Hotshots warm to Indian food

GREATER NOIDA: When they are not racing their cars round the debutant circuit here, some of the world's fastest drivers like to tickle their senses with courses of a very different kind -Indian food. Former F1 champion Michael Schumacher, Red Bull's star driver Sebastian Vettel and even F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone have warmed the hearts of chefs at Jaypee Resort and Spa after evincing a partiality for spicy Indian fare. On Friday night, Vettel and Ecclestone spent half an hour trying out Indian dishes at Paatra, the Indian restaurantat the resort. Executive chef Shivanand Kain said Ecclestone is fond of Indian cuisine and loves crisp dishes while Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel like spicy North Indian food. "On Friday, Ecclestone had dinner with his family in Paatra and enjoyed rosemary murg tikka, achari jhinga and garlic naan while Vettel also ate almost the same dishes. But he also likes daal makhni and butter naan," Kain said. He added that almost all the drivers had tried Indian cuisine two or three times during their stay. "Schumacher has come twice to the restaurant and he likes mutton biryani, kebabs, fish tikka and naan." It has been a challenge for the chefs to render Indian dishes keeping F1 drivers' fitness in mind. Taste has to be balanced against calories, protein requirement and carbohydrate content, said Kain. "We Indians believe 'atithi devo bhava' (the guest is God), hence it is our intention to bring all key Indian dishes to the tables of drivers and other team members. A team of 100 chefs is doing its best to win the hearts of the foreigners," Kain said. On Sunday, the resort has planned Food Street, an event for the visitors in which they will be not only served Indian food but also tips on cooking, as part of the stress-busting routine. "A special barbeque will be set up in the evening to serve varieties of Indian kebabs," Kain added.  Meanwhile, Paatra will serve them the regulars - dal Paatra, murg makhni, kebabs, Amritsari chhole, guchchi murg, murg makhni, gosht and subz biryani.Explore here mexican restaurants in delhi and thai restaurants in delhi.
Source "TOI"

Economy slips through leadership gap

After dinner at a tony Delhi restaurants on Monday night,a group of bankers asked themselves whether RBI governor Duvvuri Subbarao would raise interest or hold rates the next morning.The 4-2 majority was in favour of a hold. Next day rates were hiked for the 13th time in a row. Several banks and brokerages criticized the move. After all,12 rounds of hikes hadnt tamed inflation. At MF Global,economist Anjali Verma argued, If the RBIs objective is to stimulate growth, it becomes unclear how a repo rate hike, along with the decontrol of banks savings rates would achieve this goal. But the Banks primary role now is to tame inflation. And by Thursday,when food inflation numbers came in at 11%-plus, ripples of worry spread out across the political system. Higher or lower growth worries business leaders and economists. High inflation eats away at everyones income. Prices have to cool well before elections start, said a senior Congress politician.Elections are due,probably as early as February, in UP, Punjab, Uttaranchal and Manipur. Later in the year, Gujarat will go to polls.The Congress party believes it can do well in all these states.But it fears the anger of the poor over rising prices.Average inflation in the year so far is a bit over 9%, nearly double the 5% rate that the RBI and policymakers are comfortable with. Subbarao expects this to settle to around 7% by early next year. The rate hikes are beginning to work.Typically,interest rates cool prices in organised sectors like manufacturing. And at least in two manufacturing segments, rubber and plastics,and chemicals,inflation is around 8%, lower than the average.As the RBI tries to rein in prices by hiking interest rates, the higher cost of borrowing kicks in,denting some sectors. Last year,Indias car sales zoomed at 30%,this year it could be as low as 2% to 4%. But should we blame the RBI and the higher cost of borrowing for the industry-investment slowdown One way to check if interest rates are the culprit is to check whether banks are lending much less than before.And here the numbers spring a surprise. At the beginning of this fiscal year,bank loans were growing at a healthy clip of around 22%; now, theyve dipped a bit, but the overall growth is still a very respectable 20%. It gets more interesting if you dig into whos borrowing how much: loans to industry are growing nearly 24% now, close to the rates last year and faster than the year earlier; its the same story for services.Personal loan growth is higher now than in the last two years.Clearly, three pillars of the growth story industry, services and consumption are intact. Whats looking shaky is Indias great investment-driven infrastructure story.At 23% growth,lending to infrastructure is cooling off.In earlier quarters,this was growing at rates between 30% and 55%.The only difference between infrastructure and other sectors is one word: government.Not only is the government a major player in these giant projects,it shapes policies and gives clearances that are vital to get large road,port or power projects off the ground.But the government,battered by scams and discord among key players,is a shadow of its former self.Files stay stuck in key departments and the work of building India is grinding to a halt.Dont blame the RBI.Other people deserve the flak.On Diwali as India celebrated the festival,a low-key analyst called Amitabh Dubey,working for a boutique UK-based advisory called Trusted Sources, published a devastating report whose implications havent yet sunk in for most people.Titled, Why Indian politics will exacerbate market volatility, it has a subheading which says,A leadership transition may be forced upon the Congress Party.Dubey minces no words as he writes,Political uncertainty will contribute to market volatility for the next several quarters as the ruling Congress Party grapples with a leadership transition.Manmohan Singh could be gone as early as 2012.The analyst points out that the early compact between Sonia Gandhis welfarist and Manmohan Singhs market-focussed approaches to policymaking has now frayed.He writes, Until about a year ago it seemed that this arrangement would continue successfully,as Singh initiated steps to rein in runaway subsidies and Gandhis advisers prepared the ground for an ambitious,and potentially expensive, Right to Food programme. Click here for restaurants in j.p nagar. However the erosion of Singhs authority as a result of the corruption scandals has changed this equation.Singh is hemmed in as much by graft allegations as squabbling within his government. His ability to overrule cabinet colleagues, as he did in 2010 when pushing through subsidy cuts, has weakened. And the perception that Singh stood by as his cabinet colleagues captured policymaking has definitely hurt him, writes Dubey. Three options are discussed : First,status quo with Singh as PM and the government muddling through; second, a new PM with A K Antony or long-shot Meira Kumar as candidates, and finally, to get Rahul Gandhi into the top job.So that,in black and white,is the real reason why decision-making has stopped,why policy is stuck,why a gridlock in Delhi is stalling the economy.India today isnt spooked by interest rates;its in search of a leader in the corner office.Source"TOI"

Bangalore Metro: Train rolls, trade doesnt

For three years, shops along CMH Road suffered losses because of Metro work. Now that train services have started, people are planning to give their shops a new look to woo Metro commuters. Mathew A of Liberty stores is one among them. “Most big shops have shifted to 100 Feet Road, where it is easier to market one’s product. But with the Metro work completed along the stretch, business will improve although it will take time,” he said. “A number of shops were closed and many others hardly had any business during Metro construction. Even now, they wear a neglected look. We have to give them a new look so that customers start coming here again,” he said. B Shankaran of BP Bakery, too, plans renovation works. “We’ve to paint the shop and made it more spacious for people to stand and eat,” he said.  Raaga Restaurant , too, will be renovated. Its cashier Mohammad Mustafa said renovation works to the tune of `10 lakh had been planned. “We are adding another floor,” he said. But there are many others who are waiting for their businesses to pick up before going in for renovation works. KS Harish, proprietor of Hallmark Franchise, will wait till February to begin renovation works. “For the last three years, there was hardly any profit. With Christmas, New Year and Valentine’s Day coming, we hope to make some gain in the next few months,” he said.  Shivshankar of Kanti Sweets has chosen to wait before reaping a profit after renovation work at the shop. “During festivals, there is good business. By beginning renovation right now, we will lose out. So we’ve decided to wait till January.”  NS Ramamohan, secretary of CMH Road Shops and Establishments’ Association, believes that it will take time for businesses to improve. But he is certain that CMH Road will one day turn into a Brigade Road.  Irshad Ahmed, a shopowner, said that considering the losses many shops suffered during the last three years, investment in renovation was risky now. Click here to Explore More Restaurants in Bangalore . Source “DNA”

Delhi fire brigade gets over 210 calls on Diwali

As Delhi celebrated Diwali bursting crackers, fire fighters were on their toes attending to over 200 calls about fire-related incidents from across the city.The fire brigade received calls from almost all parts of the city but no major fire was reported except for a blaze reported from aRestaurant in south Delhi Hauz Khaz last evening. “We received a total of 210 calls from 00.00 hours yesterday to 8 am today,” a senior fire brigade official said. While the city received 85 calls till 8 pm yesterday, the official said, the remaining 125 calls were received in the next eight hours. Between 6.00 pm and 8.00 pm last evening there were 22 calls. Last Diwali, fire brigade received 211 calls while the number was 267 calls in 2009. In 2008, the figure was 270 and 150 in 2007. The fire brigade had deployed fire tenders in markets which do not have fire stations nearby. “Ninety-nine per cent of our personnel were on duty on Diwali day,” said the official. In Hauz Khaz, the blaze was reported from a four-storeyed building where ‘PrayagRestaurant’ is located soon after its owners held Diwali puja at the premises. No one was injured in the incident as the eatery was closed. Twelve fire tenders were rushed to the spot and the fire was doused. Explore here More Restaurants in Delhi .
Source “the hindu”

Pizza Express look to launch first restaurant in India

Pizza Express are on the brink of officially launching their brand in India after striking up a partnership with the influential Bharti Family Office who will help the restaurant chain establish itself in India.Getting a recognised name in India such as the Bharti Family will give Pizza Express a considerable leg-up as they target this new market as the organisation has links with some of the biggest names in India, having worked in conjunction with all types of leading businesses from everything to the retail and insurance sector, to telecoms and property firms. The decision to take Pizza Express to India may have been influenced by the success of the company’s competitors such as Dominos Pizza and Pizza Hut who have both succeeded in setting up branches in India in the last few years.However Pizza Express is likely to be targeting a different market to their rivals, aiming to attract the discerning middle-class diners in India with their brand of gourmet pizzas instead of targeting the mass fast food market as previous pizza providers have done. The 400 Pizza Express restaurants are currently undergoing the biggest revamp ever seen at the chain in its 46-year history including the introduction of a new logo, and new colour scheme and branding throughout its eateries. Explore Delhi  Restaurants here. The first Pizza Express branch in India is expected to open in the early part of 2012 with the cities of Mumbai and Delhi cited as possible contenders in which to launch the first restaurant. source "pizzanews"

India The next Fast Food Nation

At the DLF Place mall in the upscale South Delhi neighborhood of Saket, shoppers and employees sit more or less side-by-side in a new “desi” food court, digging into traditionalIndian dishes ranging from biryani to dosas to seekh kebabs.There's something for everybody — at many tables three generations are sitting down together. But that's not the reason these traditional upstarts have succeeded in storming what was once the bastion of western brands like McDonalds  and Pizza Hut. Some of the city's most famous restaurants are represented here — some of them a century old — transformed by smart uniforms, cheery signage and shining show kitchens to look every bit as clean, efficient and modern as their multinational competitors. Welcome to the future of Indian fast food. Explore here restaurants in Bangalore . “[Quick Service Restaurants or] QSRs are quite successful in India,” said Arun Chanda, founder of New Delhi-based Mint Hospitality Consultancy. “Over the last five years, a lot of Indian companies have started getting into the franchising model and expanding into different cities.” Credit marketers at DLF for inducing popular brands like Karim's, Nizam's,Moti Mahal, Nathu's Sweets, Rajdhani and Sagar Ratna — which had already launched multiple sit-down Restaurants in Delhi — to experiment with nascent fast-food franchises. source"cnn.com"

Time Out India Food Awards 2011 announced

The gourmet segment in Time Out Mumbai magazine has had a major influence in the food industry and has become a popular segment in the magazine.Now, Paprika Media, which owns Time Out magazine, has announced the first Time Out India Food Awards this year. The Time Out Food Awards 2011 aims to bring together around 1,000 restaurants, hotels owners and chefs from Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata, and create the most credible awards in the food and drinks industry, besides recognising India’s best eateries.“India comprises some of the best restaurants and food joints, which provide the best establishment opportunities to the food and beverage Industry,” noted Nyndia Dias, Marketing Head, Paprika Media. She added, “The TimeOut India Food Awards will create an aspirational value for every chef in India to be part of the nominations and winners. What differentiates these awards from the quintessential food awards is the transparency with which each participating restaurant will be reviewed.” Awards will be given in two segments: one will have a jury or panel of judges that will review food in different categories – namely, taste, ambience, quality, etc. The one that scores highest wins this segment. The other major segment – People’s Choice Award – will allow voters to pick their favourite restaurant from major restaurants in the country.“ We will collate the votes and one with the highest vote wins,” Dias added. Meanwhile, a special website has been created for the Time Out India Food Awards, where leading restaurants from all over India can register till November 1, 2011, post which the voting process for the People’s Choice Award shall begin. Explore here Leading Restaurants in Delhi.  ICICI Bank is the principal sponsor for the first Time Out Food Awards. Speaking on ICICI Bank’s association with the Time Out India Food Awards, Kusal Roy, General Manager, ICICI Bank, said, “Dining out is an important part of our customers’ lifestyle, and our analysis shows that customers dine out approximately four times or more in a month. The idea is to strengthen the customer-connect with dining as a category and deliver more value to our customers.” With the objective to encourage spending in the dining category among customers in India, ICICI Bank has rolled out a programme called Culinary Treats, which offers minimum 15 per cent savings to ICICI Bank Credit & Debit Card customers at over 500 restaurants.“The TimeOut Food Awards have taken place earlier in London and Dubai and are quite sought after in the food and beverage industry,” Dias informed. Click here to view Bangalore Restaurants .  The awards ceremony is expected to attract restaurants/ chefs and celebrities from food, fashion and the Bollywood fraternity. Source “exchange4media”

Indian Platter Goes Casual Eateries Reap Bounty

The changing taste of consumers has made available a wide variety of cuisines to Indian diners, observed restaurateur and entrepreneur Romola Bachchan, a co-partner of the Olive Bar & Kitchen in the capital. "The new consumer is well-travelled and more aware with technology and satellite connectivity. They are more demanding in their preference for food and are moving away from five-star chains to stand-alone restaurants," New Delhi: A large helping of green Tex Mex salad, a handful of tangy olives, chives, noodle, kadhai paneer, potato augratin and naan: the Indian dinner plate cannot get any more global than this. The art of dining is changing in India as the well-travelled and cuisine-conscious foodie -- with moolah to binge on gastronomic adventures -- is moving from star hotels to the informality of the trendy neighborhood eatery. And the restaurant trade is booming.The fare is multi-cuisine, allowing the foodie to jump the dividing lines between eclectic salads, starters and the main courses."If you look at the history of India in the last few centuries, it has drawn people and cuisines from all corners of the planet. The French came to Puducherry, we said come.The Portuguese came, we said come. And the Tibetans came. Who was getting richer?" Vikas Khanna, the new judge of Star Plus Master Chef India-2, told IANS."The Motherland gets richer. The Indians and the Americans are absorbing. I have told President Obama that India is so absorbing," New York-based Khanna, a Michelin star chef, said. Khanna, who has kept the Indian cuisine alive at his restaurant Junoon in New York, says the new Indian food is a reflection of nation's younger generation. Bachchan's eatery caters to the global appetite of Indian diner "with festivals of food from different nations like Greece, France and Germany. A Spanish festival is round the corner. "There is a definite difference between the Indian and the western diner. While the West eats its meals in courses from fixed menus, Indians want a little bit of everything on their plate. We like to taste all," Bachchan said, explaining why Indians like to heap their plates with fare from around the globe at buffets and banquets.Star Master Chef season 1 judge Ajay Chopra, an executive chef at Westin Mumbai Garden City Hotel, says "whenever there is a revolution in any sphere, it is when people travel". "They travel with their cuisines and spices. For the last five years, Indians have been going in and out a lot," Chopra told IANS. The globalization of the platter has also resulted from more Indians eating out.A survey by Franchise India, a business opportunity platform, says, "The average Indian urban consumer today eats out at least once every two weeks on an average, as opposed to once every four weeks in 2003."Sixty per cent of foodies under 30 like to experiment, the study notes."In India, the size of the consumers in the age-group of 22-35 years is quite huge. These are the people trying out new stuff. Youngsters, who go to study in the US and the UK return with international palates," Shalin Gambhir, the executive sous chef at Radisson Blu MBD Hotel in Noida, Restaurants in Noida told IANS.The global journey of the Indian foodie began a little more than a decade ago when Turkish and Mediterranean cuisines captured the country's culinary imagination, Gambhir said, recounting the history of assimilation. "The Zodiac at the Taj in Mumbai introduced fine western dining. It made way for casual dining a few years later with stand-alonerestaurants like Indigo and Olive. They offered Indian and western cuisines. We are now in the era of fusion and nouvelle cuisine -- light fare with more emphasis on presentation," Gambhir said.The arrival of multinational fast food chains further freed the palate. The changing nature of dining has unleashed a boom in the stand-alone restaurant, says Shibu T.P, a leading hospitality consultant."We have lent our expertise and ideas to at least 600 eateries in 30 cities in the last 15 years. Free standing restaurants serve the best food," Shibu T.P. told IANS. Explore Restaurants in Gurgaon Here His new eatery, the Hinglish Colonial Cafe in an essentially Punjabi-dominated neighbourhood in west Delhi, has revived "the Anglo-Indian food from British India with an Indian twist"."The essence of the menu at the cafe is like the word Hinglish -- Hindi and English -- with dishes like the mutton curry stew, nazza -- naan with pizza topping -- chicken tikka and paneer makhani croissant, kaathiroll sandwiches and tiffin meal," the food consultant said. Source “siliconindia”

A Taste of Real India

PEOPLE don’t go to restaurants because they’re hungry, says Andy Lee, executive chef at the Hilton Cape Town City Centre.“When I go out I want an experience. If you’re hungry you’ll stay at home and have a sandwich. It’s about experience and opulence. We’re not here for very long, so we might as well enjoy ourselves while we are.”Lee oversees the Hilton hotel’s two restaurants, Bistro 126 and Mezbaan. The former is located in the Buitengracht hotel’s lobby and offers casual all-day dining. “It’s lifestyle-oriented, more vibrant, funky, healthy and fresh,” says Lee.Then there’s Mezbaan, the hotel’s Indian restaurant. “We even roast our own spice. You walk through the doorway and get hit by the aroma of the spices. And there are so many great flavours.”He adds that the restaurant is slightly unusual in that it’s not as Westernised as most others.“It’s authentic,” agrees Hilton Cape Town general manager Markus Fritz. “Which is really important if you want to go for Indian food.”Fritz has been in town for three weeks, having been transferred from the Hilton in Prague in the Czech Republic.Lee has been with the hotel for three months and after 12 years in South Africa he counts it as home. While each of the restaurants has its own kitchen and team of chefs, Lee is the one they all report to, although he’s quick to say that he’s learning a lot from them as well.“And then there’s Signal Hill Terrace,” says Lee, looking around at the pool terrace where we’re enjoying coffee. “With summer on the way we’re offering fresh summer lunches here and sundowners in the evenings.”With that in mind they’re dreaming up ways to put a fresh spin on what the restaurants have to offer. One of those ideas is a braai and bucket of beer concept they hope to launch next month, which will see guests relaxing on the terrace over weekends, listening to lounge music and jazz, and enjoying a braai with a bucket of beer from one of the city’s local brewers.Explore Connaught Place Restaurants in Delhi.“We’ll also have wines from Signal Hill winery available,” says Fritz.Add the shisha corner and the hotel has all the ingredients to become one of Cape Town’s newest trendy hot spots.What really excites Lee as a chef are fresh, unadulterated ingredients. He recalls the words of three-star Michelin chef Nico Ladenis, with whom he worked for 10 years: “There are too many chefs that take a lemon and try make it look and taste like an orange. Just find the best orange you can,” says Lee.The same goes for all fresh ingredients, like fish. “When I’m speaking with the fishmongers and they’ve just got fresh sardines in, I come up with a dish that I can use them in. That’s gourmet food. You don’t have to stuff it, wrap it in something or pile it up in a tower.”As the weather heats up he’ll be looking more towards cheeses, fresh fruits and vegetables. Look out for morsels like panna cotta with roast berries. “And the desserts will be grilled. Pineapple and strawberries grilled on the braai.”Lee and Fritz are both impressed by the standard and availability of fresh local produce and they are committed to sourcing what they can locally. “We’re blessed by an abundance,” Lee says.While the venue aims to provide top-end quality, Lee and Fritz believe their pricing is in line with other restaurants in the city. “You don’t have to wait until your wedding anniversary to come here,” says Lee.The conversation takes a turn towards some of the dishes they serve including a lamb burger with roast feta and onion marmalade. “Healthy, organic, fresh and authentic – that’s how we want to present our food. And the most important is that it has to be tasty,” says Fritz.The two restaurants are certified halaal, which presents the chef with a few extra challenges. “But that doesn’t mean it can’t be done. It just means we may have to go about things in a different way.” He adds he feels like a Wall Street trader in the mornings with his suppliers. “What have we got today?” As he dreams up dishes inspired by fresh ingredients to grace the specials boards.Some of their upcoming attractions as the festive season inches closer will include a degustation menu which will offer diners a taste of 11 of Mezbaan’s dishes as well as the option of ordering a selection of kebabs to share. “People are often a little nervous of food so they stay with what they know. This way there’s plenty for everyone.”Pinning down Lee’s signature dish is difficult because it keeps changing. And depending on what he has to hand at the start of every day, the scope is endless. “I go to a lovely restaurant every night of the week,” says Lee with a smile. “It’s here. I get paid for my hobby. That’s the secret.Click here to know more about Restaurants in Bangalore ” Source ”iol.co.za”

Where to get the best dining experience

For years and years now,I have been listing out my favourite restaurants in Brunch and in the HT City Food Guide to Delhi. HT City also hands out popular awards, voted for by its readers (The  Crystal Awards) every year. The Crystals are a mark of popularity and success. My awards are much more modest amounting to no more than a list of personal favourites.There are some surprises in this year’s list. For instance, non five star restaurants and outlets have done very well in areas that were traditionally dominated by the hotel sector. For instance, the Best Chinese restaurant, the Best Multi-Cuisine restaurant and the Best Bakery are all standalone operations. I have also instituted a new award for The Restaurant Chain of the year to recognise the growth in this sector.But some things do not change. The Best Indian restaurant award still goes to Dum Pukht. The Orient Express is still India’s best French restaurant. And Pan Asian manages to reinvent itself every year.Best Chinese: Royal China For years and years, this award has gone to the relatively obscure “The Chinese” in Connaught Place. But because the road outside the restaurant has been dug up for months making access difficult, I’m giving “The Chinese” a break this year. There are many more Restaurants in Gurgaon also providing the best Dining Services Instead the award goes to the Delhi branch of Royal China, a London-based chain of separately-owned restaurants. There are already popular Royal Chinas in Bombay but they are not in the same league as the Delhi outpost with its exquisite dim sum, its great roast pork and its perfect stir-frying.The restaurant’s only handicap is its location on the higher floors of an office building in Nehru Place but once you get inside, the food is so good and the view so wonderful that you’ll forget that you are in an office building.Best European: Orient ExpressBest Indian: Dum Pukht Best Japanese: Wasabi,Best Oriental: Pan Asian,Best Brunch: ITC Maurya,Best  Bakery: L’Opera,Multi-Cuisine Restaurant: Setz,Opening of the Year: Le Cirque,Restaurant of the Year: Café Diva,Hotel of the Year: The Oberoi, Gurgaon.Explore Chinese Restaurants in indiranagar Bangalore India   Source"HT"

Kentucky Friend Chicken changes dress code for vegeterian Gujarat

AHMEDABAD: American multinational Kentucky Friend Chicken (KFC) will, for the first time, have its waiters wear different-coloured uniforms while serving vegetarian and non-vegetarian customers to placate protests in Ahmedabad, the Gujarat city it enters later this month. The steps for Ahmedabad include different coloured uniforms for staff members, separate counters for veg & non-veg orders, separate cooking areas indicated by markings on the wall, official sources said. The fast food chain will check into Alpha Mall, a property developed by Gurgaon-based Alpha G:Corp. The KFC outlet will open only by the end of the month."KFC will be opening by the end of October as scheduled. We respect the religious and cultural sentiments of the people of the state and so we have taken adequate care to segregate the vegetarian and non-vegetarian portions of our entire food court," said Prodipta Sen, executive director (retail) of Alpha G:Corp. KFC is one of the 80 national and international brands that will be part of the mall. The mall comes up in the vicinity of a temple and angry residents are on the streets putting up banners in their respective societies asking KFC to "go back". "Ours is a moral protest against KFC. The residential neighbourhood around the mall largely consists of Brahmins, Patels and Jains who are strict vegetarians. Moreover, there are a few temples in the immediate vicinity of the mall. We feel that KFC India  is a hardcore non-vegetarian store and is not in alignment with the culture of the residents living nearby," says Manish Shah, a resident of Sansariya society. KFC first set foot in India in 1996 but shut shop at most places, except for one store in Bangalore, as it ran into trouble with regulatory and animal rights protection bodies. It re-entered in 2005 with a changed strategy that dished out vegetarian menu as well. For Ahmedabad, besides separate utensils even oil used for for vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations will be different. Explore here KFC Menu, KFC Price,KFC Contact Number Source"TET"

Delhi high on F1 promotions

It is October already and the last leg of preparations for the Formula One race is in full swing. The racing event which will take place at the Buddh racing circuit from Oct 28-30 has generated enough excitement among Delhiites. Many popular places in the city have already picked up the F1 theme for month-long promotions and declared it as the ‘flavour of the season.’  Recently, at the V spot café, an original F1 Car was unveiled and was on display so that youngsters could come and strike a pose with the car. Similarly, at Amity University the Red Bull RB7 F1 racing car designed by the Red Bull racing team for the 2011 Formula was on exhibit for students.The Restaurants are also preaparing for it as there can be huge crowed so Restaurants in Noida have great excitement. The city youngsters are happy and thrilled to be a part of India’s first Grand Prix event.  The young racing enthusiasts are also looking forward to see international racers and performers in the capital. Karan Chauhan, a marketing professional says, “I am really surprised how the city is painted red and everyone is talking about F1. This event has already put India in the spotlight and people are booking their seats in advance. Most of the eateries, pubs and restaurants are also putting up big screens to show live F1 racing.”. due to f1 race there will be huge crowed people will look forward for food too.BookMyRestaurant is the platform where you can find the Best Restaurant in the city .Explore BookMyRestaurant and Reserve/Book a table in the Delhi ncr. Explore Restaurants in Delhi Here.

source"Asian age"

Delhis Food Oscars pump up the fun

The Capital’s food buffs helped themselves to a big serving of glitz and glamour as the third edition of annual reader-voted HT CITY Crystals 2011 People’s Choice Awards culminated in a glittering ceremony at ITC Maurya on Sunday night. Our readers voted in lakhs, and based on their judgment, the awards honoured Delhi’s  10 most loved eateries and the best nightout destination, from 120 nominees. “What makes the Crystals different is that it’s the people’s choice, and therefore the most democratic verdict. It’s very encouraging to win the award,” said Akassh Kalra, owner, United Coffee House, voted the Best Café (stand alone).Atul Kapoor, whose restaurant Q’BA won the Best Multicuisine award, said, “It means a lot to me because it’s the people’s choice. It’s a great feeling to be appreciated by our guests.” La Pizza chef Alessandro Sandrolini of Hyatt Regency, whose restaurant clinched the Best Italian award, said, “Our team is honoured by the verdict. Thank you Delhi by choosing us as your favourite Italian restaurant. The food Oscars will always be a great motivator for us.” Vaibhav Singh, general manager, Setz, which walked away with Vir Sanghvi’s Multi-Cuisine Restaurant of the Year award, said, “It’s a great honour to receive the award. I guess it’s our consistent standards that made it possible.” Explore Connaught Place Restaurants in Delhi.While stand-up comedian-emcee Papa CJ kept the audience in splits, it was international percussion group Urban Drum Crew that stole the show with an interactive act that had everyone tapping their feet. For art lovers, there was  painter Vilas Naik, who drew an on-the-spot portrait of the legendary Indian villain, Gabbar. Those seen enjoying the event included the who’s who of Delhi’s social circle. Click here to visit Restaurants in Faridabad .
Source”HT”

Restaurants get tough on diners who book and fail to appear

Some restaurants have done away with reservations altogether rather than deal with customers who leave booked tables empty.Award-winning French bistro Vue de Monde charges $150 a person when customers fail to show or cancel with less than 24 hours' notice.The famous Royal Mail Hotel in Dunkeld charges $50 a person for "spoiled produce" for cancellations made within 48 hours while St Kilda restaurant Golden Fields, which takes reservations only for bookings of eight or more, charges a non-refundable deposit.Press Club marketing manager Jo Reilly said customers were contacted to confirm bookings a few days before their reservation date."We don't have a big problem with it happening but sometimes you simply won't hear back from somebody after they make a booking," she said."What we do with group bookings is confirm the number of guests beforehand and if we have less than 48 hours' notice of a cancellation, that is when we would look at charging a fee."We tend to do booking confirmation primarily because we get a lot of bookings a few months in advance and we want them to remember they've made the reservation."Some of Melbourne's hottest restaurants - including Chin Chin and Cumulus - refuse even to take reservations.Woodman Estate on the Mornington Peninsula requires high tea guests to pay when booking and the payment is forfeited if they fail to appear or cancel with less than 48 hours' notice."High tea is a service that takes two days to prepare all the food and we offer it only on Sunday so if someone doesn't show up, we can't save any of the food," owner Stephanie Woodman said.The restaurant also requires full payment for online fine dining reservations.Explore here Restaurants in Bangalore  and  Seafood Restaurants in Bangalore  in India"If it's a Thursday night in the middle of winter and you have two tables of two, you're unlikely to get walk-ins," she said."If neither of them show up, you might have three or four staff working for no reason."Adelaide University gastronomy expert Prof Barbara Santic said people did not realise the costs and preparation involved in fine dining."If you've been to a top restaurant and spend, say, $150 a person, a table of four is $600," she said."If a table of four doesn't show up, that's a big loss." Source “heraldsun.com” .

Junk Food to be taxed to be cut fat

Some countries will soon levy tax on fast foods to control obesity Soon after announcing that it would be squeezing out ketchup from school cafeterias, France has plans to levy a tax on fizzy drinks  to stamp out a growing obesity epidemic. The country would impose a two-cent tax on cans of carbonated, sugary drinks — double the original projection. French politicians are working to broaden the tax to artificially sweetened sodas such as Diet Coke and Pepsi Max.The new policy will restrict salt and sauces like mayonnaise, salad dressings and ketchup, removing any self-serve condiment stations in school cafeterias. Instead, sauces will be doled out in portion-controlled servings on lunch trays. There are currently many more Restaurants which are serving Fast Food and doing a great Business. People love to eat food in Restaurants. Click here to check the list of  Restaurants in Connaught Place .The move is part of a larger plan to preserve French gastronomy and to fight a growing obesity epidemic that is fast derailing the country’s reputation of being home to a svelte, healthy population that subsists on butter and red wine Denmark also recently levied a new “fat tax” on junk food that will add about €1 in cost per pound (half a kilogram) of saturated fat to any food that contains more than 2.3% saturated fat. The Danes join Hungary, which slapped a fat tax on junk food last month.Closer home, experts believe that such moves can go a long way in generating awareness about obesity among the younger generation. “It’s heartening that the governments of these countries are adopting such measures. In India, kids as young as 4-5 years of age are obese and there has been about 40% increase in the obesity statistics in the last few years,” says fitness expert Prachi Agarwal. Sadhna Sharma, a city-based teacher says, “Even salads come loaded with unhealthy flavourings. Levying taxes on junk food may not change things overnight, but it might make young people think twice before eating junk, as they have limited pocket money.”However, Shilpa Thakur, chief dietician, Indian Institute of Medical Sciences, says, “More than levying taxes on junk, there is a need to create awareness about the disastrous consequences of obesity.” And to make such campaigns effective, Thakur says its advisable to de-junk school and college canteens, by banning junk foods.Explore Here Restaurants in Delhi. Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi too intends generating awareness about the dangers of junk food among Delhiites, especially kids. The Mayor will soon introduce guidelines, asking city restaurants to cut down the ratio of oil, carbohydrates and salt in their preparations.
Source “HT”

food division to be expand

Maiya’s Beverages and Foods said it will be making an initial investment of Rs 60 crore to set up a plant at Kanakapura Road, Bangalore, in a bid to expand its processed food division.At present, the facility, which is functioning near JP Nagar, Bangalore, has an installed capacity to manufacture 65 tonnes of savouries and 30 tonnes of sweets per month. The food products portfolio includes 65 products, which the company plans to increase to 100 shortly.In addition to Japan, where Maiya’s products are presently being exported, the company said it will focus on Australia, Singapore, Gulf and America shortly for exports.“We are working on pan-India presence and also create a global brand. Our target is not India alone. Japan is actually a good market for Indian food products,” Dr Sadananda Maiya, director of Maiya’s Beverages and Foods, said.The company also plans to have six restaurant outlets in six locations across Bangalore in the next six months, in addition to the flagship restaurant in South Bangalore that has a 400 seating capacity spread over five floors. The restaurant leverages technology as part of its effort to minimise human interface at various stages of cooking to ensure high hygiene levels.There are many chinese,North Indian,South Indian,Seafood,  Thai restaurants in bangalore According to Maiya, the processes of the food products that are made in the facility and the restaurant are scientific with key focus on hygiene and health, aimed at reviving the authentic traditional recipes.“In addition to using cholesterol-free oil to fry the food products, we use a unique technology to extract at least 30 per cent of the oil from the final product. We also adopt nano technology to encapsulate moisture in certain food products to increase shelf life, which otherwise goes dry and solid over time,” Maiya said.Explore Here  more Indian Restaurants in koramangala Bangalore.
source "mydigitalfc"

South India to see spurt in hotel rooms

The south Indian hospitality market would see an addition of 14,500 new rooms in 178 star hotels across southern states by the end of year 2012. Increase in rooms as against the demand, especially in cities like Chennai, would keep the room tariff from going high in the near future, according to the Southern India Hotels and Restaurants Association (SIHRA).See Here The list of Multi-cuisine Restaurants in Bangalore. Currently, there are around 44,800 rooms in a total of 595 star hotels in south India — around 243 hotels in Tamil Nadu, 189 in Karnataka, 116 in Andhra Pradesh, 37 in Kerala and 10 in Puducherry. Besides, around 178 hotels in the one-to-five star categories received approval from the government and are expected to be set up during 2012.Speaking to the reporters after the 60th annual general meeting of SIHRA, T Natarajan, honorary secretary of the association, said almost 4,000 more rooms, mainly in the premium segment, would be added in the next two years. At present, there are around 4,400 rooms.The current occupancy rate, especially in Chennai, is around 90 per cent during tourist seasons and 65-70 per cent in offseason.However, adding up new hotels in the lower and budget hotel segments would not see much growth with the current real estate prices. Considering the current real estate prices, setting up of one- star and two-star hotels in major places would not be viable. The star category ranges to only around three to four per cent of the total hospitality industry.The association had earlier suggested the government to allow land on lease for hotel projects. But this has not been considered by various governments so far.Meanwhile, the association elected Bangalore-based hotelier K Syama Raju as new president of SIHRA for the year 2011-12. Other office bearers include Jose Dominic, vice president, in charge of Kerala operations, Ramanatha Bhat, vice president for Karnataka, K Murali Rao, vice president for Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry, and G V Krishnaiah for Andhra Pradesh.he agitation in Andhra Pradesh for separate Telengana is adversely impacting the hotel and restaurant industries in the state, said G V Krishnaiah, vice president for Andhra Pradesh -SIHRA and president, Andhra Pradesh Hotels Association. The turnover took a hit of 30-40 per cent and the lodging 20-30 per cent, especially in places like Hyderabad. Explore HereSouth Indian Restaurants in Bangalore.
Source “business-standard”

Fast food is bulging Indian wastelines

New Delhi - Every lunchtime at a McDonald's on the corner of one of central New Delhi's biggest streets, queues of hungry young patrons, often four-wide and unruly, snake towards the counters.The majority of those standing in line are under 30, most are in Western rather than Indian dress, and almost all in their choice of conversation and style are identifiably part of the much-fabled booming Indian middle class.The only exceptions are the cheaply dressed office assistants who arrive bearing orders for McSpicy wraps or McVeggie burgers for their superiors back in the nearby corporate buildings."My elders say 'don't eat at Mcdonald's because it's not good for your health' but I don't listen to them," said 20-year-old student Salman Khan as he left the store on Janpath with a friend. "It's cheap and tasty."Drawn by a growing and increasingly wealthy population of young people in India, McDonald's aims to increase the number of its outlets in the country from about 200 to 1 000 in the next five years.Yum! Restaurants, which owns the KFC, Pizza Hut and Taco Bell brands, will open 100 new outlets this year in India and also aims to have 1 000 restaurants by 2015, most of the them selling fried chicken."We are going to grow very quickly on the basis of young, nuclear families stepping in, and more and more people moving away from traditional cooking," McDonald's India managing director Vikram Bakshi told AFP earlier this year."We are quick, hygienic, clean and are seen as part of global culture." Explore Here more Indian Restaurants in Delhi .
Source "news24"

Amul enters into quick service restaurant business

Quick service restaurant (QSR) players like Mcdonalds India are all set to see a new competitor as Amul, owned and marketed by Rs 10,000 crore strong Gujarat Co-operative Milk Marketing Federation (GCMMF), is entering this segment by launching its first two quick service restaurants at Ahmedabad and Bangalore Thursday, October 6.“We are launching quick service restaurants at Ahmedabad and Bangalore tomorrow,” said a senior official of GCMMF.Unlike its existing retail outlets which retail the entire range of Amul products under one roof, the new cafes will offer consumers recipes such as pizzas, burgers, sandwiches, dosa, pavbhaji, sundaes and milk shakes apart from the milk products that Amul manufactures.Spread over an area of 1,000-1,050 sq.ft areas at Drive- In road in Ahmedabad and Indiranagar in Bangalore, the Amul restaurants will be run on franchisee basis.“As part of its strategy to strengthen its presence in this segment, Amul plans to roll out total 10 such quick service restaurants across India by March 2012,” said a senior official of Amul, which is Asia’s largest dairy brand.“GCMMF plans to roll out 10 such cafes in Maharashtra, Karnataka,Tamil Nadu. We are working on our pan-India network expansion plan, and would decide on the plan of action within the next two months," R S Sodhi, managing director, GCMMF had informed Business Standard earlier. Explore Here more about Restaurants in Marathahalli and Chinese Restaurants in Marathahalli.It may be mentioned here that Amul already enjoys a strong retailing network for marketing entire range of Amul products. The retailing business contributed around Rs 406 crore to its total turnover during the 2010-11 fiscal. The retailing business grew by 37 per cent year-on-year in previous fiscal.Amul has a strong network of 6,000 retail outlets and it has plans to reach a milestone of 10,000 outlets.
Source “business-standard”

Best Fast Food North Indian Continental Restaurant in Bangalore

Golden Leaf Restaurant is part of The EliteRoyale Hotel in HSR Layout. The multi-cuisine restaurant offers a fine dining experience serving mouth-watering dishes for lunch and dinner. It has an upscale ambience with tasteful interiors.Apart from providing you with the unmatched standards of sophisticated and convenience, the elegant environment at the Elite Royale compliments your luxurious lifestyle along with lips smacking delicacies. Golden Leaf Restaurant is a Multi Cuisine Restaurant offers you with the mouth watering dishes served at buffet lunch and dinner.An exquisitely designed Barbeque Themed Restaurant has the ideal setting for those rare moments of togetherness & treats you with the sumptuous delicacies. The Golden leaf is a fine-dining restaurant which serves authentic cuisines.The ambiance is exquisitely designed themed restaurant. The food is great and tastes very nice.The experience leaves you coming back for more and they know how to please their customers. Here's a wonderful lunch-buffet offer at Golden Leaf Restaurant you can't let go. Finally there is a place in HSR layout which has a very nice aggressively priced buffet, a sexy roof top pub and and a lift that helps you travel beteen them. The location is not far from the U-Bahn and the rooms are clean. On the day we needed to check out, the computer was down and we were in a terrible hurry to get out of there. The staff was helpful and it was a decent enough stay during Oktoberfest.Click here to visit more Chinese Restaurants in Koramangala . Now you can Book/Reservae table Threw BookMyRestaurant and can get discount in each Booking and you can save your money and time Both.
Address
Golden Leaf Restaurant
14, 9th Main, 13th Cross, 6th Sector, HSR Layout, Bangalore
Cuisines : Fast Food, North Indian ,Continental

Adding Wine to Casual Dining not a Piece of Cake

 Barista, Pizza Hut, Nirula’s and Creme Brew L’Otel Le Café, the few coffee chains and casual dining places in India that have recently introduced wine and beer in their Menu with varying degrees of lukewarm response, can take solace from the fact that similar chains in the USA that initiated these concepts to increase profits have also not yet come to terms with the problems and are struggling to keep the idea afloat before rolling out in a bigger way.Stores specializing in fast and inexpensive meals during the day, including Starbucks, Sonic and the New York chain Guy & Gallard, have been experimenting with adding wine and beer to their menu.  Burger King starting selling beer at its more upscale Whopper Bars in the US last year. Prêt a Manger, the British sandwich retail chain maker, is considering adding wine in its new Paris stores.Alcohol is one of the highest-margin items on a menu as selling beer and wine can lead to increased revenue. “Alcoholic beverages are highly, highly profitable,” said Bonnie Riggs, a restaurant industry analyst at the market research firm the NPD Group, according to a report in NYTimes.But some of the chains say that so far, the menu changes have been a lot of trouble with little reward. Logistics involved with selling alcohol can be daunting and expensive. The problems include obtaining licenses, training a staff that has high turnover, slowing down service when IDs have to be checked, and finding a dedicated area for alcohol service- all of them too familiar to entrepreneurs in India.According to one consultant, fast-food restaurants aren’t set up to be bars. Based upon the amount of sales that most restaurants would generate from wine and beer, it’s just not feasible for most restaurants to do it. With so many employees under the legal drinking age of 21 (twenty-one), fast-food restaurants have a particularly hard time when it comes to alcohol service.Starbucks which in all likelihood motivated Barista to start serving wine and beer at two of its Delhi stores (in at least one of them the idea is comatose), is testing wine and beer sales in five stores in the Northwest. Three-quarters of its store traffic in the United States reportedly occurs before 2 p.m. every day, so the wine and beer is meant to attract the customers in the evening. Feedback has been positive so far but it has not announced plans to expand the activity beyond these stores. If we talk about Restaurants in Dwarka There are many more Restaurants providing this service. Burger King started serving alcohol in 2009 by opening Whopper Bars as a more upscale complement to its fast-food locations. Although it has ten Whopper Bars worldwide, it serves beer at only six of them, in part because of licensing issues. Last summer, for instance, it opened a New York location near Times Square and announced that it would start serving beer within weeks, but the store has still not received approval for a liquor license and has given up on plans to serve beer for the time being, according to a spokeswoman.Prêt a Manger sells alcohol in some of its airport locations- like Coffee Café Day at Mumbai Airport and is considering selling wine in its new Paris stores. But, the CEO of the company admits it is not expected to become an important part of the business.Oklahoma City based drive-in chain Sonic, added wine and beer to the menu at a new location in Florida in July. The addition was based on the menus of the nearby restaurants, and  meant to bring in customers at night. “When you stand on our patio and look around, you will see almost every concept that is around us has some type of patio feature, and they serve beer and wine, said the Vice President, Mr. Ritger, adding that it gave them an opportunity to really drive the evening traffic. People also love to eat food in South Indian Restaurants in Delhi .There are additional costs to serve wine or beer. Besides normal hurdles like obtaining a license to sell beer and wine and training employees, the restaurant has to hire security guards to keep away underage drinkers. Some admit that the returns are not commensurate with returns. Therefore Sonic is considering offering wine and beer at an upcoming beach location in Fort Lauderdale but not at all restaurants nationwide.If one is irritated by the seemingly unwarranted objections raised by the anti-alcohol groups in India (even Australia has been in the news for similar reasons lately), it may be at least re-assuring  to know that similar problems occur  when adding anything alcohol-related to a menu in the US too. For instance Burger King tested a nonalcoholic breakfast mimosa made of orange juice and Sprite in some cities last year. But watchdog groups protested, claiming that even a virgin mimosa was inappropriate at a family restaurant.  The mimosa is no longer being served at any restaurants now.
Source “indianwineacademy”

Seven days of super supping

For most people, dining at a five-star hotel involves a bit of financial planning. The best time is the beginning of the month, when you're flush with your salary. Other auspicious days are birthdays and Diwali, which is bonus time. However, this month you can have a posh meal without breaking your piggy bank. Reason: the third edition of Restaurant Week begins on September 19.The concept, borrowed from Restaurant Week in  London and the US, will have 15 restaurants offering a three-course meal of items selected from their menus at a fixed price of Rs 1,000. This time, the participants include five-star restaurants such as San-Qi at the Four Seasons, West View at ITC Maratha and Ziya at The Oberoi and high-end standalones such as Hakkasan, The Table and Indigo.The event, which was launched last September, germinated from a casual conversation between three friends—food professionals Mangal Dalal and Nachiket Shetye and finance pro Azeem Zainulbhai—all of whom view Restaurant Week as an act of culinary activism. "We are trying to showcase restaurants that offer some of the best culinary experiences," says Dalal, who graduates from Le Cordon Bleu in Paris year. "You can have a great meal at Bade Miya's. But it doesn't have the overall ambience." Shetye, a chef at East, a pan-Asian restaurant at Nana Chowk, adds that they plan to make Restaurant Week a bi-annual event and introduce it in different cities every time. This time around, it's Bangalore that will have a Restaurant Week simultaneously with Mumbai.Initially restaurants were reluctant to participate, says Dalal. "They didn't want to be seen as diluting their brands," he says. "I kept telling them that it's celebration of food. Besides, all the restaurants are of a similar stature."But they're enthusiastic about the idea now. During the first Restaurant Week, seven establishments participated, offering to reserve four tables for each day of the event. This time, Shetye says, the 15 restaurants have offered 100-180 tables for the week. "The eventual aim is to take over the entire restaurant for a week," he adds.Chinese Restaurants in Bangalore  and Italian Restaurants in Bangalore  have also Great Crowded. The restaurants look at the event as a way of attracting new customers. "For guests, it's an opportunity to try a new restaurant that they thought they would never go to," says Jeetesh Kaprani, the food and beverage manager at The Oberoi, whose restaurants Ziya and Vetro are participating. "For the price, it's great value for money. So it's a win-win situation for both of us." Anand Nair, the food and beverage manager for The Leela, that's being represented by its Chinese restaurant, The Great Wall, says the event is a marketing opportunity. "Even though our revenue doesn't go up drastically, the number of people visiting increases," he says. "Footfalls are also what we need."This time Restaurant Week has two new side events. On September 21, Olive Bar & Kitchen at Mahalaxmi will host Kitchen Party. It's a ticketed event that allows guests to meet Olive's head chef and two guest chefs, wander about the kitchen, and interact with chefs as they cook and snack on hors d'oeuvres. The other event is Chef's Table Week that runs from September 12 to 18. On offer is a seven-course tasting menu and a chance to chat with the chef. Eleven restaurants, many of which are not part of Restaurant Week, are participating in this. "It gives a platform for a chef to showcase his repertoire in a structured format, says Manu Chandra, executive chef at the Olive in Mahalaxmi and Bangalore. "The menu is more adventurous, we're not sticking to safe norms." Sign up then if you fancy tagliatelle with guinea hen or moussaka 'deconstructed' into its various parts.
Source "TOI"

Navratras have different impact in Delhi and Bangalore

Delhi and Bangalore are witnessing a huge spurt in retail spends with the onset of the festivities. Apart from retail, hospitality sector is also witnessing an unprecdented boom. Restaurants in Koramangala and Indiranagar areas of Bangalore have seen a sudden increase in business esp for the evening slots, as the tired shoppers end their long days at the malls/market with a dinner out. In Delhi on the other hand, the restaurants in Rajouri Garden and Connaught place areas have witnessed a significant drop in business. This is attributed to the 9 days of fasting observed by most North Indians during which they stay away from non-veg and eat only special foods. In fact some restaurants in Connaught Place now have a special section in their menu devoted for those who are fasting during the Navratras

Gala time for foodies this Durga Puja

PATNA: Various restaurants and roadside food stalls opened recently in the city are spoiling the foodies here with choice. Durga Pooja has added flavour to their feast, giving them a wonderful excuse to completely forget about their diet and explore the new restaurants and food joints. The newly-opened outlet of a restaurant chain, 'Journey to Jalandhar', at Frazer Road is dishing out Punjabi flavour to Biharis. It is serving Punjabi cuisine only. "Our staff, including the chefs and waiters, all are from Punjab and we are cooking food in total Punjabi style," said  Manoj Kumar, manager of the restaurant. He also claimed to be serving the best Punjabi lassi here. In view of Durga Puja, the restaurant is also giving discount coupons to its customers. Another Punjabi restaurant that has opened just opposite to 'Journey to Jalandhar' is Chawla's. It opened in September and is receiving heavy footfall. Deepika Sharma, who had come to dine at Chawla's, said, "The waiter told me that cream paneer and cream chicken are their special dishes. And, I actually loved them, they are very tasty." Soumya Lakhmni, manager of Chawla's, claimed that their dishes are famous all over the country and her chefs are all from Punjab. She told TOI that the restaurant is giving 15% off on home deliveries till October. Some other restaurants that have become the favourite hubs of foodies because of their particular menus include 'Delhi Darbar'. Located on the city's Youth Hostel premises, it offers a variety of 'parathas' made by special chefs from Delhi. 'Moti Mahal', opposite P & M mall in Patliputra colony, is luring customers with its tandoori food, and has also opened one more outlet at Jagdeo Path.Dosa Plaza, near Gandhi Maidan, is attracting customers for its more than 100 varieties of dosas and South Indian Dishes and Momos Station at Frazer road for its varieties of momos. 'Rahim's Mughlai Shahi Dastar Khwan' has become famous for its 'Lucknawi Mughlai food' at P & M mall. 'Mad about China' at P & M mall is famous for sea food, Chinese dishes and many more items. Jatin Sinha, who lives as a paying guest in Boring Road area, said, "We don't get much time to prepare our food, so rolls and kebabs are the best options in our limited budget. Explore here more Chinese Restaurants in Delhi . For rolls I usually go to 'Blue Moon' but the recently-opened 'Wrap and Rolls' and 'Roll Mafia' are also offering great taste." "Any combination of rolls one can think of, is available at P & M mall's food court," said Shweta Chaddha. While new restaurants are not planning to give discounts or to launch new food during the  festival , some old ones like 'Ghar Angan' will have a special menu during the four days of Puja. "We are adding 'dahi ke kebab', 'aalo bhutte ka tikka', 'murg haryali kebab', 'murg angara kebab', 'jungle paneer tikka' 'dadad majboosh biryani' and a special Bengali dish 'fish coconut curry' to our menu, especially for Durga Puja," said Shailesh Upadhyay, manager, 'Ghar Angan'. On special request, it would also cook without onion and garlic during Navratra. Source  "TOI"

Service charge leaves many restaurant-goers confused

CHENNAI: It is a choice that leaves many customers puzzled at the end of a meal. With most restaurants levying a service charge of 5% to 10%, customers say they are unsure whether to tip the waiter in addition to paying the charge.Most eateries resort to a blanket service charge to compensate for paltry tips received by the staff, say industry people. But this practice, which has been in existence for more than three years in the city, runs into trouble when customers miss the fine print or are unhappy with the service. "As most restaurants have a service charge, I tip only if I am happy with the service," says Parvathi A, a marketing professional.T Natarajan, honorary secretary of The South India Hotels & Restaurants  Association, says that it is not illegal to levy the charge. "But, if there is a service charge, it should be displayed clearly, especially on the menu," he says.Service charge, unlike the service tax levied by the government, is collected by individual managements from customers for services provided. "It is often the frontline staff like waiters who get tips while those employed in the kitchen and others hardly get any," says Natarajan. The service charge collected is distributed among all staff, usually after taking into account break-ages and other damages, he says.Prakash Kumar, partner of Eatalica, a chain of restaurants, says most of his customers do not tip as they know that the restaurant collects a 5% service charge. But, according to Ashwin Kumar, head of a branding consultancy, what makes a difference is the quality of service. "Food is a personal experience and if somebody goes out of the way to make it special, I leave a tip," says Kumar.There are many more Restaurants in India which are taking service ChargesBut there are a few places in the city where tipping is not encouraged. "We have been trying to ensure from the beginning that the service is good whether or not we get tips," says Harris Abdulla of Fruit Shop on Greams Road, a fresh fruit juice chain. Having the 'no tip' policy has only increased the goodwill and appreciation, says Abdulla. In worst case scenarios, when patrons insist on tipping, the staff brings out a donation box. "Customers can donate to a charity that we support. It avoids embarrassment for both par-ties," he says. Explore more  Italian Restaurants in Delhi, Chinese Restaurants South Indian, Continental Restaurants.
Source "TOI"

Battle against bar in residential area of Bangalore takes a political turn

The opening of a bar and restaurant at a residential area sparked a public protest and political fight between a local corporator and a senior BJP leader.Residents of Prasanna Layout in Herohalli ward were leading a peaceful life until May 5 when Lakshmi Venkateshwara Bar and Restaurant was opened in their area.The facility, owned by a BJP supporter Srinivas, was relocated from Pantarapalya in Nayandahalli.Upset by the presence of the bar, residents complained to AM Hanumanthe Gowda, the local corporator from JD(S), who sought the immediate closure of the facility. But that was not easy as BBMP council’s ruling party leader BR Nanjundappa allegedly directed the Palike not to take action against the restaurant owner.“The shop was opened in the residential area which is a yellow zone mentioned in the revised master plan. After the bar was opened, the local people kept complaining to me and they also staged protests,” Gowda said.When there was no official response to his appeals, he submitted a memorandum to the Bangalore Urban deputy commissioner and excise department seeking the closure of the bar and restaurant citing inconvenience to the public.“While the deputy commissioner gave an order for shifting the bar, the bar owner got a stay in the city civil court which was later vacated,” he said. Gowda again appealed to the urban deputy commissioner for the closure of the bar.“The DC directed the DySP of excise department to inspect the bar and restaurant and give a report. After getting the report, on September 20, the deputy commissioner directed the bar owner to shift the facility from the residential area,” he said.In the meantime, Gowda demanded the BBMP to demolish the building as, according to him, it is an illegal construction. He also complained to the BBMP’s health department that the owner of the restaurant had not taken a trade licence from the Palike for running the restaurant.The BBMP officers, who finally went to inspect the bar and restaurant, had to return empty handed as Nanjundappa had directed them not to take any action against the  Bangalore restaurants  owner, said Gowda.“The bar owner had not taken licence from the BBMP to run the restaurant. When the officers went to close the restaurant, senior corporator (BR Nanjundappa) directed them not to take any action,” said the souce.“It appears the owner had called a minister who, in turn, told the senior corporator not to allow the BBMP officers to take any action. The officers had to return empty handed,” the source added.Gowda alleged that the direction not to take action against the bar owner came from BBMP council leader Nanjundappa. “But the legal cell permitted the BBMP to close the restaurant and the health department seized it on Friday,” he said.“Gowda told us to close both the bar and the restaurant,” the BBMP officer said.“But since the bar doesn’t come under the BBMP purview, we seized only the restaurant,” the officer said adding that it was difficult for officials to work under such situation.Nanjundappa dismissed allegations against him saying that although the bar owner had come to him for favours, he had rejected them.“The owner requested me to influence officials to prevent others from inspecting the bar and seizing it. But I rejected his request. I too oppose bars coming up in residential areas. So I fully back the corporator in his fight,” said Nanjundappa. There are all kind of Restaurants in Bangalore and People also love to eat Food in South Indian Restaurants.
source "Dnindia "

Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor announces special franchise opportunity for women

New Delhi, Delhi, September 29, 2011/India PRWire  Sanjeev Kapoor, celebrity chef, television star, bestselling author and successful entrepreneur today announced a special .opportunity open only to women entrepreneurs to become a franchisee of his rapidly growing chain of restaurants. Speaking on this occasion Master Chef Sanjeev Kapoor said, "When Khana Khazana started 18 years ago it was a pioneering show on Indian television. Today we have launched our own television channel, "Food Food". I would like to thank the women of India for the tremendous support I have received from them over the years in all my ventures, be it television shows, books, or food products. We would like to play a small role towards empowering women entrepreneurs by making franchises available to them on a special basis till 31st October this year. Our success so far came through our passion, dedication, energy and understanding of the Indian consumer. Our mission now is to approach dining with the same passion and to leverage our consumer insights to build world class Restaurants in India  and around the globe"Already with some 25 restaurants in over 12 cities across 3 countries Chef Kapoor's restaurant venture - Indian Cookery Pvt Ltd (ICPL) is looking for a huge scale up of its operations and targets to reach 100 restaurants in the next year. In this project Chef Kapoor has partnered with Better Value Brands whose promoters have over the past few years been responsible for the phenomenal growth of Talwalkars Better Value Fitness, India's largest chain of fitness centre's with over 105 health clubs in over 52 cities as also Brainworks Learning, one of the leading chain of preschools in India with over 50 preschools across the country.According to Mr. Harsha Bhatkal, Director, Better Value Brands Pvt Ltd, "Our learning and understanding of the retail services business as seen through the phenomenal growth of both Talwalkars and Brainworks will be of great value as we take Sanjeev Kapoor's restaurant brands across the world. The power of Brand Sanjeev Kapoor along with his incredible understanding of food will, we hope, enable us to create a paradigm shift in the business. We congratulate Chef Kapoor on taking this step towards empowering the women of India through the medium of food."The coming months will witness Indian Cookery launching a number of restaurants all over India based on different themes and cuisine styles. The flagship brand Khazana is the perfect destination for upscale dining with Indian food while The Yellow Chilli is a casual Indian dining concept and Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor is a super Fine Dinning Restaurant that serves Sanjeev Kapoor authentic Indian and signature dishes. Two new concepts are about to be launched: Sura Vie, will be a Lounge Bar that features contemporary live Indian music while Pin Yin Café will be for casual  Asian Cuisine . With a variety of menus that are enhanced by sophisticated table settings of international standards every restaurant will be managed by a team of chefs and managers certified by Chef Sanjeev Kapoor.
Source “TOI”