Zafraan Kokur Boneless chicken cooked in cashew nut, almond, curd and onion-based gravy, with the flavour of Kashmiri saffron. Staple Food Sheermal Roomali Roti Batta (Rice) Desserts Firun or Phirni Milk custard and crushed rice meal, flavoured with saffron.
Nadru Yakhni Lotus stem in a yogurt-based gravy, cooked in traditional style.
Shufta A dish consisting of dry fruits, cottage cheese and condiments, cooked in thick sugar syrup.
Haak Vangan Turnips cooked with aubergine, in a tangy spicy curry.
Beverages Noon Chai Made with green tea, milk, salt and soda.
Rozmah Gogaji A popular dish consisting of large cuts of turnip, in a delicate flavoured gravy.
Kahwa Green tea made with saffron, spices and almonds.
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“The Wazwan is treated with great respect and its preparation is considered an art. Considerable time and effort are invested into the preparation of the banquet. The traditional number of courses for the Wazwan is thirty-six, though there can be fewer. The preparation is traditionally spearheaded by a Vasta Waza, or Head Chef, with the assistance of a team of Wazas, or Chefs.” — Chef Mohd. Khalil Sofi “It gives me immense pleasure to state that the Jammu & Kashmiri Food Festival, which was held at Caraway, the Indian restaurant of The Grand, New Delhi, has been a great success. The food festival received appreciation of our patrons and even the Waza Mohd. Khalil Sofi, who was specially invited from Kashmir, was happy to see the warmth with which the cuisine was received.” — Vineet Wadhera, Director Food & Beverage, The Grand New Delhi
Mohd. Khalil Sofi — Presenting the Tastes of Kashmir
W
ith an experience of more than twenty years, Chef Mohd. Khalil Sofi is a self-motivated Chef with an inclination towards experimenting with spices and ingredients. A traditional waza from the valley, Khalil found his interest in gastronomy at an early age and decided to pursue it for a lifetime. He has expertise in preparing Wazwan. He loves to cook dishes such as Zafraan Kokur, Meth Maaze, Rista, Rogan Josh, Daeni Phoul, Aloo Bukhaar, Gaade Kufta, Tabak Maaz, Daniwal Korma, Aab Gosht, Marchwangan Korma, and Sheekh Kebab, which are very well received by the food lovers at his food festivals. Planning and organising various culinary festivals and Kashmiri food promotions in hotels and restaurants are among the main areas of Khalil’s professional interest. He had shown his unmatched command over Kashmiri culinary art at a number of food festivals organised by five-star hotels. Apart from conducting food festivals at five-star and other luxurious properties, he has held wedding food festival in Delhi, and food festivals for tourism and travel boards of various states, in association with Jammu & Kashmir Tourism Development Corporation. Khalil’s vast work experience includes international exposure as well. In the past, he has successfully organsied Kashmiri food festivals at Sea View Hotel, and Rotana Hotel in Dubai.
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RESTAURANT
Culinary Extravaganza at India Grill By Sharmila Chand
I
ndia Grill, the multi-cuisine, all day dining restaurant with 24/7 bar lounge is nestled within the premises of Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket. Located in the pulsating hub of the city, stylish decor, live interactive kitchens, and a lavish spread of various cuisines together constitute the USP of the well lit, open and airy restaurant.
For Your Platter Whether one is looking for her/ his favourite tandoori delicacies or a selection of thin crust pizzas, the options here are seemingly endless and delectable — a sumptuous selection that includes freshly baked pizzas, and Indian delicacies like tandoori chicken, barra kebab and jhinga masala straight from the oven. The live pasta counter is again a very popular halt for diners. For those taking the vegetarian route can tuck into some of the sumptuous gastronomic fare such as broccoli and green pea soup with curry leaves and mustard seeds, and Badami nalli ka shorba. Then of course one can spice up the taste buds with Anjeer aur Hare
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Moong ki Seekh, Palak aur Soya ki Tikki and the out-of-the-world Kacchi Mirch ki Seekh. What stands out among the tempting culinary offerings is the idea of allocating a separate room maintained at the right temperature, for the display of salad spread and dessert choices. The 24/7 Bar & Lounge is the perfect place to relax during the day or get your evening geared up for fun. The pretty Wine Wall is outstanding and the bar offers a wide selection of exotic drinks.
The Sleek Décor The design of the restaurant is contemporary, lively and interactive and maintains a casual appeal, with a touch of an efficient al-fresco café style with minimum fuss. The most striking feature of India Grill is the open kitchen concept which involves the guests in the process of food preparation and facilitates in catering to their specific demands. Stylish interiors are complemented by open kitchens with elegant
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design statements of glass and wood. Seating is demarcated between tables and counters and the layout of the dining area blends seamlessly with the bar/ wine library and the coffee lounge. “The menu at India Grill represents cuisines from different parts of the globe keeping in mind the tastes of Indian as well as foreign visitors. We have tried to create an elegant yet a very fun loving place to be with your friends and family, which also happens to be just right for business meetings.” — Shivankar Kodesia, Food & Beverage Service Manager, Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket
Apr-May ’12
RESTAURANT ‘Artful Evolution’ — An Art Exhibition Along with the culinary fare, art aficionados can enjoy the display of works of the renowned artist Pulakesh Mandal, at India Grill. The paintings capture the beauty of life and its everlasting journey of progress. The theme runs as: ‘One must follow the process of adaptation, cooperation and change, without which this life becomes as futile and aimless like a journey without any destination or any motive.’ This philosophy is very apt for India Grill which extends beyond the realm of food and drinks; a welcome move for art lovers, who can now savour great food with great art and thus can have the right nourishment for their soul.
“The menu at India Grill represents cuisines from different parts of the globe keeping in mind the tastes of Indian as well as foreign visitors. We have tried to create an elegant yet a very fun loving place to be with your friends and family, which also happens to be just right for business meetings,” informed Shivankar Kodesia, Food & Beverage Service Manager, Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/Saket.
Meet the Chef Of course behind the success of such a high-end restaurant lies a talented Chef. Armed with over a decade of culinary experience, Chef Avinash Handoo leads the F & B team of the restaurant with extensive knowledge of operations, and team & customer relationship management in the hospitability industry. Chef Handoo’s passion for good food ensures that he brings a fresh approach to the culinary fare at India Grill. In his current role, Chef Handoo, a graduate in hotel management, is responsible for managing the overall kitchen operations at India Grill, including food preparation, presen tation and promotions.
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Recipe By Avinash Handoo, the Executive Chef, India Grill
Methi Chaman – Signature Kashmiri Dish Recipe of Methi Chaman (Serves Four) Ingredients Butter salted Coriander leaves, chopped Coriander powder Cream Cumin seeds Garama masala Garlic crushed Ginger garlic paste Ginger powder Green chilies Fenugreek leaves Murstard oil Onion Spinach
Unit Tbsp Bunch Tsp Tbsp
Paneer Salt Sugar
Cup
Number Number Tbsp Tsp Number Bunch Tbsp Number Bunch
Tsp
Turmeric
Quantity 1 1 1 2 A pinch 1 5 1/2 1/2 7 5 1 1 5 1 As needed 1/2 As needed
Method Wash and boil the fenugreek leaves and spinach and blend it to a coarse paste. Take a pan, add oil, garam masala, cumin seeds and chopped onion. Finely cook till the onions are golden brown in colour. Then add crushed garlic, turmeric, butter, ginger garlic paste, green chillies, and sauté it. Now add salt, the paste of fenugreek leaves and spinach, and sugar. Mix well and then add coriander powder and ginger powder. Cook in a very slow flame till the oil oozes out. After fenugreek has been cooked, add water as needed and cream, and then mix well. Then add sliced paneer and cook for 3-4 minutes. Now add coriander leaves. Serve with chapatti. Prior to his role at Hilton Garden Inn New Delhi/ Saket, Chef Handoo worked as a Senior Sous Chef at the Le Meridian New Delhi where he played a key role in conceptual ising of the food menu of ‘Le Belvedere’ and was awarded the ‘Best Employee of the Month’ at the Le Meridian New Delhi for his superlative performance. It was after joining the Le Meridien, as ‘Chef de Partie’, that he realised that his passion lies in kitchen processes and procedures. Chef Handoo won the 3rd Le Cordon Bleu — IFOWS Culinary Cup in 2006, held at Taj Palace Hotel, New Delhi. “I intend to elevate the level of food
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and service at India Grill in order to make it a coveted destination for our in-house hotel guests and also to its guests from Delhi. I like to experiment and improvise with different flavours and cooking styles, and want to bring the same passion at India Grill. I want to conceive a new menu to suit the taste buds of the discerning patrons,” elaborated Handoo, while adding, “Presently, we are offering a Special Midnight Menu at India Grill which entails an extensive choice of vegetarian and non-vegetarian biryani, accompanied by all-time favourites like Mirch aur Baighan ka Salan and Raita Laccha.” ■
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CHEF VOICE
Exuding Personalised Warmth and Efficiency
H
e adds special flavours to every dish not only through his culinary expertise but also by personally interacting with the guests and trying to fulfill their every desire relating to gastronomy. The good looking, polite and friendly Shailesh Kumar is the Sous Chef of the newly opened hotel, WelcomHeritage Jukaso Ganges, located on the sloped embankments called the Guleria Ghat, on the banks of the river Ganga, in Varanasi. One sight of this unassuming person in the property means a good signal for the guests because there is every chance that he will endeavour to do something extra to make them feel happy. Even if he has to do something beyond the realm of his territory i.e. kitchen, he readily does it simply because he enjoys doing a bit special. “In a place like Varanasi, guests come in a different mood, which is very mellowed and peaceful. I like to enhance their serene experience of being on the ghat of the Ganges by taking personal care. I enjoy talking to them and creating new dishes for them,” elaborated Kumar. Having worked as a Chef De Partie with Jawad Business Group in Saudi Arabia and The Dukes Retreat, Khandala, Kumar is poised to create many more great dishes and make it big in the culinary world. His only dream is to become a great Chef with national and international recognition, and to create more amazing dishes. The excerpts of the interview follow:
By Sharmila Chand
I am like the flowing water of the Ganga; absorbing and moving on. On a less philosophical plain, I would like to define myself as a dedicated Chef who is learning, creating and developing skills every day.
thought the Chef’s work was very glamorous. Soon I seriously pursued the profession by going for a hotel management course. I am very happy about that decision and enjoy my job a lot.
hassled easily and remain cool in tense situations, while keeping the morale of my team high. That I guess is also one of my strengths. That is why my team has lots of regard and trust in me. Furthermore, I like to be disciplined in my duties.
Why did you become a Chef?
What is your strength?
What is your area of expertise?
The capacity to work hard and to work under pressure happen to be my core strong points. I do not get
I have specialised in Continental cuisine though I love to make all types of cuisines.
How do you define yourself?
Right from my childhood, I was passionate about cooking. I was also fascinated by Chef’s uniform and
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CHEF VOICE What is your signature dish? Subzi Meloni, and Pan Seared Chicken are my signature dishes. Both items are hot selling delicacies in WelcomHeritage Jukaso Ganges.
What do you like to do in your free time? In my free time, I always try to browse the net to understand the latest happenings in the culinary world and learn new recipes, etc. I think about new dishes that I can create, try them at leisure and always think how to deliver better. That gives me lots of relaxation.
If you were not a Chef, then what would you have become? If I were not a Chef then I would have been an army officer.
Who were the biggest inspirations in your career? To a great extent my family was my greatest inspiration. Especially from my father, I got lots of inspiration.
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What do you enjoy the most about your work? My work affords me to experiment with new ingredients and create new recipes, which I enjoy the most about my job.
What do you consider to be your best culinary creations till date? I consider simple baked pasta, cooked with home made sauce; mixed with bacon, red pepper, finely chopped garlic and topped with sprinkled parmesan cheese as one of my best creations. Subzi Meloni is another of my culinary creations, which I consider among my best. In this concoction, carrot, beans, cauliflower and spinach play their tasty roles in the environment of brown gravy.
What are some of the qualities that you feel that a successful Chef should have? A successful Chef should have a creative mind and be a hard
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worker. He/she should know the value of time and the value of every guest. Also the ability to team building is another essential quality that a good Chef must possess. The successful Chef should be interactive and above all, must be passionate about his/her job.
What is your dream? My dream is to become a great Chef with national and international recognition. I also want to create more amazing dishes.
What is the position of Chefs in India these days? Chefs are very well recognised and respected all over the world. When I worked in Saudi Arabia, I felt very proud of myself being a Chef. In India too, they are getting good social position these days. I think Indian Chefs need to travel more to understand where the culinary world is progressing.
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TREND
The Festivities Showcasing
Thai Cuisine
G
lobal cuisine is fast making its presence felt in the Indian food and beverage industry. With each passing day, various cuisines from across the globe are receiving attention through food festivals by five-star properties and other stand-alone fine dining restaurants in India. Being a capital, Delhi is having a number of fine dining restaurants in different world cuisines. Now a sizeable section of discerning diners in Delhi and other Indian metros are getting aware of the culinary nuances of various global cuisines. In the arena of global cuisine, oriental cuisines play a great role in our country. Probably Chinese cuisine started the trend and soon attracted the discerning taste buds across urban India. Other Asian and South-east Asian cuisines followed suite. Presently, Thai cuisines are gaining much popularity among India’s fine dining crowd. In the month of April, some fine dining outlets of the capital celebrated Songkran Festival —the festivity associated with Thai New Year — which is observed from 13-15 April every year. The occasion afforded many Delhi people a holistic and authentic taste of Thai cuisines.
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By Tapapriya Lahiri
Feast and Festivity at Songkran Recently, one of the high-end SouthEast Asian and a high-end Pan Asian fine-dining restaurant of the capital— The Spice Route at The Imperial, New Delhi, and Red Zen at Courtyard by Marriott Gurgaon respectively, hosted Songkran with elan. Both the finedining restaurants created a Songkran food menu to mark the festival and pleasantly surprise their diners. The Spice Route at The Imperial hosted the festival with a special four course Thai menu, offering mouthwatering surprises like Kai Yang — charcoal grilled chicken thigh served with spicy, sweet and tangy sauce. Kaeng Cherd Tauhu Nim —clear vegetable and silky bean curd soup, flavoured with sauteed garlic and white pepper powder and garnished with crushed peanuts, and Khai Chieow Kai Sup — omelette with minced chicken, flavoured with light soya sauce. The traditional dessert of Songkaran festival, Tab Tim Grob (water chestnut served in chilled coconut syrup) grabbed the spotlight. Spice Route also showcased a delectable array of Thai dishes with precious herbs like lemongrass,
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asparagus and many more. According to Chef De Cuisine, Veena Arora of Spice Route, “tofu is one main source of protein in Thai cuisine. Tofu, also called bean curd, is a food made by coagulating soy milk and then pressing the resulting curds into soft white blocks. It has a main role in many East Asian and South-east Asian cuisines.” During the ongoing food festivity,
Piyawat
Apr-May ’12
TREND culinary expert and Master Chef Piyawat of Red Zen interacted with the guests to make them aware about the festival and special foods consumed during Songkran. On asking about the USP of Thai cuisine, Piyawat said, “Thai food is known for a medley of three to four fundamental taste senses in each dish or the overall meal. These taste senses are sour, sweet, salty, and bitter.” Thai cuisine has been greatly influenced by its neighbours, especially the cuisines from India, China, Malaysia, and Laos. Here, at the Red Zen, besides the regular A la Carte menu, Thai food connoisseurs were offered a menu relevant to the Songkaran Festival which included Khao Mali (steamed jasmine rice), Pla Nueng Manow (steamed fish with chilli and lemon sauce) and many more scrumptious dishes. Jasmine rice is very special to Thai fine dining. It is a long special grain of exceptional quality, and once cooked, it remains shiny and transparent as the delicate, nutty flavour and rich whiff are very pleasing to the palate. The cooking style of jasmine rice involves steaming it rather than boiling it.
Healthy Ingredients of Thai Taste The variety of different flavours, textures and colours, and the way that the food is being presented make Thai food very exciting and appealing. Thai food is better described as amalgamation of four regional cuisines corresponding to the four main regions of the country — northern, north-eastern, central and southern. Southern curries, for example, tend to contain coconut milk and fresh turmeric, while north-eastern dishes often include lime juice. Thai cuisine is also known for its wide array of condiments that are used during its cooking, which endows the Thai dishes with great aroma. The leading flavour in Thai cooking is nam pla, also called fish soya or fish sauce. Fish sauce, a pale tawny liquid derived from a brew of fish or shrimp, is considered to be one of the chief condiments by many Chefs as the single most important flavouring ingredient in Thai cooking. While expanding on the condiments, Chef Piyawat also added, “Thai cuisine generally uses more raw or quickly fried fresh vegetables, and also fish. They use a lot of lime juice, coriander and chillies. Relying heavily on fresh aromatic ingredients, Thai cuisine has
Apr-May ’12
Veena Arora a substantially spiked spice quotient but maintains a delicate sweet and sour balance.” Good quality fish sauce wafts a singular aroma and flavour of its own, often referred to as umami. The savoury, subtle taste of umami, which comes from glutamate, rounds out other flavours and helps make food taste delicious. Fish sauce also has great nutritional value. It is rich in magnesium, calcium, and Vitamin B6. The indispensable ingredient is made from the water or juice extracted through prolonged salting and fermentation. Another chief ingredient of Thai cuisine is shrimp paste (Gkapi), a concentrated product of salty, finely ground, sun-dried shrimp. Thai shrimp paste has the consistency and colour of thick mud or soft clay. It has a very well-built, fishy flavour. A small amount of this concentrated paste adds a significant, delicious shrimp flavour to foods with which it is cooked. Rich in protein and vitamin B, shrimp paste is an essential ingredient in making chili pastes and curry pastes. When pounded and blended with an array of aromatic herbs and spices, shrimp paste loses its powerful smell and emanates a lovely fragrance to the dish. Roasted chili jam (Num Prik Pao) is made primarily from roasted red chilies and grounded dried shrimp. Precious for its pleasant placid taste, the chili jam adds flavour to soups, including the popular hot-and-sour soup Tom Yam
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Kung, as well as to stir-fried vegetables, shrimps, noodle dishes, salad dressings, and dipping sauces. Because of its sweet taste, roasted chili jam often is spread on toast, crackers, or shrimp chips for a quick snack. Num Prik Pao is also delectable when eaten with rice alone. Lemongrass is also one of the key ingredients in Thai cooking. Lemongrass provides a stimulating lemon flavour and aroma to many Thai dishes. The usage of lemongrass is very beneficial, especially when used in mishmash with other spices such as garlic, fresh chilies, and coriander, for its multiple health benefits. Lemongrass is frequently used in preparing teas, soups, and curries in Thailand. While talking on herbs and ingredients Chef De Cuisine-Veena Arora added, “in Thai and South-East Asian cuisines herbs are considered to be one of the healthy ingredients which help to control blood pressure and cholestrol.” While throwing light on the health part, Master Chef Piyawat of Red Zen added, “Lemongrass is very good for immune boosting and has disease fighting power. Lemongrass helps in solving digestion problems and in countering the loss of appetite. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, also plays a role in Thai cuisine. It is known as an anti-inflammatory agent, which helps to alleviate allergy symptoms as well as arthritis. It is also a powerful anti-oxidant that can safeguard your constitution from affects of toxins and free radicals. Curcumin also safeguards platelets in the blood, which improves circulation and protects the heart.” Thai cuisine is probably incomplete without the use of coconut paste, coconut milk or a coconut powder which acts as a base to all Thai curry sauces. Many independent studies have shown that the saturated fat in coconut milk is beneficial, and is easily metabolised to provide quick energy. Cultures around the globe that depend on coconut as their main source of fat have less incidences of heart disease. ■
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PRODUCT PREVIEW Munch on with Mayonnaise
The Kavisha Foods & Agro Processing India Pvt. Ltd. (KFAP-IPL), the leading food processing company, has a wide array of mouth-watering mayonnaise to cater urban taste buds. Lit Lite, the main brand for the company, which stands for happier and healthier tomorrow, has assured to provide customer/consumer satisfaction. In the production process, the company maintains utmost hygiene, which is big concern in today’s F&B industry. With wide choice of mayonnaise the company is offering, one can customise one’s burger and pizza with élan. The company has a unique design of packaging for different mayonnaise. All the mayonnaise are available in one and two kg pouches. There is an extensive variety of mayonnise on offer. These flavours will surely satiate the mayonnaise lover’s appetite. To beat the heat, lime and mint mayonnaise is a good choice to savour in. Kavisha Food and Agro Processing India Pvt. Ltd. info@kavishafoods.com
Catering Trolley
Raj Kiran Equipment is backed by 15 years of rich industry experience in the field of manufacturing and supplying of a wide range of commerical kitchen equipment, commercial refrigeration equipment, commercial bakery equipment, commercial exhaust systems, commercial LPG systems, and fast food equipment in Delhi. The company supplies all kinds of catering trolleys, food trolleys, and catering equipment required in commercial application. Being a
Cold Rooms
Sea-Bird is a market leader in refrigeration technology. Sea-Bird represents the market with widest range of cold rooms by its own manufactured refrigeration system and evaporators. All refrigeration systems are designed according to the need of
YERA Glass (Shreno Limited)
DUROBOR GROUP SA has appointed SHRENO Limited – ‘YERA GLASS’ as the official distributor of its products in India. This Belgium made range is a very distinctive range of durable and versatile glasses, which can bring to any table quality and style. Durobor is a wellknown brand within the hospitality industry. Its pioneering technology in ’toughening’ glass ensures that its glasses are particularly well-adapted for serving hot drinks, ranging from cocoa or cappuccino to mulled wine and Irish coffee. Durobor also has a ‘Eat’ collection. Their medium, large and larger ‘Eat’ designs accommodate those wishing to use glassware for a more substantial appetiser, first course, salad or side dish. A trademark feature in all Durobor glassware is a heavy base with a bubble inside although there are plenty of other models to choose from that don’t incorporate this distinctive attribute. Shreno Ltd. ashutoshgupta@alembic.co.in
Display Counters
customer focussed organisation, it ensures to provide customisation facility. Over the years, the company has totally dedicated itself in learning about its customers’ choices. This helps it in serving better than its contemporaries. The range of catering equipment includes work tables and service counters, among others. It involves fabricated using of high grade stainless steel and other raw materials. These equipment are durable, sturdy in construction and easy to maintain. The range meets the requirements of hotels, restaurants and food joints. Available in various designs, sizes and other specifications, the equipment range can also be customised as per the application requirements of clients. Raj Kiran Equipment raj.kiranequipment@gmail.com
customers. Seabird Cold Rooms division is customised and designed in modular cold rooms of all sizes. The company serves the customer through cold rooms for fresh food, frozen food, meat, sea food, ice-cream, medical products and many more perishable products. The technical department maintains an international standard and world class technology in its refrigeration system, which provides tremendous efficiency, durability & reliability. The company installs cold rooms for dairy, sea food and meat, hospitality, pharmaceuticals & food processing. The temperature in its cold rooms ranges from +20°C to -80°C. Here, the experts always ensure humidity level as per products, by using dehumidifier and ultrasonic humidifier. Sea- Bird Refrigeration Pvt Ltd vivek.mehta@amoking.com
Kitchen Creations, an ISO 9001:2008 certified company, is one of the leading commercial k i t c h e n equipment manufacturing companies in India. It is specialised in planning of commercial kitchens for hotels, restaurants, hospitals, industrial canteens, fast food joints, etc. by designing equipment, preparation of lay outs/plans for kitchen equipment, and undertaking civil, electrical, plumbing & drainage works, etc. The company understands that good food deserves a good display too. Whether it is a restaurant, canteen, coffee shop or a pub the company offers a wide range of quality food service & display products. The organisation is engaged in offering an extensive array of pastry display counters, which are made by using very superior and premium grade raw materials. Kitchen Creations kitchencreations2010@yahoo.in
T
he information published in this section is as per the details furnished by the respective manufacturer/distributor. In any case, it does not represent the views of Hammer Publishers Pvt. Ltd.
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ASIA FRUIT LOGISTICA
www.asiafruitlogistica.com
BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY International trade exhibition
Hong Kong 5–7 September 2012
Asia‘s Fresh Produce Hub
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2012�9� 5–7 ��
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Indian Representative of Berlin Fairs Maker Towers ‚E‘ � 1st Floor Cuffe Parade � 400005 Mumbai Tel +91 22 66652169 Fax +91 22 66652120 berlinfairs@indo-german.com
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
A D V E R T I S E R ’ S COMPANY
PAGE NO.
I N D E X
COMPANY
PAGE NO.
ADAMI WILMAR LTD.
11
MUNNILAL TANDOORS PVT. LTD.
AKASA
73
NATURES BOUNTY WINES & ALLIED PRODUCTS PVT. LTD.19
ARCTIC SALES INDIA
35
NEENA ENTERPRISES
55
BMS ENTERPRISES
13
OISHII JAPAN 2012
61
DABON INTERNATIONAL PVT. LTD.
07
PARSHADI LAL & SONS PVT. LTD.
25
FCML PROJECTS
23
PETALS PACKAGING COMPANY
20
FINE FOOD INDIA 2012
71
RANS TECHNOCRATS (INDIA) PVT. LTD.
BC
FOOD TECH INDIA KOLKATA 2012
63
RATIONAL INDIA
14
FREEZEKING INDUSTRIES (P) LTD.
67
REMINGTON STEEL ARTS
74
SHAMSONS FOODS
53
GENNEXT LOGISTICS PVT. LTD.
22 SIAL PARIS 2012
01
HONG KONG TEA 2012
45 SIEMENS LTD.
17
HUGHSON NUT
33 STACKWELL
51
IH EXPO 2012
41 STEC STAINLESS STEEL PVT. LTD.
59
THE NEW INDIA ELECTRIC & TRADING CO.
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TREND N DESIGN
37
TREE OF LIFE PVT. LTD.
15
UNITAS FOODS PVT. LTD.
24
VANYA INDUSTRIAL EQUIPMENTS
09
VENUS INDUSTRIES
05
KAMANI OIL INDUSTRIES PVT. LTD.
39
KANHAIYALAL TANDOOR PVT. LTD.
26
KAVISHA FOOD & AGRO PROCESSING INDIA P. LTD.
21
LOOM CRAFTS FURNITURE (INDIA) PVT. LTD. MANISHA INTERNATIONAL
28,29 BIC
16
MEHTA FURNISHERS
49
METAL AVENUES
43
WINTERHALTER INDIA PVT. LTD.
47
MITORA MACHINEX
18
PRODUCT PREVIEW
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BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY
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MRS. BECTOR’S FOOD SPECIALITIES LTD.
FIC
* BC - BACK COVER
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INTERVIEW
Dedicated Towards the Passion to Excel By Sharmila Chand
V
ineet Wadhera, the Director, Food & Beverage at The Grand, New Delhi, is propelled by the objective to create successful food & beverage (F&B) business units. To achieve this goal, he says, “I build on the knowledge of business management and the experience of customer behaviour. The later is gained during the course of my tenure as the F&B Director at both large and boutique hotels in Manhattan, for over the last six years.” Even though he began his career in India, with the passage of time he migrated to the United States where in his own words, “I set out with a humble beginning in New Jersey. By mastering various tasks germane to my profession and continually learning from the challenges, I rose up in the ladder.” The excerpts of the interview follow: 76
What are the top three traits or skills every Food & Beverage Director must have to excel? The job of a Food & Beverage Director requires one to multi-task at all times during the work. However, some of the skills enumerated below could help in the long run. Firstly, she/he must have the ability to create new revenue sources and improving profitability of F&B outlets. The F&B Director must also have the ability of improving client loyalty by creating truly customer service-oriented operations and atmosphere at her/his managed F&B outlets. The F&B Director must also have the ability to attract and retain the staff, and improve the staff performance. What do you enjoy the most about being a Food & Beverage Director? I thoroughly enjoy my professional life and I believe I am fortunate to voice such optimism. The joy of my work motivates me even while facing challenging tasks or stressful situations. Being a foodie at heart, it becomes easier for me to understand the needs of the customers. What is the most challenging task that your job entails? One of the challenging tasks in my job is to find well-trained staff; who can carry out the tasks at hand with excellence. Their dearth becomes more taxing when the new employees decide to switch jobs post training. The process of recruitment and later retention in our industry is a cumbersome one and needs one to exercise great discretion when judging a potential candidate. Since ours is a service-driven industry, customer-satisfaction to a large extent depends on the expertise along with mannerism reflected by the staff. The right expertise along with the right mannerism is often not so easy to find. If you could change one thing about your job, what would it be? I believe I am most fortunate to be working in the industry I am passionate about. At the same time, I hope to work with more cuisines and introduce more exotic menus that have not come to the country yet. I hope to have the opportunity
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to experiment more on the job so that the global Indian who is no more apprehensive about foreign tastes is able to enjoy exotic dishes in his own home turf. Finally, what is the focus of your professional endeavour at the present job? With my position as the Director of Food & Beverage, at The Grand, New Delhi, I have returned to India after a long time; with a vast and diverse experience. The Indian food & beverage market is going through an impressive growth phase and it is interesting to observe the various expenditure nuances of the customers. I plan to harp on this growth, and also on the optimistic market sentiment that comes with this growth to establish each F&B unit of the hotel with a unique proposition for the demanding Indian consumers. What is the USP of your place/ brand? The Grand, Vasant Kunj, New Delhi is a property that is immense not only in terms of its area but also in terms of the varied services that it has to offer to its guests. This larger than life aura of the hotel extends to its F&B outlets as well. We have at the moment seven top-notch outlets that serve the best of cuisines. To list out we have “it” — the Italian cuisine restaurant, Wok Tok — the Pan-Asian outlet, Caraway — the Indian brasserie, Cascades — the all day dining multi-cuisine outlet, G-Bar — the lobby bar, and last but not the least we have Indulge, the pastry shop, along with the Crystal Lounge for quick bites and informal meetings. What is your take on the hospitality business in India, in general? The hospitality business in India is on the rise and its tremendous market potential remains to be tapped. The hotels and other hospitality outlets must focus on their core processes to outline operations in a way so that their products can be delivered in the best possible way without any glitches or time lag. The market is today a demanding one that expects the most efficient of services and there is no room for lacklustre services or glitches in this industry at present.
Apr-May ’12