2021 - Looking ahead: The table is set, again

Delivering dineinComing in FebruaryThe past year saw several cloud kitchens mushroom across Mumbai including Atom Box and Bun amp Only cofounded by Sameer Uttamsingh CEO Acme Hospitality According to Uttamsingh a dinein area will house both the brands at the existing kitchen in Santacruz Well also launch a second delivery kitchen in SoBo in the second half of 2021 he adds The FampB professional is also tying up with chefs Seefah Ketchaiyo and Karan Bane for a Japanese restaurant and bar which is expected to open midyear Were looking at a 3000sq ft space offering Japanesefocused food and drinks he revealsAbhayraj Singh Kohli at Tori in Khar PicSameer MarkandeLatin America to LondonComing in JanuaryAbhayraj Singh Kohli prefers to look at the pandemic as an opportunity one that he seized to conceptualise his latest venture Tori a LatinAsian eatery that is set to grace Khar in place of the nowshuttered Sanchos in early January It is a Zoom restaurant Chefpartner Thomas Catley whos worked with Michelin star restaurants hired his whole team from London via Zoom Itll be a Tapasstyle fun dining place offering cuisines from Latin America and Asia with a strong cocktail programme Well be playing fun music like K Pop Japanese hiphop and Latin music he promises Kohli who runs Grandmamas Cafe MRP Pritam Da Dhaba among other places tells us that he also signed off 2020 with a new restaurant modelled on Londons Edgware Road If you want to eat Lebanese food and have sheesha in London this is the place to be Were recreating that experience in Juhu for Mumbai folks he shares adding that two delivery concepts are also in the worksSweet beginningsComing in FebruaryIf youve loved the sweet treats from Rachel Goenkas Sassy Spoon then heres some good news The founder and CEO of The Chocolate Spoon Company is set to open the first Sassy Spoon cafeacute at BKC in February The idea is to offer a gourmet grabandgo option for people who would like a quick lunch but have guiltfree and healthy mains So think more on the lines of salad bowls hearty sandwiches wraps and light bites including cake slices and dessert pots she elaborates The entrepreneur is also looking to launch House of Mandarin at the Sheraton Grand in Pune this yearComfort mattersComing in TBAAlthough restaurateur Zorawar Kalra admits that 2020 was an absolute writeoff hes geared to take on 2021 in full steam with a focus on brands that offer comforting craveworthy fare that celebrates the chefs heading them Take for instance the newlyopened 94 Bombay at Lower Parels Palladium Mall which is a celebration of Maharashtrian chef Dipesh Shindes native culture as well as his culinary trails in Sri Lanka Kalra tells us He adds that he plans to acquire spaces at a few iconic buildings to expand the Massive Restaurants chain in the city Apart from restaurants there will be sustained focus on opening new delivery concepts that will be both premium Indian in nature using the Jiggs Kalra brand as well as accessible but highscale international brands We want to focus on small menus to offer consistency For instance a new delivery brand likely to be introduced in January called Butter Delivery Today everything is focused on healthy and lowfat and so weve gone in the opposite direction and created an ode to all things buttery including chicken dal and paneer Its a limited menu of repeatable food he reveals adding such delivery platforms will mushroom across the length and breadth of Mumbai He will also be taking Farzi Cafeacute to Canada and BangladeshFrom left Karan Jain Brewdog founder James Watt Rohit Jain and Abhijit RaoChug on angrezi beerComing in JanuaryWith 106 taprooms in the world UKbased craft beer specialist Brewdog is foraying into the desi space with their first outpost in India at Kamala Mills Directors Abhijit Rao and Karan Jain who convinced the brewery to enter the Indian market along with chairman Rohit Jain tell us they plan to open up 10 taprooms across India by June 2021 The menu and design will be acquired from the UK but will be tweaked according to our taste buds While some beer will be imported from UK it will also be brewed at our Nashik plant shares RaoMediterranean escapeComing in FebruaryOver the years Kaneesha Jains Santeacute Spa Cuisine has become a goto for those seeking a healthy menu In 2021 Jain owner of Kasa Food Works is whipping up a new concept mdash a Mediterranean eathouse dedicated to vegetarians in Kala Ghoda Therell be Italian French Spanish Portuguese and a little bit of Turkish cuisine she informs adding that the menu has been designed by chef Gracian de Souza The place will be headed by chef Arnez DriverFor the sake f funComing in MayMihir Desai coowner The Bar Stock Exchange TBSE is also looking east this year with an Asian resto bar planned in Colaba Were flying down a chef from Japan Itll be like a Japanese sakeacute bar with a focus on food and drinks from the country We plan to open the place by May he shares The restaurateur tells us that he also plans to introduce the bar stock exchange concept in London with their first international outpost London is the city of bars so it seemed like the best place to take TBSE to The rooftop bar is likely to open in JunePowai gets groovierComing in TBAYet another promising addition to Powais steadily growing clique of hip spaces to hangout is a new lounge bar thatll be based inside fivestar ecohotel Meluha The Fern Punish B Sharma VP operations claims that the bar will be oneofitskind at the Hiranandani Gardens What sets a lounge apart from a bar is the formers finesse Itll wear a more rustic look Were ready to open but were waiting for restrictions to ease