Re-Opening | The Westin Chennai Velachery Re-opens its Dining Outlets

The Westin Chennai Velachery Re-opens its Dining Outlets

July, 2021, CHENNAI, INDIA: With more government relaxations being announced in Tamil Nadu, The Westin Chennai Velachery is pleased to announce that the hotel is excited to re-open its doors of two of its multiple award-winning restaurants, Seasonal Tastes and MKC-Madras Kitchen Company. Seasonal Tastes is the all-day dining restaurant serving global cuisine from Breakfast to dinner and MKC-Madras Kitchen Company is the Café style restaurant serving Indian and Asian street eats.

Seasonal Tastes and MKC Madras Kitchen Company are ready to welcome our guests with Marriott’s Commitment to Clean, from social distancing of tables to QR Code enabled menus, to frequent sanitization of public areas, we are ensuring our guests enjoy their dining experience in a safe surrounding. When it comes to safety, our associates are always wearing masks, gloves and provide minimal contact service to all our guests.

Lakshmanan Ramanathan, General Manager, The Westin Chennai Velachery, says, “We are very pleased to welcome our guests back to our dining venues to be able to serve them with our authentic hospitality and delectable gourmet specialties. We have indeed missed our guests at the restaurants and with Marriott’s Commitment to Clean, I am confident that our guests will come back for a safe dining experience.”

Seasonal Tastes, the all-day dining restaurant will be open for Breakfast, lunch, dinners and Sunday Brunches, whereas MKC-Madras Kitchen Company is open for Lunches, Hi-Tea, and dinner.

Timings:

Seasonal Tastes: 7 AM to 8 PM

MKC-Madras Kitchen Company: 12noon to 8PM

For table reservations, please call us at +91 4466333777 or Whatsapp us at +918939892056

Address: 

154 Velachery Main Road, 

Chennai, 600042 

Tamil Nadu

International News| Emirates first-class lounge at DXB reopens

Emirates first-class lounge at Dubai International Airport’s (DXB’s) Concourse B has reopened. The airline’s business class lounge in Concourse B will remain open for first and business class travellers and eligible Skywards members.

It is the latest in a phased programme reopening for premium customers at the airport. The facilities include complimentary chauffeur drive in 70 cities and Emirates Lounge operations in Dubai, Cairo, New York JFK, Manchester, Boston, Milan, and Los Angeles.

Dubai International Airport was the busiest regional hub for international traffic before the pandemic, as it relies heavily on connecting passengers around the globe.

Recently, Dubai International Airport reopened Terminal 1 and Concourse D on June 24. They were both closed in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

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BEST PRACTICES | Avani Hotels in Thailand Unveil Hybrid Meetings Solutions

Avani Hotels in Thailand Unveil Hybrid Meetings Solutions

As the world is constantly evolving and facing a new normal, we have upgraded our Meetings and Events services at our hotels in Thailand with enhanced Hybrid Meetings solutions.

Through our solutions, companies will reach a greater audience from multiple destinations within Thailand, combining in-person and virtual attendees in their events. This allows meeting professionals to create new memorable hybrid meetings and conferences with seamless technologies guaranteeing the safety of attendees in our hotels and the same event quality to your virtual guests.

RECIPE | Finger Millet Chicken Tikka Roll – Jet Lag Recipe By Sahil Sharma, Executive Sous Chef, Fairmont Jaipur

Traveling to a new time zone is rough, and there's nothing worse than being wide  awake in the middle of the night, or forcing your eyelids to stay open when you've  got a whole day ahead of you.  

The cause of jet lag is the inability of the body of a traveller to immediately adjust to  the time in a different zone. Recovering from jet lag depends on the number of time  zones crossed while traveling.  

In general, the body will adjust to the new time zone at the rate of one or two time  zones per day. For example, if you crossed six time zones, the body will typically  adjust to this time change in three to five days. 

Jet lag is temporary, so the prognosis is excellent and most people will recover  within a few days. 

If you want to maximize your vacation time, you need to beat your jet-lag ASAP - these foods will help get you on track. 

FINGER MILLET CHICKEN TIKKA ROLL – Jet Lag Recipe 

No. of pax recipe serves: 6 

Preparation time in (hours and) minutes: 25 min 

Cook time in (hours and) minutes: 45 min 

Total time in (hours and) minutes: 1 hr 10 min 

Dish description in 20–30 words 

Kathi rolls have fast become the regular food around the globe; this is an easy and  quick recipe that you can try at home for brunch or a heavy evening meal. Chicken kathi roll has a delicious melange of chicken tikka and spices rolled together and served with a chutney. 

List of ingredients in order of use, 

Ingredients 

• 6 millet chapattis/bread 

• 6 Egg Whites 

• 100 gm Coriander, chopped 

• 100 ml mustard Oil

For the Filling: 

• 100 gms Onions, sliced 

•  100 gms Coriander Leaves, chopped 

•   20 gms Ginger-Garlic Paste 

•  50 gms Tomatoes, chopped 

•  20 gms Turmeric Powder 

•  to taste Salt and Chilli Powder 

•  1 tsp Green Chillies, chopped 

Ingredients – Chicken Tikka  

• 500 gms chicken breasts - cut into bite-sized pieces (tikka) 

• Juice of two lemons 

•  1 tablespoon salt 

•  250ml (1 cup) plain yogurt 

•  2 tablespoons garlic puree 

•  1 tablespoon ginger puree 

•  1 tablespoon ground cumin 

•  1 tablespoon ground coriander 

•  1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper 

•  1 teaspoon citric acid powder 

•  1 teaspoon turmeric powder 

•  1 teaspoon salt (more or less to taste) 

•        2 green chillies finely chopped 

• 1 bunch of coriander leaves finely chopped

Directions 

• Place the chicken tikka in a large bowl and squeeze the lemon juice over them and sprinkle with a little salt. 

•  Now, whisk the second marinade ingredients together and pour it over the chicken. 

•  Allow to marinate for six hours or up to 48 hours - the longer the better. If you don't have time to marinate the chicken, 30 minutes or so will still be good. ∙ When ready to cook, light a barbecue. Gas barbecues will work but I prefer the flavor of charcoal barbecues. 

•  Cook the chicken tikka on skewers turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through and the edges are blackened. 

•  Meanwhile, Mix the egg whites with the coriander. 

• Heat oil in a non-stick pan. Dip each millet bread into the egg white mix and place on the pan one at a time till it turns color. Keep aside. 

• Cut the prepared chicken tikka into strips. 

• In a pan heat the oil and add chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste, chopped tomatoes, turmeric, red chili powder, and green chilies. 

• Now, add the chicken tikka strips, sliced onions, and pepper juliennes. ∙ Cook a little and add chopped coriander. 

• Divide the tikka mixture and roll up in cooked millet pieces of bread. ∙ Serve with mint chutney and salad. 

Sahil Sharma

He is an Executive sous chef at Fairmont Jaipur

Appointment | The JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu is pleased to have Deep Vahi as the new Director of Sales & Marketing.

The JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu is pleased to have Deep Vahi as the new Director of Sales & Marketing.

Deep Vahi comes with a rich experience of over 15 years in the hospitality industry; as a recognition of his extraordinary performance he was declared a winner of Marriott International’s Chairman Circle in 2009 and 2010.

In his new role as the Director of Sales & Marketing at the JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, Deep will play a pivotal role in leading the business retention and expansion efforts of the Sales and Marketing team in order to  drive revenue growth and will also play a key role in catalysing the branding and communications efforts of the hotel.

Please let me know if you need inputs from the Director of Sales & Marketing on stories about initiatives taken by the hotel which lead to revenue growth during the pandemic, how the hotel has catered to smaller luxury weddings, intimate functions or any other industry story you may be working on. Feel free to reach out to us and we will be happy to facilitate the same for you.

Appointment | Mr. Harpal Singh has been appointed as the new Director of Finance & Business Support at Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre.

Mr. Harpal Singh has been appointed as the new Director of Finance & Business Support at

Holiday Inn Jaipur City Centre.

Overseeing the hotel's finances, Harpal is an industry veteran with roughly 15 years of

experience in the hospitality industry having previously served as Financial Controller in Crowne Plaza Today, Gurgaon (An IHG Hotel). He has also been associated with brands like

Kingdom of Dreams Gurugram and Radisson MBD Hotel Noida.

Spearheading the hotel’s business strategy, Harpal will continue to evolve innovatively finance structures, processes, and effective controls, further strengthening risk management practices, as well as developing and mentoring our Finance executives across the hotel.

Harpal’s impressive background will benefit the hotel as we seek to progress our operational and financial performances. We believe he is the ideal leader to elevate our profit growth for a strong and sustainable future," said Pankaj Gupta, General Manager.

Harpal has completed his MBA in Finance from JIMS, Delhi, and is passionate about Travelling, Playing Cricket, and Badminton.

Brand | Novotel Hyderabad Airport celebrates pride month through an interactive session

Hyderabad, July 2021:  Novotel Hyderabad Airport organized a session where speakers from the LGBTQ community were invited to share their journey and challenges they face in today’s world. Novotel Hyderabad Airport has been consistently committed to the LGBTQ+ community, ensuring every guest, employee and customer feel welcome and equal. The hotel also had the leadership team from its sister hotels in Hyderabad present for this interactive session.

The session hosted a panel of speakers including Sophia David, who works with a leading consulting firm in India along with Supriyo Chakraborty & Abhay Dang, a Gay couple who work with reputed institutes and MNC’s.

Both the speakers spoke of the relevant laws in place for their community, their rights and also cited various examples to make the audience understand their stand in society. They also shared their journey of acceptance and transition with the audience which helped everyone present in the session see life from their lens. The session was awakening in nature and educated employees about the various challenges that the LGBTQ community faces.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Rubin Cherian, General Manager, Novotel Hyderabad Airport said, “We are happy to host such interactive sessions and understand the perspective of the LGBTQ+ community. Our teams were motivated and I feel that such initiatives are essential to change the mindset of society. At Accor we strongly believe in treating everyone equally, irrespective of their identity, background, or role. Diversity and inclusion are important pillars of our culture and have helped us create an excellent environment”.

NEWS | Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy gets into Cabinet in reshuffle

The Modi Government upgrades the Tourism and Culture, giving it Cabinet status while appointing a new minister after the two-year tenure of outgoing minister Prahlad Singh Patel.

The importance of the Tourism sector was reflected by the move of the Narendra Modi government to upgrade the Tourism and Culture Ministry to Cabinet stature and appoint G Kishan Reddy from State Minister for Home to the new Cabinet Minister for Tourism, Culture. As part of bringing synergies between departments of the government, Prime Minister Modi clubbed the Department of DoNER (Development of North Eastern Region) with the Tourism & Culture.

The Narendra Modi government kept the record for the Minister of Tourism not staying in office for more than two years intact as Kishen Reddy replaced Prahlad Singh Patel as the new Tourism and Culture Minister of India in the cabinet reshuffle and expansion on Wednesday.

Apart from upgrading to Cabinet rank, the Tourism Ministry will have two Ministers of State to assist the Cabinet Minister—Ajay Bhatt and Sripad Yesso Naik.

The last two decades alone, starting 2000, has seen 11 tourism ministers, making the average tenure of less than 2 years. With a few exceptions like Jagmohan or Ambika Soni, who remained in the Tourism Minister’s post for more than two years, there are not many in that list. Prahlad Singh Patel also completed two years in office.

Elected from the Secunderabad constituency to the Lok Sabha in the 2019 general elections, Kishan Reddy was picked as a Minister of State for Home in 2019. It’s a big promotion for Reddy to be elevated to a Cabinet position within a short span of two years.

New Venture | Berco’s chain of restaurants joins hands with Japanese food brand for its India launch

Berco’s chain of restaurants joins hands with Japanese food brand for its India launch

In the future Berco's and Bento by EN will look at opening a common kitchen as they will operate out of the same facility.

Chinese and Thai Cuisine, Berco’s is now bringing Japanese food delivery by the name of ‘Bento by EN’ in Delhi and Gurgaon. The newly launched Bento by EN has started operating their outlets in Munirka and Udyog Vihar and is rapidly planning to expand throughout the world.

Bento by EN offers a diverse selection of traditional Japanese cuisines, which encompasses all of the country's traditional food items while adhering to all of the major Covid-19 criteria, which are governed by the food ministry and have sterile equipment and kitchens. Bento focuses on introducing westerners to the full range of meals, in addition to cooking and serving a wide choice of well-known Japanese foods. The Japanese meals are available on delivery apps like Zomato, Swiggy and Dineout.

Commenting on this SJB Singh Sandhar (Raji), President & Founder - Seinan Group & Chain of Restaurants in Japan & Canada said, “With over two decades of experience in the food and beverage sector and a strong presence in Japan we planned to team up with Kabir Advani, Operator of the most established food brand, Berco’s Chain of Restaurants to grow outlets in different cities across India. For your exquisite experience, we at Bento by EN bring the widest selection of savory to your doorstep, together with the greatest Japanese authenticity of Sushi.”

Source

Appointment | Dinesh Rai appointed as GM at Crowne Plaza Kochi

Prior to him moving to Crowne Plaza Kochi, he held the position of General Manager with Four Points Kochi where he was responsible for pre-opening of the hotel.

Crowne Plaza Kochi has appointed Dinesh Rai as General Manager. With over two decades of experience in operation and business development, Dinesh is known for his leadership qualities complemented by diverse work experiences. He brings valuable knowledge from the wide-ranging assignments with prestigious international and Indian hospitality groups. He has worked with leading brands such as Marriott, Accor, IHG and Taj Hotels during his previous assignments.

In his new role, Rai will be responsible for the continued success of the hotel by combining cutting-edge hospitality with innovative experiences for the guests. He has consistently displayed an incisive business sense along with fostering an environment of innovative thinking for driving revenues and operational excellence in all his assignments. With an outstanding reputation in establishing personal connections with guests and associates alike, his approach to work has always been commendable.

On his new appointment, Rai says, “Crowne Plaza Kochi is a Luxury Hotel with perfect embodiment of world-class service and True Hospitality. I look forward to advancing the plan we have in place, to expand our brand’s reach, build stronger connections with the local community, maintain fruitful relationships with our partners and deliver genuine experiences for our guests. Apart from devising strategies for strong Rooms and Social business, focus will be to leverage on Food and Beverage capabilities to curate novel offerings for our house guests and the residents of Kochi.” Prior to him moving to Crowne Plaza Kochi, he held the position of General Manager with Four Points Kochi where he was responsible for pre-opening the hotel.

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New Opening | IHCL Signs A Vivanta Hotel In Ahmedabad

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of a Vivanta hotel in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. This is a management contract for an existing hotel in the city, which would be undergoing extensive renovations before being flagged as Vivanta.

Commenting on the signing, Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL, said, “This signing is in line with IHCL’s strategy of strengthening our domestic presence in key cities. Ahmedabad is a thriving economic and industrial hub. The company will now have three of its brands – Taj, Vivanta and Ginger present in the city. We are delighted to partner with Leela Tradelinks Private Limited.”

Vivanta Ahmedabad, a 176-room hotel is strategically located on SG Highway, a comfortable driving distance from Gandhinagar, the state capital as well as important business complexes. The hotel’s dining options will include Mynt, the all-day dining restaurant, lobby café Swirl and a specialty restaurant. The recreational facilities will be a pool, fitness center and spa, meeting rooms and a banquet hall for social and business gatherings. It is a Brownfield project slated to open in 2022 after completion of its planned renovations.

Mr. Komalkant F Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director, Leela Tradelinks Private Limited said, “We are happy to partner with IHCL for Vivanta Ahmedabad. This will be the first Vivanta in the city, bringing in a refreshing new take in hospitality. I am confident that the collaborative efforts of Leela Tradelinks and IHCL will help redefine the new age of hospitality in the city of Ahmedabad.”

Ahmedabad, situated on the banks of the Sabarmati, is Gujarat’s largest city. It is an important commercial centre. The historic city of old Ahmedabad has been declared as India's first UNESCO World Heritage City

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Appointment | Brian Hashkowitz is Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi’s new general manager

Hashkowitz has been with Marriott for more than 20 years

Brian Hashkowitz has been appointed general manager of Le Royal Méridien in Abu Dhabi. The hotel is part of the Marriott International portfolio and Hashkowitz has been with the group for more than 20 years.

He moves from JW Marriott Marquis for his new role in the UAE capital. He was hotel manager at the Dubai property, where he oversaw the operation of 1,608 keys and 15 F&B outlets.

He said: “I am very excited to join Le Royal Méridien Abu Dhabi. The property [is] situated in the city’s vibrant commercial district, and is known for its exceptional F&B venues, modern facilities and for its strong positioning in this active market.

“I look forward to my time working with the hotel’s extraordinary team.”

Hashkowitz has worked for Marriott since 1999. He was positioned in hotels from New York to London before moving to the Middle East.

Since 2006 he has held various executive roles, including director of rooms, director of food and beverage and director of operations.

Before joining the JW Marriott Marquis, he was at Marriott Hotel Al Jaddaf and Marriott Executive Apartments Al Jaddaf as hotel manager.

While there he led the restructuring of the leadership team, leading to boosts in profitability, efficiency and customer and associate satisfaction.

Source

Proposals invited for two eco tourism projects near Punjab's Ranjit Sagar Lake

Valued at around INR 550 crore, the state government proposes to set up both projects in public private partnership mode

The Punjab state government plans to set up two eco-tourism projects around Ranjit Sagar Lake in Pathankot district. Considered to be around INR 550 crore, it will be set up in public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

Officials at Punjab Infrastructure Development Board (PIDB) stated that the Nalok Tikka Pilangi lake front site is spread over 56.22 acres, while the Kulara Island measures over 18.54 acres. The respective project costs, as per the project proposal, are INR 448 crore and INR 105 crore, totaling more than INR 550 crore.

The selected bidder would also need to pay an upfront premium of INR 25 crore and INR 12 crore for the Palangi and Kurala island project respectively. Interested parties can bid for both the project sites through a single stage two-packet system. The last date of bid submission is 30th June 2021.

As per the proposal draft request, the selected bidder would be required to pay an annual concession fee of INR 3.56 crore for Palangi project and INR 2.65 crore for Kulara island project for 60 years, after which the projects would be handed over to the Punjab government.

The Amritsar Development Authority is the implementing agency for this project. Alongwith the Department of Housing & Urban Development it intends to select agencies for development of the infrastructure of the 74.76 acre area. Officials claimed that both land parcels have pre-approved environment clearance, Stage-1 forest clearance, a clear land title and is free of encroachment. A Stage-2 forest clearance would be applied for once the bidder is selected.

As per the terms and conditions of the projects, the Palangi project is to be constructed within a period of six years and Kulara island project within three years. The eco-tourism project details of Pilangi and Kulara island indicate that it will include an interpretation centre cum convention centre, eco-friendly accommodation villas, eco resort rooms, nature zone, Greens, Support facilities such as facility blocks (reception/dining/gym/club,driver/staff facilities, utilities, boating deck), roads and parking sites.

The project site would have a road connectivity of 25 km from National Highway 1 A that leads to Kashmir valley. It will be 30 km away from Pathankot railway station, 40 km from Pathankot Civil Airport and 155 km from Amritsar Internation Airport.

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Appointment | Nitin Thakur appointed as OYO's new Head of Communications

Nitin comes with over two decades of experience and would be responsible for looking at both internal and external communications for OYO

OYO has announced the appointment of Nitin Thakur as the Head of Communications. In this role, Nitin will be responsible for driving OYO's reputation forward and delivering the company's mission of empowering entrepreneurs of small and independent hotels and homes by providing full-stack technology that increases earnings and eases operations while bringing affordable and trusted accommodation that guests can book instantly.

A seasoned professional, Nitin comes with over two decades of experience and would be responsible for looking at both internal and external communications for OYO. He would be a part of OYO’s global leadership team.

Commenting on the development, Kavikrut, Chief Growth Officer - OYO, said, “At OYO, we are firm believers in communicating proactively and transparently. Since OYO’s early days, our communication strategy across the press, social media, and new emerging mediums has been a key lever in establishing OYO as a brand that is recognized and trusted by partners and guests alike. I am excited to welcome  Nitin to the leadership team and partner with him to further our communications strategy. As OYO recovers from the pandemic, Nitin will enable our OYOpreneurs to bring the OYO story to more partners and guests across the world.”

Rohit Kapoor, CEO of OYO -  India & Southeast Asia added, “I am thrilled and equally excited to collaborate with a veteran like Nitin who brings in a great deal of experience and learning to OYO. As both India and OYO move ahead on the path of recovery from the impact of COVID-19, Nitin would play an important role in steering our communication efforts for all stakeholders, including our patrons, guests, and OYOpreneurs. We are glad to have him on board and look forward to collaborating closely with him.”

Nitin Thakur, the newly appointed Head of Communications for OYO, said, “Today, OYO is synonymous with building technology for small and independent hotels and homes. The company has been truly innovative across the industries it operates in and has emerged as one of the few globally local brands from India. Its footprint extends across India, Southeast Asia, and Europe among other geographies. I am truly excited to take on this mandate and work with passionate, mission-oriented individuals for continuing the momentum of OYO’s recovery and communicating its fabulous journey to the world.”

Prior to OYO, Nitin was a part of the Group Executive Leadership Team at the Max Group where his role involved strengthening the Group’s reputation through traditional and digital media and providing leadership and guidance for strategic campaigns such as mergers & acquisitions for the Group’s operating companies, crisis management, etc. In his previous tenures, Nitin has worked with Microsoft India, managing product advocacy and communications and large communication consultancies advising various Tata Group companies on their reputation management.

New Appointment | IHCL announces three strategic leadership roles

The leadership roles have been created to sharpen focus on customer centricity, drive diversity and inclusion and institutionalize owner/partner engagement

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, announced three strategic leadership roles, which will sharpen focus on customer centricity, drive diversity and inclusion and institutionalize owner/partner engagement.

Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said, “We have identified three Strategic Areas to create sustainable competitive advantages and build our future. Customer Centricity has always been a key differentiator for IHCL, and Taj being rated the World’s Strongest Hotel Brand stands testimony to this. Fundamental to our success is the focus on Diversity to nurture an inclusive and diverse workplace. Finally, in pursuance of our asset-light growth strategy with ~70 hotels signed in the last three years, strengthening Owner Relations has never been more important for IHCL’s future. As a result, we have identified three experienced and veteran leaders who will champion each of these strategic imperatives in an institutionalized manner.”

The Three New Strategic Functions Created Are:

1. Customer Centricity: With insights, relationships, and personalization defining the future of customer engagement in the hospitality industry, Ritika Gupta will be responsible for creating business value through customer centricity and relationship management. With close to three decades of experience with the organization in various customer-centric roles, Ritika brings in the right mix of customer focus and relationship orientation to lead this function.

2. Diversity: In order to further promote IHCL as a diverse and inclusive organization, Rakhee Lalvani will take on the new role of Diversity Head and will be responsible for developing and implementing best practices to promote diversity and inclusion in the organization. A senior leader with close to 30 years of experience at IHCL, Rakhee is well-positioned to spearhead this strategic initiative.

3. Owner/Partner Management: As we continue to pursue asset-light growth and add more owners to our family, cultivating and strengthening owner relationships is critical to secure our future. A seasoned business leader with approximately two decades of experience at IHCL, Ram Maheshwari has taken on the responsibility to streamline owner/partner engagement processes and develop robust relationships.

The three leaders will closely work with the Managing Director & CEO on these strategic initiatives. Rakhee, Ritika, and Ram will drive these important imperatives while retaining their current roles and responsibilities in the organization.

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Bangkok’s Spice & Barley Wins International Design Award

Bangkok’s riverside’s latest restaurant & lounge, Spice & Barley, has been declared the winner in the Restaurant - Brasserie category of the inaugural US-based LIV Hospitality Design Awards by a judging panel of international architecture and design professionals.

Owned by Bangkok-based Minor Hotels and designed by Patrick Keane from architecture studio Enter Projects Asia, the design installation for the Spice & Barley restaurant uses rattan sculptures and gold hues to fuse Thai tradition with modern design. Serving gastro food of Sichuan origin and specializing in craft beers, the restaurant’s location overlooking the Chao Phraya River also played a role in its design.

Goa: Curfew extended but restaurants, bars open 7 am to 9 pm at 50 pc capacity

The Goa Government on Sunday extended its Covid curfew for another week till July 12 while allowing for several relaxations.

The Goa Government on Sunday extended its Covid curfew for another week till July 12 while allowing for several relaxations.

Now, restaurants and bars will be allowed to function between 7 am to 9 pm with up to 50 per cent seating capacity.

The move comes as a respite for restaurant and bar owners as these were prohibited to serve guests for more than a month due to a surge in COVID-19 cases. However, restaurant kitchens were allowed to function for deliveries and takeaways.

Shops and malls will be allowed to open from 7 am to 6 pm. Earlier, these were allowed to operate till 3 pm. Saloons and other outdoor sports complexes/stadiums are also allowed to open.

Educational institutions, cinema halls, auditoria, casinos, gyms, spas, indoor sports complexes will remain closed. Visitors will not be allowed at religious places.

The COVID curfew was first imposed on May 9 in Goa.

As many as 164 new COVID-19 cases, 202 recoveries and four deaths were reported in Goa in the last 24 hours. With this, the total COVID-19 cases in the state now stand at 1,67,436, including 2,087 active cases.

As many as 1,62,276 recoveries and 3,073 deaths have been reported in the state so far.

Source

Homegrown sandwich brand MoonMoon enters NCR

Newly launched MoonMoon is currently a delivery-only brand with 14 outlets spread across the NCR with plans to spread its presence aggressively.

Inspired by thoughts of interstellar space and extraterrestrial life, homegrown brand MoonMoon has come up with a completely new range of products designed to make old-school sandwiches, subs, tacos, and rolls.

MoonMoon’s flagship range of products are called Crustwiches – think saucy, cheesy, oven-baked sandwiches folded over into a pillowy half-moon of crusty garlic bread, filled with premium meats and veggies. Since launching in January of this year, MoonMoon has won over countless converts who have been tired of eating the same tired and boring sandwich flavors between the same tired and boring slabs of dry, tasteless bread.

MoonMoon’s menu is as diverse as the universe, and the flavor profiles available span the globe from full-on Desi to slamming American, from subtle Italian to spicy southeast Asian.

And the scope for innovation is endless, every quarter MoonMoon will release limited-edition flavors. "With MoonMoon, we really hope to keep creating new, exciting, and unusual products for our customers to enjoy. We're super focused on space-age innovation and global, banging flavors, and we believe that India is ready for the real 2.0 version of sandwiches, subs, burgers, and hot dogs! Our products will always focus on exceptional, juicy, and extremely flavor-packed eating experiences, and we hope that our customers continue to love our food as much as we love making it,” said Ashwin Jain, Director of MoonMoon.

Though focused on culinary excellence and extreme delight, MoonMoon is a brand that is completely conscious of the importance of being truly paisa vasool, the range of Crustwiches starts at INR 235 and is a completely full 260-gram meal, roughly the equivalent of two average burgers or 1.5x the size of a 6” sub.

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NRAI seeks CCI intervention into Swiggy, Zomato ‘anti-competitive’ practices

NRAI has asked the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to investigate multiple issues, including deep discounting, data masking and violation of platform neutrality by the restaurant aggregators.

National Restaurants Association of India (NRAI) has sought the intervention of India’s anti-monopoly watchdog to resolve what it alleged were “anti-competitive practices” followed by Zomato and Swiggy, in a fresh salvo against the online food delivery platforms over a long-standing dispute between both sides.

NRAI, which represents over 500,000 restaurants across the country, has asked the Competition Commission of India (CCI) to investigate multiple issues, including deep discounting, data masking and violation of platform neutrality by the restaurant aggregators.

“During the (Covid-19) pandemic, the magnitude of anti-competitive practices of Zomato and Swiggy have increased manifold and despite numerous discussions with them, these deep funded marketplace platforms are not interested in alleviating concerns of the restaurants,” NRAI said in a statement on Monday.

“We have been in constant dialogue with foodservice aggregators over the last 15-18 months to resolve critical issues impacting the sector. However, we have not been able to resolve these issues; we have therefore approached the CCI now to look into the matter and investigate them thoroughly,” Anurag Katriar, president of NRAI, said.

Design | Naladhu Private Island Maldives to Relaunch in November 2021 with an Impressive New Look

Naladhu Private Island, the exclusive luxury island resort in the Maldives, has closed for six months for a complete renovation and is due to relaunch in November with an impressive new look and feel.  The resort will undergo a total redesign with all the public areas and accommodation included in the renovation and the resort’s top suite, the Two Bedroom Pool Residence, will reopen with its own 20m private beach.  The island is located on the edge of a pristine lagoon in the South Malé Atoll, just 30 minutes by luxury speedboat from Malé’s international airport. 

Home to just 20 keys, Naladhu offers the ultimate in privacy and seclusion for the most discerning guests. The resort is being redesigned by New York based designer Yuji Yamazaki, with new sleeker furniture throughout and a lighter colour palette creating a modern colonial South East Asian look.  Yamazaki has focussed on maximising the number of spots around the houses where guests can have a moment of pause, ranging from ocean-side seating for breakfast to pre-dinner cocktails on the chaise longue overlooking the pool. The restaurant, bar, wine cellar and gym are among the public areas receiving a complete new look.   

As part of the sustainability programme, Naladhu has started working with Parley Air to reduce marine plastic pollution and recycle plastic waste and all single use plastic has been banned on the island.  In addition, all the resort’s old furniture has been donated to the Maldives’ only hospital for mental health. 

Naladhu Private Island will be renewing its focus on wellness with a new dedicated spa treatment area including a double treatment room and bathing and changing area and the introduction of a resident Naturopath and Nutritional Therapist. Guests are offered the opportunity to focus on their nutrition to help overcome stress, sleep issues, and unhealthy eating patterns as well as helping with immunity, digestion, weight management, hormones, skin and blood sugar balance.   

Naladhu Private Island’s General Manager Giles Selves said: “This substantial investment will ensure that Naladhu Private Island continues to be one of the most exclusive private islands in the Maldives. The resort already has a significant number of repeat guests, and I have no doubt the new-look Naladhu will entice many new travellers to experience the privacy, seclusion and bespoke personalised service that it’s renowned for.” 

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