Pizza Hut bullish on expansion celebrates 15 yrs

Remember the first time you had a pizza? Quite likely that it would have been at Pizza Hut  – since they were one of the first players to bring the trend of pizzas in India. Starting its journey in 1996 from Bangalore, the brand is celebrating 15 years of its presence in India, making consumers reminisce their first experience at Pizza Hut. The organised casual dining space stands at an estimated $2 billion in India at present and is growing at a rate of 25 per cent year-on-year. Gung ho about its growth in India and buoyed by the industry numbers, Pizza Hut plans to expand Pan Pizzas Pan-India aggressively doubling number of its stores from 131 to 250 by 2015, focusing majorly on tier2 tier3 markets while expanding in the metropolitans. A new campaign has been launched by Pizza Hut to commemorate these 15 years in India. The television campaign comprises of two ad-films that capture the memories of Pizza Hut consumers who reminiscence about their first pizza while enjoying the irresistible pizzas today. The TVCS showcase changes that have taken place in the lives of these consumers and the unchanged taste of Pizzas at Pizza Hut. The commercials also announces launch of 15 new Indian Pan Pizzas with flavours inspired from various Indian cuisines. The campaign that begins from December 24 will continue for 10 weeks with presence on Print, OOH, Radio and Digital media and 6 weeks on television.
Talking to exchange4media on completion of 15 years of the brand in India and the milestones, Sunay Bhasin, Marketing Head, Pizza Hut India  said, “From starting as a QSR to becoming the most loved affordable casualdining restaurant, the journey has been great for Pizza Hut in India. We have evolved in terms of our offerings, menu innovation and experience over these years and constantly delivered to changing tastes of Indian consumers. From 30 items in 2007, we now have 110 items on our menu. We are the category leaders and our endeavours would be to maintain that position.”  Commenting on how Pizza Hut is gearing up to the increasing competition, Sunay added, “It is true that there are many international players setting shops in India now, but that is a great thing for us. It shows that the category is growing fast. But casual dining space is still synonymous with Pizza Hut and we have continued to be voted as the most trusted food brand in this category. We are expanding rapidly now. We added 9 new stores in just last one month and plan to double our stores to 250 by 2015.”
JWT has been the creative agency for Pizza Hut for years now. The current campaign has also been created by JWT Delhi. Talking about the campaign created for 15 year celebration, Jaideep Mahajan, Vice President & Executive Creative Director, JWT Delhi, said “The campaign has a very simple thought 'a lot has changed in your lives in last 15 years but one thing that hasn't, is the taste of the pizzas'. The craving for these irresistible tasty pizzas is what brings you back to Pizza hut. Different characters narrating their experiences of 'My First Pizza' in present, charmingly shows the journey they have gone through in last 15 years. The candidness shot in the films make it very real.” The association has been phenomenal, feels Rohit Sharma, VP & CSD, JWT Delhi who has worked on the Pizza Hut account since last four years. Talking about the new campaign and the brand story over the years, he explained “Pizza Hut in its journey over the years has witnessed a whole generation which has grown up with its great tasting pizzas. Which is why when we at JWT set out to create a communication to celebrate this momentous occasion, we chose to narrate stories which were slice of life and also about Pizzas and much more. Over the years, Pizza Hut has become a place where people come together for great meals, great conversations and where great food acts as a catalyst to inspire social connections. Our brand story has always been good times with great pizzas.” Explore here Restaurants in Delhi . On being asked his best memory while working on the brand, Rohit said, “Winning the most trusted food brand since last seven years has been the most memorable and most satisfying experience while working on the brand.”
Source “exchange4media”

Chennai girl brings home the crown

Even as the year draws to a close, there's happy news for Chennaiites. A city girl has won the Vivel India Miss South 2011 beauty contest, the finals of which was recently held at the Chennai Trade Centre in Nandambakkam. Contestant No 2 and Chennai girl Rohini was visibly surprised when she won the crown, as she faced stiff competition from participants from not only the other south Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala, but also her home town. When the audience shouted out their support for other local favourites, actor Prashant surprised the sparse crowd at a little over midnight by declaring Rohini to be the winner. Rohini was also declared first in the States Category and bagged the Beautiful Skin award as well. Ashwini and Swetha, both from Bangalore, came second and third in the Vivel India Miss South 2011 contest. Earlier, thanks to technical problems, the event started a few hours late. But Balaji, the Master of Ceremony for the evening, kept the mood lively with his funny one-liners. The various dance performances during the five-hour show ranged from being brilliant, to extraordinary to simply forgettable. But a certain few, such as the Chinese dance performance, stood out for their creative choreography. Explore here Spa in Delhi India.
The participants were tested in various categories, including dressing style (ethnic, party-wear, and evening gowns). But the most happening round was the talent round, where the models had to showcase their talents either in dancing or singing. Most of them chose to dance to popular South Indian film hits and a few to classical songs. The dance moves on display by the participants set the stage on fire and was accompanied by many hoots from the crowd. After a couple of rounds, 18 contestants were pruned to eight. They had to answer questions from the judges. Some of the selected participants gave standard, cliched responses, with one saying that she would opt to do social work like Mother Teresa if she won the crown. This customary answer met with boos from the audience. Rohini was asked to chose either her parents or her boyfriend to rush to after she won the crown. She chose the former, stating that her parents would themselves ask her to rush to her boyfriend to celebrate this special moment. At this, the concerned judge, who asked the question, joked, “Now, we know why this Kolaveri happens.” The other two winners gave impressive answers to tilt the balance in their favour. Swetha, who came third, was asked what made a woman complete. She replied that being a woman itself made her complete. She could play different roles and be the reason for the existence of this civilisation, she said. There were also some unique sub-title categories. For instance, Beautiful Neck, which went to Debo from Hyderabad, and Miss Catwalk, which went to Mahaakeerthi from Chennai. Visit here the complete details Beauty parlor in Chennai
Source  “ibnlive.in”

Delhi spoilt for choice this New Year Eve

Delhi, a city defined by variety and conspicuous consumerism, promises not to disappoint this New Year's Eve. As its people gear up to herald the coming year, the city's clubs, restaurants and discos are busy trying to out-do each other with spectacular parties, concerts and events to attract the discerning Delhiite. If you are young and want to drink and dance the night away, there are a number of nightclubs that have promised to stay open beyond 1.a.m. Aside from the numerous pubs around Gurgaon and Noida, Central and South Delhi's pubs have attractive offers too. The average cost can vary between Rs. 2,000 per couple to around Rs.15,000 depending on what is being offered. The cover charges generally include food and liquor.“We will be heading toward Pandemonium in Chattarpur, which has [Singer] Hard Kaur performing in addition to a dance floor and DJ with unlimited drinks, I think we are paying about Rs. 4,000 per couple” said Saurabh, 28.However, most independent discos in the city will not allow stags (single men) to enter unless part of a group. Most discos also said that since passes are already being sold it is better to plan the evening in advance to avoid disappointment. The city also has a lot of hotels that have planned their New Year packages with families in mind.Restaurants in Delhi like Circa 1193 and Rodeo cp are also providing the best deal in the city.You can visit the site bookmyrestaurant.co.in to get the more restaurants details in India
Most five-star hotels have opened all their restaurants with different entertainments on offer. The Lalit's 24x7 restaurant will be allowing children above eight years with an additional charge of Rs.1,750 with couple charges being Rs.8, 600 which covers unlimited liquor and food. Tarot card readings and live band performances are also on offer.The Imperial has also opened around five restaurants with its Royal Ballroom being off-limits to children below eight years. The Rs.13,700 cost is inclusive of taxes and covers beverages and snacks. The other restaurants come cheaper at around Rs.4,000 to Rs.5,000 with live bands and ghazal performances. The hotel also offers the option to switch over to its Royal Ballroom celebrations should the patrons change their mind. Explore here more Restaurants in Delhi.Most other five-star hotels are also offering the same fare of à la carte menus or buffets with accompanying performances like ghazals, live bands with popular celebrity singers and dance floors with DJs. The cost, depending on the liquor on offer or the performances promised, vary from around Rs.3,500 to about Rs.17,000 per couple. Most hotels have already registered substantial bookings. Many bars and restaurants in these hotels also do not allow children, so it is better to enquire in advance. Enquires about special arrangements for parking will also have to be made in advance.
Source "the hindu"

Food Security Bill likely to hurt the poor more

The Food Security Bill cleared by the Cabinet is likely to hurt the poor more than it helps them. India already has 54.7 million tonnes of rice and wheat lying as stocks with the Centre and the states, 29.7 million tonnes of grain in excess of the buffer stocking norm. Offtake of rice in the current fiscal year has been 74% of the allotment, and that of wheat, 64%. The residual will keep adding to the grain mountain with the government, which will rot, due to poor storage, be eaten by rats and be pilfered. By cornering huge volumes of grain, the government reduces the supply in the open market, putting upward pressure on prices.By banning exports every now and then, it depresses prices. This irrationality is set to be replicated on a much bigger scale, if the proposed Food Security Bill becomes law. This is not to say that the goal of ensuring food security for the people is either unworthy or undoable. It is neither.Explore here Restaurants in Delhi
Rather, the government is going about it in the most inefficient, unintelligent fashion possible. The world demand for food is set to climb, thanks to steady growth in the poorer regions of the world and increasing diversion of corn to biofuel. The right way to guarantee every Indian food security is to act to make India a major source of the additional food the world demands, to invest in agricultural growth: in harnessing water for scientific irrigation, in extension of know-how as well as in R&D, in rural roads that provide vital physical linkage to markets, in electronic spot exchanges, in scientific storage and efficient transport logistics, in developing as close a link as possible between the farmer and the first stage of food processing and in providing proper regulation of financial markets in agricultural commodities, futures, derivatives and insurance.The employment guarantee scheme is a vital part of food security, as a self-selecting scheme of doles for the truly needy. Enhancing earning power through farm growth is the right strategy, supplemented with cash transfers to the poor. Instead of doing all this, if investible resources are diverted to gargantuan subsidy, the government would forgo a possible future of prosperity, to lay its hands on a populist present. If we talk about metro cities many people eat food in Restaurants due to there busy schedule, also some people have habitual of eating food in Restaurants, But those are Not under BPL Category .Explore hare Restaurant in Bangalore.
Source "economictimes"

Heal and Relax - Luxury Spa and Beauty parlor in Delhi

The city of Delhi offers many attractions including the majestic architectural ruins of ancient, medieval and colonial periods including the marvelous Red Fort, tombs like that of Humayun's, the glorious India gate and splendid gardens of the likes of the Mughal and Lodhi gardens. With so much packed into this comparatively small city, tourists are spoilt for choice when it comes to devising an itinerary. The latest attractions are the glitzy malls that offer the best brands from Paris and Milan to theme and adventure parks jostling for space with the mystical walled city's old bazaars and havelis, giving this imperial city of historical and contemporary importance a hue which is unique and exciting.
No wonder the city's airports, international and domestic, are choked with flights flying tourists in and out of the city and the hospitality sector is thriving and vibrant. The latest innovation, not yet in the league of mundane services, seems to be luxury Spas which cater to the city weary first class tourists and locals alike and help heal the sore muscles and ease out the stress the fast and cumbersome lifestyle of cities infuses and infects the citizens with. Whether you are touring the city from across the Atlantic or from within the Indian sub-continent, a visit to a luxury Spa in Delhi is highly recommended as the traditional remedies of purely herbal nature and hand picked exercises and massages from all over the world can not only be exciting but can also cure you of the stress our lives are so burdened with. A luxury Spa in Delhi is a synonym for pure bliss and ecstasy as time perfected and age old practices like Yoga and traditional oil massages have such magical impact on the body and soul alike of the guests who check into Delhi hotels. The day Spa includes more modern healing and relaxation options like a sauna bath side by side with acupressure techniques borrowed from the orient. With beauty salon taking care of your skin and hair and massages helping release the accumulated tension, you start healing at the right moment you step into a luxury spa in Delhi. With a modern gym equipped with world's best machines to tone your body or to burn those extra calories you can not help but savor in the Delhi hotels, the entire experience at a luxury spa in Delhi is a complete package as it mixes health and fun in an ambience that almost makes you experience trance and enlightenment without you ever having to move a muscle on your own.Explore Here Spa in Mumbai
source "articles411"

Healthy Chinese Food Options

While many Chinese restaurants now offer a healthier selection on their menu, there’s a healthier Chinese food option still, and that’s to make Chinese food recipes yourself at home. If you deconstruct your favorite Chinese food recipes you will find that you can cut calories and add nutritional value to these dishes by taking sugar out of certain sauces and adding yogurt, honey, or even orange juice instead to sweeten the sauce and reduce the calories. Taking away breading and deep frying can also reduce the calorie count and bring back the wholesome freshness of the ingredients which are so flavorful in and of themselves. Baking can add crispiness to the dishes you usually enjoy fried, and making certain that the soy sauce and other sauces you use are low or reduced sodium is a good way to make your favorite Chinese food healthy as well. Lean cuts of meat, fish and loads of fresh vegetables provide a wonderful healthy stage upon which to perform your lean culinary magic. Ordering at a Chinese food restaurant or cooking at home requires patience. Steaming is always the healthier alternative to frying and doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste. Steamed dumplings instead of fried, steamed rice instead of fried rice and, of course, ordering or using brown rice instead of white rice is always a good, healthy Chinese food option. Explore here restaurants in Bangalore.
Always make sure, when ordering Chinese food take-out or ordering from a restaurant, to go easy on the meat dishes and heavy on the veggie dishes. Loading up on meat can be detrimental to your health and the meat that’s prepared for you in the restaurant may contain more sodium and fat than it would if you’d prepared it yourself. As with any type of food, being careful about portions and knowing when you’re full is also very important. Sometimes, especially if we’re eating in a social situation such as ordering food or going out to dinner with friends and family, our appetite for food is sated but our appetite for the ambience of the dinner table is not.If you’d like to keep enjoying the experience without overdoing it on the food, simply begin drinking water or even green tea.These fluids will help move the sodium of the meal through your system more quickly and will help you stay with the present company in a healthy way. Aqua Bar – the atria hotel in Bangalore is a multi cuisine hotel/restaurants which provides the best dining services.
Source “empowher”

More vulture restaurants to conserve raptors

Vulture restaurant seems to be the latest conservation buzzword to protect these critically endangered and ecologically important raptors. Taking cue from Pakistan and Nepal, at least three such restaurants have come up in the country in the States of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Punjab with another proposed in Madhya Pradesh. Such restaurants claim to be protected sites for these birds where they can be fed diclofenac free carcass. Ranger of Orchha Forest Range in Tikamgarh district of Madhya Pradesh, JP Rawat, who is looking into the proposal to set up a vulture restaurant in the State, said the Forest Department will ensure the animals offered to vultures were not been treated with the banned anti-inflammatory drug before they died.
“Only then the carcass will be transported to this vulture safe zone, which will come up in open forest land,” he said. He said that in order to prevent other animals from feasting on the food of the vultures at the proposed restaurant, forest officials will fence the area besides platforms on which carcasses will be served. The three vulture restaurants in the country are located at: Chitpur in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, Surat in Gujrat and third at Hoshiyarpur in Punjab. Diclofenac is an anti-inflammatory drug widely used for treating livestock. Consumption of such poisonous meat causes renal failure in vultures, leading to their death within three days. During the past 20 years, 99.9 per cent of Asia’s vultures have died primarily due to diclofenac poisoning.With their disappearance, carcasses of cattle, animals etc are piling up near human habitation threatening health and lives. India had banned the drug’s use in 2006, but it is still readily available and used by farmers, either out of habit or because they do not understand its ecological effects. Experts skeptical, say concept not practical. Explore here North Indian Restaurant in Bangalore .
New Delhi: Notwithstanding the enthusiasm of certain Forest Departments, vulture experts as Bibhu Prakash are not very optimistic on the conservation future of such an exercise. “Rather than the conservation aspect such areas would have more of tourism value of seeing many vultures at one place”. Further, the carcasses lying there may be free from diclofenac, but what if the vultures go and feed themselves somewhere else? he questioned. Similar doubts were expressed by Satya Prakash, vulture biologist and coordinator, Indian Bird Conservation Network, “such concepts are not practical in India”. The test to ensure that the carcass is diclofenac free is an expensive one and difficult to get conducted in the country. Besides, the ultimate purpose of their conservation is to release them in the wild, what happens to them then,” he asked. If we talk about Bangalore Restaurants then there are many best restaurants in koramangala which are providing the fine dining services and people love to eat food there.
Source “dailypioneer”

Surprises from the deep sea @ My Way

It's not every day you get to enjoy the delights of the deep sea, and when you have an entire food festival dedicated to it, the taste buds of the fish-starved go spiralling.  Delhi's calibre to serve up a hardcore seafood menu is often undermined, and foodies happily settle for the tried and tested fish tikkas and prawn fries as the only choices available in this category. The ongoing seafood festival at My Way or The High Way, the lounge restaurant in Noida's Centre Stage Mall, is a step in that direction, debunking the myth that lobsters are cheaper in Goa, and seafood can only enjoyed by the seaside.  Move over boring shrimp noodles and salt n' pepper prawns, for there is an entire world of exotic deep sea delights waiting to be devoured. Why not try out some scallops, lobsters, pomfret with chips or crab cakes? Seafood is refreshing, always light on the palate, not to mention stomach, but it can take more than just a palate to appreciate the nuances. With an audience divided between the staple 'butter chicken' and tandoori delicacies, how bright an idea is it to go ahead with a strictly seafood menu? Justifies owner of My Way or The High Way, Vikram Sharma who is an avid cook himself, "Contrary to popular belief, Delhi does have a lot of seafood, and what better time than winter to enjoy it. Seafood is always for a specific audience, and palates cannot change overnight, but the ones willing to experiment can enjoy scallops, lobsters, jumbo prawns, Basa, Sole, tuna and salmon cooked in Mediterranean style with an Indian bias."
The mouth-watering menu is sure to stir the fish lover in you as you take your pick from blanket wrapped fish fingers, seared scallops with eggplant chips and potatoes, steamed prawn salad with melon and bacon, crab cocktail, pan seared lobster on seafood rice, paprika fried shrimps, grilled jumbo prawns with risotto, whole fish with rosemary potatoes and white wine sauce, Lebanese grilled fish, mussels and squid tossed with spaghetti and what have you. The Indian influence in the menu is apparent from the inclusion of runaway favourites like Amritsari machchi, tandoori pomfret and tandoori prawns in the starters. You will love the sesame fried fish finger served with a white sauce made of vegetables and whipped cream. Even the blanket wrapped fish finger gives out a mild flavour when sampled with salsa sauce. Though, the grilled jumbo prawns with risotto could have been better both for its seafood lenience and use of spices. Tuna lovers should not miss out the juicy 'tuna with garlic Aoli'; the vegetables tossed up with this preparation add pungency to the otherwise bland tuna. The pan grilled salmon also merits a mention for its creative fusion with herb potatoes and garlic butter. There are many more Restaurants in Dwarkawhich are also providing the good sea food. Executive chef Deepak Dhanvariya of My Way or The High Way doles out a few handy tips on preparing seafood at home.
- Hygiene is paramount in seafood
- Steer clear if you have a tendency to get an allergy
- Never blend milk or cream with seafood
- Never overcook as the fish pieces can easily disintegrate
- Rely on taste not authenticity
...and you are good to turn into a seafood lover...forever!
Where: My Way or The High Way, Centre Stage Mall, Sector 18, Noida
When: 1 to 18 December 2011
Source  “toi”

In December Restaurants seems to be Price hiked

December seems to be the month that hoteliers choose to hike their rates and impact one's eating out budget. Last December, the hoteliers had opted for a hike in rates of eatables citing increase in vegetable prices and LPG. This time too, it is a similar story with eateries in the city deciding to notch up their rates in the range of Rs. 2 to Rs. 5 for idlis, vadas and dosas, excluding coffee and tea. Many restaurants and darshinis increased prices on Friday citing escalating price of commercial LPG as the major reason. Oil marketing companies increased the price of a 19-kg LPG commercial cylinder by Rs. 65 from December 1, with the price now at Rs. 1,359. K.N. Vasudeva  Adiga, president of the Bruhat Bangalore Hotels Association, justified the price hike saying that the steady rise in the price of commercial LPG over the last three years has cut into the profits of the hotel industry, leaving them with no option but to increase the cost of food items.
He said, “The increase in prices of different commodities and power also has an impact on the price hike. The rise in petrol prices is adding to the transportation cost.” Correspondingly, the increasing standard of living in the city is an issue with their staff. Restaurant owners have no recourse but to increase wages of their staff. Explore Restaurants in Bangalore here. STAFF CONCERNS : -  “The staff need to be paid more as everything in the city is becoming costlier. A worker who was being paid Rs. 5,000 a month earlier, cannot continue with the same pay. Some workers just quit the job as the pay is not satisfactory. The struggle to maintain a good team has also been a major trigger for the price hike,” Mr. Adiga said.  However, regular customers beg to differ. K. Subbu Krishna, a software engineer, said, “Only last December, the hoteliers had increased the prices by a huge margin. Citing increase in the price of LPG is not right; commercial LPG prices had crossed Rs. 1,400 per 19-kg cylinder when the hoteliers had increased the prices.  ‘NO JUSTIFICATION'  :- Mr. Krishna said the fresh hike comes at a time when the cost of pulses and cereals has almost stabilised. Hoteliers appear to be exploiting the hapless clientele who they know will not move out to roadside food carts because of hygiene issues, he lamented. Blue Spice Bangalore is the Restaurant which is providing the currently Chinese, Continental  cuisine .Pub Facility is also available here. The foodies can eat here their favorite Food Items.