Dining

In Indore, Atelier Vโ€™s daring new cocktail menu flirts with ingredients, techniques and stories

In Indore, Atelier Vโ€™s daring new cocktail menu flirts with ingredients, techniques and stories

First, we get in line for poha. Served with crunchy mixture and finely chopped onions, it is best eaten with freshly fried, deliciously sticky jalebis. ย Then come the cocktails, paired with an intricate tasting menu and luxe setting at Indoreโ€™s Atelier V. ย By midnight we head to the cityโ€™s celebrated Sarafa market,ย jostling between hungry crowds, to doย icy jamun shots, eat sweet-savoury khopra potato pattice stuffed with coconut, and kulhad pizza. (Which is exactly what it sounds like.) ย We pause eating only to admire the โ€˜Gold Man,โ€™ who is weighed down with glittering jewellery, and gape at Joshiโ€™s famous flying dahi…
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Why Ganesh Chaturthi is more than modak: Exploring Maharashtraโ€™s culinary traditions, rituals and recipes

Why Ganesh Chaturthi is more than modak: Exploring Maharashtraโ€™s culinary traditions, rituals and recipes

On the first morning of Ganesh Chaturthi, the 10-day festival that marks the arrival of Lord Ganesha into peopleโ€™s homes and community mandals, kitchens come alive before the crack of dawn. Steam curls up from freshly ground rice flour, jaggery bubbles into a sticky syrup, and women gather around to coax delicate pleats into the steamed version of the modak or ukadiche modak. In most homes in Maharashtra, and Goa, the scent of sandalwood incense and marigolds hangs in the air, while children run in and out, waiting to pounce on the sweet dumplings once the aarti ends. The thali…
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Celebrate Independence Day with a Persian culinary journey by Nasrin Karimi in Chennai

Celebrate Independence Day with a Persian culinary journey by Nasrin Karimi in Chennai

If you wish to experience a truly heartfelt meal infused with love, nostalgia and tradition, look no further than the authentic Iranianโ€“Persian home-cooked creations of Nasrin Karimi. From the almond gum and sabja seed based lemon drink to the Persian ice cream infused with saffron and rose water, Nasrin crafts meals that bring together delicate flavours and aromas. Persia on a platter | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement On August 15, Nasrin will curate an exclusive Persian dinner, bringing the rich aromas and flavours of Iran to Chennai. The pop-up menu will offer both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes such as saffroni…
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Hereโ€™s where you should eat this Independence Day weekend in Mumbaiย 

Hereโ€™s where you should eat this Independence Day weekend in Mumbaiย 

Independence Day falls on a Friday this year. Yes, the long weekend kicks off with a dry day โ€” but that just means you can save your bar tab for Saturday and Sunday, when Mumbai comes alive. From new restaurants, menus and limited-edition pop-ups to guest bartenders taking over the taps, Mumbaiโ€™s restaurants and bars are pulling out all the stops. Whether you are in the mood for a lingering dinner, a one-night-only cocktail experiment, or a full-blown food crawl, here is how to make the most of your extra-long break before Monday rolls back around.Drift Go from breakfast to…
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New menus in Mumbai to try this weekend

New menus in Mumbai to try this weekend

In a city that never sits still, it makes sense that its restaurants do not either. Mumbai, with its restless energy and ever-curious diners, thrives on reinvention. And nowhere is that more apparent than in the way restaurants constantly refresh their menus.It is not just about jumping on trends (though there is plenty of that too). It is about staying relevant in a city where nothing stays shiny and new for too long. New menus help draw regulars back in, give first-timers something to be curious about, and keep the kitchen buzzing with creativity. Even if you have your go-to…
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Chennaiโ€™s Nasi and Mee gears up to celebrate Singapore with a special menu

Chennaiโ€™s Nasi and Mee gears up to celebrate Singapore with a special menu

Singapore chicken rice | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Be it a comfort meal or complex flavours, Singaporean cuisine has much to pick from. When Nasi and Mee opened its first branch in Chennai in 2017, the restaurant was among the earliest in the city to have many Singaporean dishes on the menu, which included dishes from Malaysia, Japan and Indonesia as well.It is only befitting that the restaurant will now celebrate Singapore with โ€˜The Singapore Editโ€˜, a special menu. As a part of Singa60, Nasi and Mee in Nungambakkam and OMR will have a special ร  la carte menu of…
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Why Tinderโ€™s ice cream collab gets the heartbreak struggle right

Why Tinderโ€™s ice cream collab gets the heartbreak struggle right

The Tinder x Indu Ice Cream collab We have all been there. Curled up in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling, convincing ourselves that our ex was actually a bit boring and probably did not moisturise anyway. And as the crushing weight of heartbreak settles in, what do we reach for? Closure? Therapy? No. Itโ€™s always ice cream first. The new Tinder x Indu Ice Cream collab | Photo Credit: Special arrangement And Tinder has decided to lean in to that very chaos with a cheeky ice cream collaboration with the Mumbai-based Indu Ice Cream. As part of Tinderโ€™s ongoing…
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Taste the flavours of Lahore and Patiala in Delhi at Amninder Sandhuโ€™s Kikli

Taste the flavours of Lahore and Patiala in Delhi at Amninder Sandhuโ€™s Kikli

The culinary disposition of Punjab, unlike its geographic landscape, remains undivided. It spells the fusion of hearty, robust and fiery palate coupled with cooking techniques that date back to the Harappan civilisation. Fortunately, you do not have to travel back in time to taste the heritage of Punjabi cuisine. It has a new address โ€” Kikli in New Delhiโ€™s Connaught Place. Co-owned by Chef Amninder Sandhu, who is the force behind Bawri (Goa, Mumbai) and Dining Experiences at Tipai (a boutique wildlife escape in Maharashtra), Kikli holds the key to Punjabโ€™s lesser-known flavours and dishes that go beyond the usual…
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Wagamama is here. What other new Mumbai restaurants should you try this weekend

Wagamama is here. What other new Mumbai restaurants should you try this weekend

Mumbaiโ€™s dining scene never sits still. Just when you think you have found your favourite pasta joint or sushi bar, along comes a fresh opening, promising slow-fermented breads, house-cured meats, or cocktails made with foraged botanicals. From sleek chef-driven menus to playful pop-ups turned permanent, here is a guide to Mumbaiโ€™s buzziest new restaurants.Wagamama The arrival of Wagamama in Mumbaiโ€™s Churchgate is, at the very least, a confident flex. Housed inside the restored Cambata Building โ€” neighbours with Eros Cinema and Churchgate station โ€” the global ramen chain has made its India debut with a splash of polished minimalism and…
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Pizzeria Toto in Thiruvananthapuram serves pizzas inspired from different parts of the world

Pizzeria Toto in Thiruvananthapuram serves pizzas inspired from different parts of the world

It is easy to miss Pizzeria Toto at Ulloor, in Thiruvananthapuram, while driving if not for the sign of an illuminated cartoon pizza slice topped with pepperoni standing next to it. Fairy lights dangle down the eateryโ€™s face, leading up to a rustic porch, with wall lamps casting shadows on a textured white wall. A few wooden chairs and tables are set up outdoors for dining. Inside the pizzeria, on the customersโ€™ side is a glass shelf, stocked with beverages, a sliced cheesecake and coffee creme brulee ramekins. On the other side of the shelf , a busy crew with…
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