An economy in high gear, changing consumer preferences and evolving palates are driving the restaurant business in India. But the plate is hardly full
By Anoothi Vishal
“They say it about show biz, but there is no other business like the restaurant biz,” declares investment banker-turned-restaurateur Gaurav Rekhi. Rekhi should know– hopefully.
Posted in Restaurants, Trends 
Tags: Chinese Restaurant, Consumer Behavior, Consumer Preferences, Corporates, Execs, Goldman Sachs, High Finance, Hungry God, Investment Banker, Palates, Personal Attention, Profitability, Restaurant Biz, Restaurant Business, Restaurateur, Return On Investment, Returns On Investment, South Delhi, Street Food, Vishal 
Comments OffLe Cirque opens in New Delhi. A candid account of my two visits
By Anoothi Vishal
One of the most awaited restaurants in Delhi this season has been Le Cirque. A branch of the New York restaurant famous for entertaining celebrities (in its hey days, the likes of Ivana Trump, Nancy Regan and so on were the famous “Ladies of le Cirque”), the restaurant is amongst the first big, luxury F&B brands to arrive in India, thanks to a tie up with the Leela group of hotels, whose founding family has been Le Cirque regulars apparently in the Big Apple.
Posted in Destinations, Restaurants, Reviews Tags: Candid Account, Chunks, Circus In Town, Gdp Growth Rate, Innate Sense, International Chains, Ivana Trump, Le Cirque, Leela Group, Leisure Activity, Liberalization, Luxury Brands, Luxury Restaurants, Michelin Star, Middle Brow, Nancy Regan, National Character, Price Sensitivity, Star Type, True Quality Comments OffPizza is the ultimate bonding food. At Business Standard, the newspaper I used to work for, we would order pizzas for birthdays and farewells, because someone had forgotten lunch, because we had had a stressful day or in anticipation of one, because the Indian cricket team or Federer or some obscure football league had won, or just because it was raining…These were, of course, takeaway pizzas, terrible, American-style and bursting with calories.
Posted in Cuisines, Restaurants Tags: Anant, Blue Cheese, Cheese Pizza, Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Farewells, Food Festivals, Foodie, Fun Brain, Indian Cricket Team, Italian Style Pizza, Job Interview, Khan Market, Kitchen Heat, Kukreja, Margharita, Pizzas, Potato Pizza, Sense Of Humour, Sudha, Virgin Olive Oil Comments OffForgetful Elephant
By Anoothi Vishal
In the gastronomic universe, French food is revered, Spanish seen as unutterably chic, Italian as pop but British as mostly crap. Of course, it’s an unfortunate reputation. British pub staples are wholesome, wonderful comfort food that will fill your stomach and gladden your heart while (usually) not costing the earth.
Why are chefs at Amarata, the Oberoi’s contemporary coastal restaurant shying away from the soul of Indian cooking?
By Anoothi Vishal
What is the future of Indian food in India? This is a question that is often debated by chefs, restaurateurs and foodies. And clearly, looking at the spate of big launches in the last two years, one would have to acknowledge that while a wealth of regional and community cuisines lies unexplored, it is what is now known as “contemporary Indian dining” that is taking centrestage.
Posted in Cuisines, Culture in India, Restaurants Tags: Blue Cheese, Coastal Cuisine, Comfort Food, Curries, Fancy Restaurant, Foie Gras, Food In India, Foodies, Gastronomy, Great Expectations, Grouse, Gurgaon, Hot Thing, Indian Cooking, Indian Cuisine, Indian Food, Indian Restaurants, Oberoi, Restaurateurs, Vishal 1 Comment »By Anoothi Vishal
2011 began with some scrumptious food. No, I didn’t make it to the Rs 4,000 brunch at the Aman (sans alcohol), I didn’t even strictly party the night before but rang in the new year in a distinctly homely fashion. Mom made my winter-favourite— aloo tikkis stuffed with the freshest, sweetest of green peas, and pan-fried till the potatoes got crispy and red on both the sides.
Posted in Destinations, Reviews Tags: Biryani, Black Pepper, Chaat, Curd, Family Dinner, Forefathers, Grain Of Rice, Green Peas, Khan Market, Korma, Kulcha, Light Lunch, Morsel, Mutton Curry, Old Delhi, Pan Fried, Rotis, Scrumptious Food, T Touch, True Taste Comments OffDelhiites call it Sirka (vinegar), and indeed new restaurant Circa 1193 has preserved its old-world charm even while dishing out some new age Asian fusion
Anoothi Vishal
One of the charms of living in Delhi is the sense of history that always surrounds you without ever intruding on the present and making you feel that you live in a museum.
Posted in Reviews Tags: Added Attraction, Ambience, Asian Fusion, Banyan Tree, Crowds, Defence Colony, Flavours, Free Reign, Fusion Fare, Khan Market, Loud Parties, Mehrauli, Qutab Minar, Sense Of History, Vinegar, Vishal, Wasabi, Western Meats, Wok, World Charm Comments Off(From a week-long eatathon)
Despite trying to be on a diet this month, I have contrarily found myself in situations where a pizza is sometimes inevitable: A quick lunch with an old friend suddenly struck with a craving for a good cheese pizza, whinning kids, cook going on leave and nothing to cook with at home, birthday meals and, of course, food reviews… How is anyone to lose any weight?
Posted in Anoothi's Ratings, Cuisines, Reviews Tags: Chai, Cheese Pizza, Course Food, Crust Pepperoni, Dalmia, Happy Reunion, Italian Cooking, Khan Market, Margharita, New Delhi, New Diva, Nutella, Old Friend, Onion Relish, Pizzas, Plain Cheese, Quick Lunch, Silver Lining, Thin Crust, Whinning Comments OffFu In Chinese, it means “good luck” and indeed Fu marks a great turning point in the business of restaurants in Delhi—at least, when it comes to Chinese food. Unlike the “family-style”, Indian-Chinese places of yore, this is an anti café with nothing stereotypical about it.
Posted in C'Wealth Cuisines, Cuisines, Reviews Tags: Assembly Line, Beve, Chinese Food, Chinese Restaurant, Chinese Silk, Dim Sums, Dirge, Family Style, Gaurav, Investment Banker, Low Key, Mocktails, Naidu, Ncr, Rekhi, Restaurateur, Silk Screens, Splashes, Takeaway, Tiny Place Comments OffThose who plan a vacation and take car rentals as the best option to move around are very well aware that it is quite expensive. But with the www.usave.com you can get to save on the car rentals. This is normal that if one wants to rent cars for recreation or sports then one has to pay a bit higher sum.
Posted in Special Reviews Tags: Ahead, Car Insurance, Car Rentals, Cars Sports, Discount Car Rental, Discount Sports, Homework, Insurance, Recreation And Sports, Rent Cars, Search Engines, Search Websites, Taxes, Vacation Rentals Comments Off
