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Main >> News Listing >> June 2004 >> Article ID 5221
 Slice of the south Beans & bites | Type: Internet Article |
| | Slice of the south Beans & bites | Jun 19, 2004 |
Summary:
...The Park Street outlet will also see a complete makeover, as will a number of the brand’s 120 outlets across the country, in keeping with the customer demographic. The Sound of Barista, a centralised music collection, will help the brew-masters find the right tracks for the crowd that comes in at the right time of day. “For the teenage crowd, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are good choices, while for someone in their 30s, Pink Floyd would work better,” he adds...
Read on for the whole article. |
Turning the cliché of south Indian food being all about dosas and idlis on its head, ITC Sonar Bangla is dishing out a wide range of delicacies from the region as part of the Dakshini food festival, which is on at the Eden Pavilion till June 27. The extensive buffet meal setting one back by Rs 600, offers a taste of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka.
Chef Chalapathi Rao, especially flown in from Andhra Pradesh, explains south Indian food is community specific rather than region based. “Chettiyars, Mudaliars, Iyengars, Bunts, Moplahs and Sarswats are just a few of the communities influencing south Indian cuisine in a big way,” says the chef.
Another revelation for the uninitiated is that dakshini food is not all about vegetarian fare. Those of you who think that biryani is the only good thing that happened to the cuisine by way of non-veg food can take their pick from an array of lamb, mutton, chicken and fish preparations on offer.
A bekti preparation called Meen Moili, Chapa Pulusu (cubes of fresh water fish served in a fiery gravy), Dakshin Yere (deep fried prawns marinated with ginger, garlic, red chillies and lemon) and Uragay Mamsam (tender lamb pieces cooked in a pickled masala) are just a few of the options in the non-veg section.
Veggies can take their pick from dishes like Melagu Peratti (cauliflower florets tossed with onions, mustard and crushed peppercorns), Kelyachi Bhaji (raw bananas flavoured with special condiments like karivadagam and hurit), Avial (hand-picked vegetables from Kerala like drumsticks, yam carrots, beans, bitter gourd and raw mangoes served in a creamy sauce of coconut, curd and green chillies) and more.
Most dishes come with a distinct coconut flavour and are tangy to taste. “We do use a lot of souring agents owing to the south Indian climate,” concedes Rao. Tamarind, kokam, triphal and even raw mangoes are the main ingredients with which the unique taste is achieved, he reveals. The chef has fetched his own masalas from back home as he doesn’t want to “take chances” with the food.
For those who are still not convinced about the vast promise of the cuisine, there’s always some crisp dosas and appams being rustled up at the live counters at the 24-hour multi-cuisine restaurant.
Yuppies have one more reason to be loyal to the country’s first coffee chain. From July, you can sit at select Barista outlets with your laptop and connect, thanks to wi-fi (wireless fidelity) technology that will now be available at happening branches like Park Street.
Barista also unveiled its summer menu on Friday, which offers a wider range of both food and beverage options. A new Chillers and Fillers section and a fusion menu reach out to non-coffee drinkers and those in search of a warm meal as well. Ice-cream sodas, smoothies, and the “cheapest espresso-based cold coffee on the market” — Iced Latte — at Rs 25 are now available.
On the food front, two varieties of pastas and rolls have been added to the selection, as well as weight-watchers sandwiches. Chips now come with every sandwich ordered in an attempt to “add value” to the current offering.
“We should see more outlets opening up in Calcutta soon,” reveals Brotin Banerjee, head, marketing and strategy, Barista Coffee Company, including one at City Centre.
The Park Street outlet will also see a complete makeover, as will a number of the brand’s 120 outlets across the country, in keeping with the customer demographic. The Sound of Barista, a centralised music collection, will help the brew-masters find the right tracks for the crowd that comes in at the right time of day. “For the teenage crowd, Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera are good choices, while for someone in their 30s, Pink Floyd would work better,” he adds.
While coffee remains at the “heart of the experience”, the variety of food and beverage has been expanded to offer variety to loyal customers and to bring in different segments. “A Barista loyalist would visit a branch twice to thrice a week. We have to ensure brand fatigue doesn’t set in,” says Banerjee.
More “aggressive promotions” are also part of the company’s strategy. A loyalty card that tracks buyer patterns and offers variable discounts to customers will soon be introduced in Calcutta, after seeing success in Bangalore.
Between 10 and 22.5 per cent discounts will be given, with cash-strapped students standing to benefit the most. Tie-ups with other players will also see freebies like show tickets and product discounts.
With the company aiming at 70 more branches this fiscal, it is also fine-tuning franchise plans, and has its sights on a number of mini-metros, including a few in the east. With four outlets already in Dubai and two in Sri Lanka, the West and South Asia are also being “looked at closely”. |
 Source: The Telegraph | |
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