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Time of India

Rediscovering culinary roots and turning spotlight on forgotten flavours

Advt Advt By , ETHospitalityWorld Join the community of 2M+ industry professionals. Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. All about ETHospitalityWorld industry right on your smartphone! Download the ETHospitalityWorld App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. The return of Marriott International 's Luxury Dining Series in 2025 marks a reinvigorated chapter in Asia Pacific's luxury culinary narrative. Under the evocative theme ' Forgotten Flavours : Rediscovering Culinary Roots ', the series unfolds between July and September across marquee properties such as The St. Regis Osaka, JW Marriott Jeju Resort & Spa, The Ritz-Carlton, Perth, The St. Regis Singapore, The St. Regis Jakarta and JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa, the sole Indian hotel selected to host this gourmet curated journey is Marriott's strategic assertion that gastronomic storytelling forms the cornerstone of luxury hospitality today. According to Petr Raba , vice president, food & beverage, Asia Pacific excluding China, Marriott International, 'Dining has always been a cornerstone of our properties' offerings, with luxury culinary tourism a key driver of travel.'He highlights that 51 percent of luxury travellers in the region identify gastronomy as a very important travel motivator, reinforcing why Marriott positions its restaurants and bars as vibrant, inclusive cultural destinations rather than mere Marriott's strategy reflects shifting guest preferences documented in its 'Future of Food' report. There is a noticeable tilt toward 'site‑specific' programming: local ingredients, shorter menus, more intimate noted, 'Guests are seeking quality over quantity with smaller menus, faster meals, but richer stories.' This aligns with the luxury sector's evolution from opulent dining rooms to curated, emotionally thoughtful culinary experiences The Bengaluru edition opened with an extravagant four‑day celebration titled 'Daawat‑e‑Aaleeshan'. Spearheading the menus was chef Neeraj Rawoot , Director of Culinary at JW Marriott Bengaluru Prestige Golfshire Resort & Spa. Rawoot's personal connection with the theme shines through.'The theme of Forgotten Flavours instantly resonated with me. I've always been fascinated by micro‑regional dishes that are vanishing from our collective memory,' Rawoot research journey was immersive, drawing on memories shared with his mother and grandmother, consultations with regional home chefs, and perusal of local food archives. The objective: preserve heritage without compromising on refinement or global Rawoot's standpoint, cultural storytelling extends well beyond the plate.'In today's urban world, traditions are fading,' he observes, adding, 'Diners have grown more curious. They want to know the origin, the significance, and the context of a dish.'By weaving historical and cultural context into menu narratives, a technique central to the Forgotten Flavours concept, he transforms dining into a journey: each dish becomes a chapter of India's culinary sustain leadership in luxury F&B, Marriott is investing in talent development via platforms like Loca Rasa and its Culinary Apprenticeship Programme , which collaborate with culinary institutes across the region. These initiatives ensure emerging chefs gain mentorship, exposure, and the competence to compete with top‑tier independent underscores that Marriott views independent high‑end restaurants not as competitors but collaborators in elevating a destination's gastronomic identity. He cites properties like The Tasman in Hobart, where guests dine beside a heritage fireplace or savour cocktails at Mary Mary, the speakeasy bar that reimagines classics using Tasmanian ingredients, illustrating how Marriott properties serve as gastronomic ambassadors. The Luxury Dining Series, he emphasised, 'gives our chefs the opportunity to co‑create with Michelin‑starred talents and expand their culinary horizons through immersive storytelling.'Marriott Bonvoy Moments further reinforces this by enabling loyalty members to bid for exclusive dinners using Bonvoy points, fostering brand engagement and elevating F&B from amenity to Raba explained, 'Guests want access, exclusivity, and emotional resonance. When you allow them to participate in the narrative through unique events, loyalty deepens.'In essence, 2025's Luxury Dining Series is emblematic of Marriott International's ambitious F&B trajectory: cultivating local authenticity, empowering culinary talent, and constructing dining experiences that are emotionally and culturally immersive. In doing so, the brand not only serves discerning luxury travellers, but also converts local communities into patrons and believers in the power of dining as Gafoor is a Bengaluru-based hospitality professional, food lover and travel enthusiast.