Nothing brings people together the way good food doesWith Christmas and New Year around the corner, the scent of freshly baked gingerbread cookies is as irresistible as the idea of enjoying a leisurely Sunday brunch. With families getting together to relax, nothing brings people together the way good food does and that too in a relaxing atmosphere.
In conversation with The Financial Express Online’s Swapna Raghu Sanand, Gagandeep Singh Sawhney, Executive Chef at Shangri-La Hotel, Bangalore shares, “Our themed Sunday brunches have been very well-liked by our guests. Easter brunch, Mother’s Day brunch, Japanese brunch, and Independence Day brunch were very successful. Our upcoming offerings include festive Turkey To Go meals with a build-your-own gingerbread house interactive element that will be home-delivered by our Shangri-La Santa.”
Southern India is known for its amazing diversity of vegetarian and seafood and non-vegetarian cuisine. COVID-19 has seen most people opt for vegetarian food especially if they are traveling. Can you elaborate what your hotel is doing to restore the confidence of guests and what changes are being made in the menus as compared to earlier?
Contemporary, yet traditional, states of South India are an exciting mix of different cultures. The desire to eat healthy and hearty is driving a whole new farm-to-fork vegetarian, vegan, and wellness cuisine in South India.
With the launch of Shangri-La Cares, the Group’s global safety program, the hotel elevates its already rigorous hygiene and safety protocols.
A series of safety measures have been embraced in the hotel kitchens including daily temperature checks twice a day, safe distancing practices, personal protective equipment provided to our colleagues, safety amenities available at convenient locations, reinforced food safety standards, new buffet protocols, and menus offering individually plated meals and snacks and more.
Dishes like Nigri, Carpaccio and Tartare that include raw seafood and meat have been removed.
From your perspective, do you expect nature-centric and wellness destinations in India to see an uptick post-COVID and how does Bengaluru offer more advantages in these segments?
With the ongoing pandemic, holistic well-being, focussed on rejuvenation, relaxation and nutrition is being sought after more than ever. Guests are seeking out wellness retreats, yoga programmes, immune booster treatments, stress relieving Ayurveda journeys to stay healthy.
Bengaluru, being the Garden City of India, with perennially pleasant weather, is an ideal wellness destination. People looking for a short healthy break can enjoy a wellness retreat at Shangri-La Hotel, Bengaluru with benefits including personal Yoga sessions, wholesome food, spa treatments and guided Yoga Nidra sessions. Guests who are looking for long wellness packages can join The Art of Living Bengaluru Ashram, located 21 kilometres south of Bengaluru.
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Tell us more about your weekend and themed brunches – the chef’s vision and concept behind this and what the guest feedback has been so far?
At b Café, our international cuisine restaurant, Sundays were dedicated to family. With an expansive buffet, a plethora of activities for children and interactive service style, the Sunday brunches at the restaurant were very well received by families.
We designed themed Sunday brunches at home with a similar philosophy of spending time with family during an experiential at-home brunch.
The culinary team curates a weekly carte du jour weekend set menu that is delivered to our guests. These brunches are designed to be enjoyed with loved ones in the comfort of one’s home.
All the Sunday brunches include a surprise-and-delight aspect such as DIY desserts and zero-proof cocktails, recipe cards, food trivia, cupcake icing kits, and bake-your-own-cake kits to help our guests create their Shangri-La moments at home.
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