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Triggering new tastes

Theme-based food festivals are a big hit in the city

PHOTO: MURALI KUMAR K.

ENDLESS CHOICE Flavours from far and near are now available in Mangalore

Theme-based food festivals are now becoming a norm rather than the exception in Mangalore. Most leading hotels across the town, including the Taj Manjuran, are increasingly tapping this route to lure customers. And given the customer response to these food festivals and food promos, no one seems to be complaining!

According to E. Ravi, Executive Chef of Taj Manjuran, food festivals are an occasion to treat the customers to some new dish other than their routine fare. In fact, Ravi has his plate full in charting out a definite plan of action for each quarter in terms of a either a full-fledged food festival or a food promotion event on a lesser scale. "A lot of detailed planning goes into each of these events because the authenticity of cuisines served is important," he says.

Ravi recently came up with Kabab of Nawabs — a Lucknowi food promotion event. His predecessor turned out a neat Moplah food festival in March. Now preparations are on for the Kitchen of Ghengis Khan, a Mongolian food festival, scheduled for second week of August and an Onam Sadya planned in September, are on.

How do organisers of such events go about ensuring that their customers do get to taste the original cuisine? While most hotels do have chefs specialised in different types of cuisines, they are not averse to bringing down chefs from different places as well. So when the Taj organised the Chettinad food festival, it had the expertise of Chef Ramu from the Taj Residency in Bangalore pitching in with his expertise.

Smaller places too

This concept of food festivals has been so well accepted that even smaller yet popular restaurants in the city are successfully experimenting with this idea.

Radhakrishna Bhat of Naivedyam too echoed similar sentiments when his eatery went on to organise the Monsoon Food Festival recently. "We do give our customers the best of food at all times. But the joy of arranging for a food festival of unique cuisines is different."

From the customer's point of view, such food festivals provide an opportunity to try out something new. "Each place has its own distinct cuisine and we as the locals are well versed with it. Whenever, any hotel announces a food festival, I for one would not like to miss out for the sheer curiosity of trying out a new cuisine," says Sachita, a working professional. "It gives one the opportunity to try out something new for a change."

Is this phenomenon restricted only to niche hotels?

Not exactly. Smaller hotels in the city are coming up with their own improvised variety of food specialities in which they morph local dishes into exotic combinations. So one could easily savour an idli in its new fusion avatar as idli chilli in the localised Chinese style of cooking at their favourite joint.

JAIDEEP SHENOY

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