Extensive Expansion - mm! maroosh!

Impresa Hospitality Management currently owns and manages 17 mm! maroosh outlets in Mumbai and Pune, with extensive expansion plans for the QSR brand chalked out in the next few years.

Till July 2015 we will add 23 outlets, including five in all PVRs in Mumbai. We have signed up with PVR and all these five outlets will be launched soon. We are looking out for other locations as well. After consolidating our position in Mumbai and Pune, we plan to enter Delhi, Bengaluru and Chennai markets, along with tier II cities which have a high aspiration value. This will be followed by a pan Asian expansion after 24 months – Singapore, Hong Kong, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Dubai.

However, the company is not looking at growing through the franchise model and all the outlets will be self-owned. We are simultaneously back-ending our production strongly. Next year when we move out of the city, it will be a copy – paste job.

Currently Impresa Hospitality Management does not have a centralised kitchen and we outsource this part of our operation. We have tie-ups with vendors for this, while we manage the QSRs. The recipes are our own which we give to them under a non-disclosure agreement.  Lebanese cuisine is familiar to the Indian palate and the company's outlets have always been popular from the time the first QSR was launched in 2000. It was the first interactive concept, much before something like Subway came up. You get to eat fresh and see the cooking done before you – that element works very well.

While Shawarmas remain the quintessential favourite, vegetarian options like Hummus and Falafels are increasingly getting popular, along with salads like Fattoush and Tabbouleh. We have introduced Baked Falafel and are concentrating on an interesting vegetarian spread.

Your Office Space - A Reflection of You!

I would like to believe that my office tells the story of all my professional adventures. Overlooking the Racecourse, besides reflecting my eclectic taste in art, the interiors of my Mumbai office also reflect my love for a good laugh.

1. A sculpture by Mumbai artist Satpal, captured my imagination because of the clever structure and illusion. It was the perfect outdoor talking piece for our 800 sq ft terrace. 

2. Look at their faces and you will be forced to smile back. The rustic, red Chinese couple caught my eye during a trip to China and I thought they would add a touch of humour to the otherwise serene setting.

3. Another pick from China, I have two versions of elegant white figures. Instead of keeping the pair together, I prefer to keep them apart, each standing out on its own. 

4. I've got a chess board that I love to bring out when I feel the need to relax.

5. My most priced possession has to be my Nespresso machine that I bought during one of my trips abroad. It is right next to where I sit which says a lot about my caffeine obsession!

6. Lastly how can I forget my beloved drone - this finds a place of pride in my office - just for kicks ofcourse! I call it the parrot and I promise you I don't use it to spy on my competitors or deliver pizzas (haha)! Flying the drone on my terrace is a real stress-buster.

MM! Maroosh Expansion Plans

At present, MM! Maroosh operates seventeen stores in Mumbai. Our target is to open a total of 35 stores in Mumbai by March 31, 2015. After that, we will go for a pan-India expansion.

Alongside this we plan to centralise our production and tighten our systems and processes, namely information technology, training, etc. We plan to invest approximately Rs 15 crore in the next two years.

Where did we get the funds to facilitate this? We were valued at Rs 50 crore, and raised funds from Unilazer Ventures, whose promoter is Ronnie Screwvala. As I’ve mentioned earlier, what Ronnie brings to the table is not just money, but also value creation for our brand. Getting our back-end and ecosystem right is crucial as we look to expand!

First-Mover Advantage

Lebanese cuisine is rapidly rising in popularity in India. We were one of the earliest entrants in this space with Maroosh (now re-branded mm! Maroosh). That is essentially what makes us different from the other players in this space. Other players, who offered burgers and pizzas at the time, did not have that edge.

We concentrate on quick, authentic Lebanese cuisine, with an addition of Indian cuisine to appeal to the local market. We keep our classics authentic, and offer variations to suit the local palates. The blends of flavours and spices used in Middle-Eastern cuisine are similar to those used in Indian cuisine, so it suits us. That is the reason for the former’s popularity in India.

We have added baked falafel, spicy chicken shawarma and chicken tikka shawarma, with hummus in three variants (parsley, sun-dried and tomato), and we will introduce a special every quarter.

Keep watching this space for more updates on mm! maroosh.

Rebranded Maroosh

Popular Lebanese QSR, Maroosh now dons a new avatar with the super chic & exceedingly delish mm! maroosh. The launch of our two brand new outlets of mm! maroosh, one at Reclamation in Bandra and the other at Shivaji Park in Dadar, mark the beginning of a pan-Asian expansion of our brand.

The first quick service restaurant in the Lebanese cuisine segment, Maroosh has a target to reach an outlet count of 30 by the end of the year, all of which will be mm! maroosh including the already existent ones.

mm! maroosh will bear a new look and feel in its newly launched outlets, with a revamped menu and new packaging supported by a robust marketing campaign both on-ground and on social media. The focus will be primarily on Lebanese cuisine, with quintessential favorites of Shawarmas, Hummus and Pita Bread, Lebanese Salads and Falafels taking centre stage. For the Indian food loving audience, mm! maroosh offers a range of mouth-watering Indian wraps, starters and main courses apart from the Lebanese best-sellers. 

Watch this space for more!

Definition of Luxury

Luxury means something that appears to be the best of whatever it represents; a term that raises expectations and makes one work harder towards achieving it.

Luxury, to me, is comfort in the best possible way. Luxury is also a statement to be made, with the car you drive, and the watch you wear, for instance. Luxury also is that extra asset other than usual possessions, like a holiday home or a yacht.

My first luxury purchase was a convertible sports car - the Pontiac firebird. It's an American sports car, which was imported from the States. I was just 24 back when I purchased it. The thrill of buying something from my hard-earned money was indescribable!

Business of Food

When McDonald's entered India in 1996 serpentine queues formed outside its outlets as people waited patiently to be served the world-famous burgers. Back then burgers were a novelty and people could not get enough. The same happened with Subway sandwiches.

Over the years though, burgers and subs have become commonplace meal-on-the-go. The next big revolution is sliders. I believe sliders are the next big wave in the quick service retail format. Hence, I created the brand 'Sliders' and opened the first outpost in Mumbai. 

Sliders are often deemed miniature versions of burgers. Besides its size, another thing that sets it apart is its simplicity. Traditionally it has a thin beef patty covered with some cheese and fried onions and placed between 2 buns, with minimal adorning. The burger bun weighs around 60 gms while slider bun will be around 20 gms. 

It also means that one can finish off a slider in three easy bites which is why many restaurants are increasingly including it in their menu. I believe that sliders will be a hit with the Indian crowd, especially the urban youth. Our sliders are priced very competitively at INR 60-65 each, which suits the budget of our target customers, who are youngsters and corporate  professionals.  As we scale our business model we will drop the prices to those offered by leading burger brands. 

I am currently working to build up the business' backend to outsource a bulk of its processes to other agencies, so that minimal cooking is required at the outlet. Everything including, breads, meat & sauces will come from these agencies & will be assembled at the outlets.

We are currently doing a litmus test with our flagship outlet which is located in a bustling part of Bandra, near three colleges, a major shopping mecca, and adjoining McDonald's & KFC. I believe that if we can get people to try sliders atleast once, then it is half the battle won. 

Slide your way into the latest food fad

With everything acquiring a mini form, it wasn’t going to be long before the archetypal Burger got its own smaller version, the slider. A niche trend that has been prevalent internationally since several years, sliders have recently found their way into India. And we have dedicated an entire new restaurant to this food fad by opening the namesake brand Sliders.

Having started operations in March this year, Sliders has an extensive menu of vegetarian and non-vegetarian sliders with a selection of burgers, hot dogs, wings, fries, beverages and desserts. Falafel, Jalapeno Popper, Wild Mushroom, Mac & Cheese and Paneer Chili make up the vegetarian section of Sliders. The non-vegetarian repertoire includes the Egg & Sausage, Egg & Mushroom, Chicken Caesar, BBQ Chicken, Buffalo Wings, Chicken Satay, Bademiyan, Double Decker, Philly Steak, The Original and Fish & Chips.

If bigger is better for you, then take your pick from the quintessential Vegetarian, Chicken or Beef Burgers or avail of the opportunity of converting any slider into a burger! You could also choose from the Classic, Cheese or Relish Hot Dogs or dig into the Slider’s Signature BBQ Wings tempered beautifully with Sriracha sauce.

And how could we forget the fries! Apart from the popular Regular Fries and Cheese Fries, Sliders also gives you the chance to try the slightly innovative Thai Fries and Steak Fries. Want something to wash all this food down with? The flawlessly sweetened Strawberry Rush and Nutella Coffee are perfect accompaniments to your meal. Finally, slide out of this food heaven indulging in the interestingly concocted Brownie Slider and the creamy Ice-Cream Profiteroles.

 Eating out is steadily growing as a culture with people becoming more aware about different cuisines and the latest food fads. And owing to the constant rush we battle every day, instant yet economical gastronomic gratification makes the trend of Quick Service Restaurants a fitting business model to tap into. Sliders will provide you with that perfect quick bite for your hectic life-on-the-go whilst ensuring the quality and tastes are adherent to the benchmarks continually set by Impresa Hospitality Pvt. Ltd.

Sangria! Sangria!

Cafe Sundance serves up some pretty yummy sangrias. Things to keep in mind when making sangrias:

Over the years, Sangria has become a popular party drink across the globe. Restaurants have created their own recipes – commonly a mix of wine, brandy and fresh fruits served over ice. Originally sangrias

started out with a mix of red wine, brandy and citrus fruits but over the years has evolved with people using white and rose wine as well. People also use other types of liquors apart from brandy in the mix.

Myths - One of the myths about Sangrias is that one shouldn’t mix water melons and wine as it can be fatal, but thanks to experts who have debunked this myth, we now have an additional flavour we can experiment with.

Tips for making sangrias at home-

Sangria is mainly made from red wine, fresh fruit, soda water and sometimes brandy. When making your own Sangria, use a good quality wine, and be sure to let it chill overnight. The next day, pour into a pitcher full of ice cubes, garnish with fresh fruit, soda, and enjoy!

Food pairing- Sangrias are great with spicy food. An entertaining way of pairing it is to serve it with tapas. Party fare such as calamari, fried shrimp and spicy meatballs also complement the taste of sangria.

Rosé wine sangria-

Rosé wines are a more delicate sangria recipe, still full of fresh flavor, but offers a subtlety that really showcases the appropriate fruit components.

Sometimes it is difficult to know where to start from when making sangria. Apart from selecting a red wine or white, there are various other elements to consider: Which fruit to use? What mixer to add?

Whether to choose a savory or sweet garnish? Flavor combinations are very essential to making even the simplest of sangrias.

But the great thing about Sangria is you can make a ton of different types of Sangria without needing to change much. The fun of making Sangria is experimenting with it by adding different

things and seeing how it turns out.

My Five

Below are a list of my five all-time favourite places to dine in the city.

Lings: One of the few family run places in the city.You will still find the entire family right from the reception desk to the kitchen taking orders. This gives a real personal touch to the dining experience. My favourites from the menu are the bacon wrapped prawns. If you like spicy then the blasting chicken and the pot rice are a must try in this place. Don’t miss the mud cake!

Copper Chimney: This place is truly an institution in itself; love it for the consistency it has followed over the years. It’s a complete value for money place! The bara chops are a must try, one could also give the lunch buffet a shot as it rolls out a live extensive menu at a great price.

Indigo Deli: Have literally lived here! It’s the place to be at after a night of partying, the place is buzzing more than any club would at that hour and it’s purely for the simple Italian food it churns out. Even at that hour the staff here is welcoming and on their feet. The cheese rolls, pizza fiama and their spicy tomato balsamic dip is a must try.

Wasabi: It’s the only place that fills in the vacuum of an authentic Japanese restaurant unlike most of the other restaurants that serve Thai, Chinese & Japanese food under the same roof. The food here gets as authentic as it can in this city. The lobster, the tempura corn and prawns along with the wide range of sushi are a must try.

Kobes: The only way I can describe this is, it’s a habit! For the longest time I was a frequent visitor of the place and awalys found the same staff around. It is one place where you will not find the steward carrying a pad or a pen to write your order down no matter howmany choices you add to your sizzler. The chicken and steak sizzler and the kejriwal are a must try.

Location Strategy - Maroosh

One of the reasons for Maroosh's success is that we were at the right location at the right price. I do not believe in aggressive growth for the sake of growth. 

I won't go for a 400 sq ft store at Linking Road at Rs. 1000 per sq ft. It's not about having a presence, a mistake that many brands make, especially yogurt and coffee chains. They think its an advertising cost for brand building. Many have had to shut down their outlets because sales were poor. What's the point of owning 200 stores if 20 of them bleed you financially?

The rent should not exceed 9 to 11 percent of the outlet sales. For instance, if the outlet has a potential to generate Rs 20 lakh revenue, then the rent should not exceed Rs 2 lakhs.

Lessons Learnt

My very first successful venture as an entrepreneur was Fire N Ice. I launched Fire N Ice when I saw a vacuum for good entertainment spots in the city. But nightclubs have a shelf life and I knew that in order to continue to hold my place in the industry I had to be associated with food.

I started young and could connect with the aspirations of the youth and knew exactly what they wanted. But as I grew older, my passion for food led me to launch Maroosh, which is a Lebanese QSR chain. We were the first QSR when we opened in 2000.

While running Fire N Ice, I realized that after a night of partying what people really wanted was a nice roll or a wrap on the go. But there was no such place for a quick bite except for 24-hour coffee shops in 5- Star hotels. That's how the idea of Maroosh was born - a QSR that would cater to this crowd of party goers.

The first outlet of Maroosh was launched at Phoenix Mills, right next to Fire N Ice, so that the people partying at the club, did not have to leave the premises in search for food. The initial investment ws Rs. 7 lakhs and the breakeven happened in the first 6 months.

The biggest learning has been oursourcing the production. Earlier we used to produce at the outlet level, but this is only feasible when you reach a store count of more than 100. But if you are looking at standardizing your product, you have to support it with a strong back-end infrastructure. This is what we will be focusing on now thanks to the investment that we have received recently from Ronnie Screwvala led Unilazer Ventures. 

Our products will be made at a facility owned by someone else and will be transported to our outlets. Setting up a centralized kitchen that caters only to your outlets makes little business sense given high rent, cost of hiring skilled kitchen staff & utility costs. This ofcourse entails entering into a non-disclosure agreement and providing the company with your receipts. Besides reducing costs, outsourcing helps in maintaining standard and hygiene levels.

Also to increase revenue, you must have a good menu mix! Maroosh is a fusion of Lebanese and Indian and we have included curries & biryanis in the menu. 

Cafe Sundance

Our megapolis beaming with diverse cultures is bound by one thing – its love for food. A love so pure that we decided to resurrect the deceased. Started by a Parsi owner, Sundance cafe was best known for its old jukebox, turtle burgers (buns shaped like turtles) and sandwiches, among the South Mumbai crowd.  

It enjoyed a cult status, a loyal fan base and was one of old world Mumbai's favourite dining places. I felt the need to reinvent the place and acquired the rights for it after it shut shop in 2010. The idea was to retain the old menu but to present it in a modern way. The only refinement is the decor (a sixty-seater, two-storied space with a bar upstairs and a large asymmetric wall filled with antiques and other knick knacks) and the presentation of food. 

In its new avatar, Cafe Sundance presents a bright, warm ambiance and a fresh spread complete with burgers, dogs, steaks and pastas. The best thing about Café Sundance still remains its signature finger licking juicy burgers. The mouth watering blushing pink patties served between two slices of airy bread comes with tart sauces and thin, long crispy salted fries. Even as Café Sundance rings in the new, it takes you back to that special place called nostalgia.  

The burgers and pizzas are served on rustic slabs of wood (a signature Two One Two Bar & Grill touch) and the garnishes decidedly have a flourish. The plating is delicate in accordance with Chef Mikhail Shahani's style, but the cooking is big and bold.  

We even have a breakfast menu which boasts of favourites like waffles, Spanish omelette, fried eggs, frankfurters and more, so a quick trip before office, seems justified.

Cafe Sundance is a homely cafe serving smart food with the sort of flavour that is the perfect accompaniment to a chilled beer.

THE NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW - TWO ONE TWO BAR AND GRILL

Over the last few years, the Mumbai dining scene has been bombarded with hip openings competing for attention from a group of increasingly well-heeled residents. While the ambience at these restaurants might be buzzing, the food doesn’t necessarily impress. The upscale Italian boîte Two One Two Bar and Grill, which opened just over a year ago, is different: although the glamour set has already descended here, the draw is decidedly on the menu.

For starters, Two One Two stands out among Mumbai’s restaurants for including an ingredient rarely found on Indian menus: beef. Since the cow is sacred in Hinduism and thus forbidden to consume, diners looking for real steak — as opposed to one drawn from local water buffalo, as is the common practice — are usually left feeling unfulfilled. Here, grilled steak is a highlight, and it’s possible to order at least five kinds, including a ribeye and a more than one-pound Angus T-bone — the latter will run you 3,900 rupees or about $85. (Wagyu, also pricey, is occasionally available.)

The meat comes from an import company run out of New Delhi, and Ketan Kadam, one of the restaurant’s owners, said it is among the most popular orders. “The customers getting the steaks are usually in their 20s or 30s who have enjoyed them when they have either lived or traveled abroad,” he said.

But the executive chef, Alex Bignotti, who is originally from Milan, doesn’t just focus on beef. He executes vegetarian dishes, like a goat cheese and wild mushroom strudel, with equal panache. And the dishes shine because of the high quality ingredients. “We really focused on using the best of the best, no matter the cost,” Mr. Kadam said, “because we feel like that’s the key to our long-term success.”

Creamy mozzarella, served as an appetizer with pesto, for example, is made in the nearby city of Pune, home to a sizable Italian community. And while many international eateries in the city disguise poor quality seafood under heavy sauces, the options here, like simply grilled local king prawns finished with a Tuscan olive oil, are largely left unadulterated, allowing their natural taste to shine.

Two One Two Bar and Grill, 12-A, Ground Floor, Hornby Vellard Estate, Sanghi Road, Worli; (91-22) 2490-1994. An average meal for two, without drinks (or the expensive beef dishes) is about 4,400 rupees, or $97 at 45 rupees to the dollar. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/travel/restaurant-report-two-one-two-bar-and-grill-in-mumbai.html

Inception of Fire N Ice

Since its inception in the Mumbai night life, Fire & Ice was in the news. Voted as the best nightclub in India for 2002 by a national magazine, the club carved a niche and was a place where youngsters loved to party.

But what was the concept and positioning of this property?

Fire N Ice was the only nightclub in town, in its real sense at the time. Along with state-of-the-art sound and lights, it offered its own distinct quality of music. The latter is what was fundamental in our positioning. Our patronage was directly linked to our music, our fashion and our culture. 

Even before the formulation of this concept, we had decided to position ourselves different from other discos and nightclubs in Mumbai. We did not want to adulterate the nightclub concept by keeping it open in the afternoon and make petty offerings like afternoon buffets & snacks. All these aspects offered by us lead an independent nightclub status to Fire N Ice.

Before launching the club, we did a survey that concluded a real void in the marketplace as far as the nocturnal culture was concerned. All the market had was small, dingy places that called themselves nightclubs, discos & pubs but offered mediocre sound and lights.

We invested Rs. 4-crore in the project and managed to break even within 11 months. Right from the beginning our focus was to be unique, and we did not let even food and alcoholic beverages interfere with the nightclub concept.

Other nightclubs that were cropping up benchmarked themselves against Fire N Ice. We ensured our guests got a different feel every night with a different theme every time they walked in. Besides playing all kinds of quality music like hip-hop, commercial, retro etc, we also held theme nights. On Tuesdays, we had "Progressive night', on Thursdays, either 'Retro' or 'Hip-Hop' alternatively.

Sliders

Adding to my portfolio of Quick Service Restaurants, next in store for Mumbai's fast-paced dwellers, is Sliders. As the name suggests, Sliders serves the mini burger in several different varieties.

Sliders shares restaurant space with Maroosh in Bandra West, just off Bandra's populous Linking Road making it a perfect pit stop for all those hungry road shoppers.  Currently, Sliders is benefiting from Maroosh as a roommate.

Tiny version of the big burger, the slider gets its name from the fact that the original recipe contained greasy meats that simply slid down the gullet. While authentic sliders must contain a trio of onion slices, grilled beef and cheese, we have incorporated much more than that in our burgers to suit everybody's palate.

There is a slider for everyone on our menu; Mac 'n' Cheese, Jalapeno Popper, Wild Mushroom, BBQ chicken, Falafel, Fish and Chips, Philly Steak, Paneer Chilly, even a dessert slider, the Brownie slider; you name it, we got it.

The menu also includes, wings, hot dogs, fries, shakes, cold coffee among other offerings.

Quick, affordable, and delicious - everyone's got to try Sliders!

Read more: http://mumbaiboss.com/2014/03/24/food-review-sliders/

FIRE N ICE TROOPS REUNITED

 

It's been nearly 2 weeks since the Fire N Ice pop up night at Tote on the Turf at Mahalaxmi, Mumbai but we can't stop talking about the fun night that was!

The good old nights of the iconic nightclub at High Street Phoenix was resurrected or rather recreated to give Fire N Ice regulars a chance to party like the old times! It also offered those who had never been to the club, an idea of what the brand meant to Mumbai.

The club's Trance Night on Tuesdays, Hip-Hop and Chaandni bar on Wednesdays, Retro night on Thursdays & Commercial club nights on Friday & Saturday kept Mumbai partying all week long from 1999 to 2004. The who's who of Mumbai's social circuit have partied at Fire N Ice and this time was no different!

The party was pulsating with two music rooms, seven DJs and a one hour flashback set featuring old Fire N Ice hits. In the house were DJs Steve, Lloyd, Pearl, Vishal Shetty, Bullzeye & Karan Third Eye. Partying into the night were Lisa Haydon, Shruti Hassan, Abhishek Kapoor, Rocky S, Timmy Narang, Tinaaz and Chirag Doshi, Ashmit Patel, Rashmi Nigam, Esha Deol, Bharat Takhtani, Dimple Inamdar, Carol Gracias among many others. Like in the old days, people then headed to Maroosh for shawarmas!

The Business of Politics

In 2004, I contested for the Assembly elections. My background and experience led me to this decision.  I represented the Samajwadi Party in the Opera House constituency against the Congress heavyweight Kishen Jadhav and Arvind Nerkar of the Shiv Sena. At the time I believed the Samajwadi party was the only party which gave a chance to the young, inexperienced candidate. 

Our country had a 25 per cent youth population at the time but their representation in the political arena was an appalling state.

I mortgaged my house for loans to start the city's first nightclub 'Fire N Ice' and cabbed it to the nightclub every day for 18 months till I bought my first car, a Cielo. After sweating it out and struggling hard for five years I was finally able to release my property and buy my first Firebird, a red covertible!

I have a successful brand name and have established myself in the hospitality industry and it was in this profession that I realized that our leaders make their own decisions and there is noone to listen to our demands. We would often write to the government but never get any response.

When I encountered troubles with licenses and deadlines, I started contemplating being on the other side. A couple of meetings with the stalwarts in the industry made me realize that not many were interested in taking this step. So I volunteered.

It wasn't easy though! Everyone feared for my reputation as noone looks at politicians in a kindly light. My parents even urged me to get married since noone will be willing to marry me after I ventured into politics (I thought that was most hilarious).

My slogan for the election was "Invest in our youth and secure their future". I wanted to inspire the youth to come forward and involve themselves in policy decisions, and infuse a fresh perspective to the functioning of the state. 

There was no religious propaganda for me, only civic and youth issues.

A Kind Of Magic

Me and my business partner, Vishal Shetty realized that many of the folks who visited our immensely popular nightclub, Fire N Ice as teenagers in the 90s had graduated from jeans & sneakers to suits.  

That's why our new bar Magic was designed for and positioned to what we called the 30-plus crowd. We opened it in Worli which we thought would be the ideal location, as it is a bridge between South Mumbai & Banrdra. Our target audience were executives and corporates who came to unwind after work. A teeny bopper would never like the place. That's why most important time for Magic was after office. 6-9PM were 'Magic Hours', our version of 'Happy Hours, during which patrons received 30 per cent off on the price of food & drink.

We had a star-studded party to launch our new bar in style in 2008. The event saw a sprinkling of Bollywood stars and society circles, including the likes of Dino Morea, Kelly Dorjee, Lara Dutta, Sameera Reddy, Amrita Arora, Akshay Khanna, Suchitra Pillai, Anaita & Homi Adajania among others! It was indeed a night to remember.

Magic was divided into an open bar and a more intimate area with booths. 

Two One Two Bar & Grill

Water boils at 212 degrees Fahrenheit and the steam it generates can power a locomotive or can be used for healthy cooking. You need to reach the exact temperature for taking advantage of the power of steam. And here at our restaurant, Two One Two Bar & Grill, we believe in the importance of that one degree that makes all the difference between an ordinary meal and a truly memorable one. 

Two One Two Bar and Grill is more than an epicurean sanctuary – it embodies our philosophy of striving for perfection. Nestled in a leafy, serene lane in Mumbai’s upscale Worli area, Two One Two is understatedly elegant and generously spaced over 4,000 square feet.  Our unique al fresco section offers striking views of our talented chefs working at the conventional wood-fired oven.

The tastefully designed cocktail bar boasts of a bar menu that is enticing and indulgent. It is the perfect setting to savor our first-rate cocktails or even a glass of wine in the early evening through to midnight. Our painstakingly selected wine list is balanced between old and new world wines and we aim to showcase treasured labels at inexpensive prices. Our crown jewel is the thoughtful cellar selection, which includes wines from the revered house ‘Mas de Daumas Gassac’ – a contemporary wine-maker that shares our philosophy of pushing boundaries of excellence.  

The focus, however, is our absolutely delectable food. Executive Chef Mikhail Shahani is no stranger to immaculateness. Chef Mikhail’s focus in every dish is always prime ingredients; his dishes elicit the real flavour of every natural element. The extensive menu boasts of traditional dishes from Milan (like the Saffron Risotto Milanese) as well as Mediterranean delights (Parmentier of Chilean seabass, crab, lemon confit), delicately crisp wood-fired pizzas and contemporary innovations such as the cappuccino of wild mushrooms with truffle oil.

Two One Two was born out of our love for creating novel eating-out concepts. Using the finest cuts of imported meat and the freshest local seafood, Two One Two’s grill is unparalleled amongst stand-alone restaurants in the city.

All it takes is to go that extra degree!

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/travel/restaurant-report-two-one-two-bar-and-grill-in-mumbai.html?_r=0

Fire N Ice

My friends and I used to frequent Fashion Bistro in Mumbai. It was small & forever crowded. We used to end up sitting at the chaiwalla outside a lot. It was there that we started wondering why Mumbai did not have a nightclub that compared to discotheques abroad! The ‘someone must do it’ discussions turned into ‘why not us?’

We had no idea where to start, but we were trained in different fields, Vishal Shetty was a DJ, I had done Hotel Management and Rajeev had the resources; so it was at our dear chaiwalla’s that the concept for Fire N Ice was born.

There’s a lot of work and finances involved to open a club that sets a standard. After a lot of hard work and preparation, days & nights of brainstorming & hunting for the right property, we founded Fire N Ice – a really catchy phrase that we came up with! It was an exclusive club and it was rocking! We are extremely proud that Fire & Ice gave birth to the nightclub scene in Mumbai. It feels great to be a trend-setter.

All that being said, it is tough business. You need to be focused, you have to treat it as business and not pleasure. You also need to have some sort of training, either from a Management Institute or Hotel Management Course! Get atleast a year of work experience with a hotel because hands-on training is the best. Always remember to value your money – the money you start with & the money you make.

But don’t forget to keep the fire burning!  

Calling out to all patrons of the beloved nightclub, Fire N Ice! We’re recreating the magic for one night only! Come reminisce your favourite memories of the place at Tote on the turf @ Mahalaxmi on April 30th.