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Economic Times
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
What do these kids even want? A five-course lament on Gen Z over dinner and despair
There are few places better suited for reflecting on the grand decline of civilisation than a fine-dining restaurant with five courses, seven opinions, and no clear dessert of conclusion. The boardroom had moved to Indian Accent for dinner, following the successful end of a conference. The original agenda? The future of content, and Gen Z's fast-changing relationship with it. But - as is tradition with gatherings of people seasoned in life and sufficiently marinated in media - the conversation swiftly veered to the real existential question of our times: 'What do these kids even want?' Not that anyone asked it out loud. We began, as dignified veterans do, with mushroom chili cheese toast and a civilised chat about shrinking attention spans, and how algorithms now decide not just our content diets, but possibly even our romantic ones. But by the time the Rajasthani mangori curry arrived, we were knee-deep in familiar lament: Gen Z - the therapy-frequenting, feedback-seeking, dopamine-chasing generation that believes the universe owes them clarity, closure, and preferably a trigger warning. There was near-unanimous agreement that we, the noble Gen X-Y sandwich generation, had it tougher. We survived dial-up internet, arranged marriages, and the trauma of never being praised for just showing up. We didn't have 'safe spaces' - unless you count the time-out corner after a solid scolding. We drank from garden hoses and waited 30 minutes to download a song. Our personalities were forged in buffering screens and budget came the inevitable segue into relationships and resilience. Divorce rates, for instance. Officially just 1% in India - unless you live in a metro, in which case it's 20%, or more, if you count the couples who remain legally married but emotionally outsourced. And as one well-marinated board member noted between bites of goat cheese dahi vada, 'Men need to be more vulnerable.' A long pause followed, as if vulnerability might be available on the menu, but only after prior reminded us that today's financially independent Indian woman is rewriting the script. 'Earlier, women compromised,' someone said with the wistfulness of a veteran soap opera viewer. 'Now they leave.' A beat. 'And take the dog.'Talk turned to therapy, boundaries, emotional bandwidth, and our collective flammability in the age of AI. 'We're the generation that stayed married for the children,' someone offered. 'Gen Z won't even stay for Wi-Fi.'By the time the crispy lotus root and avocado bonda made their appearance, we'd moved into the inevitable zone of self-diagnosis. We, too, were a little broken. We crave validation, but can't ask for it. We use work to dodge feelings. And we quietly believe that anyone under 30 who cries at work should probably be in fifth course - a smoky, ambiguous creation that claimed to represent fusion - arrived like a metaphor for our collective midlife confusion. It became clear that this was no longer a dinner, but a group therapy session with silverware and shared then came the twist. As we clinked glasses and compared vitamin D levels, one question lingered: if Gen Z were at this table, what would they be complaining about?Probably this: 'Look at these Gen X uncles and aunties cribbing about us again. Can't cry, can't quit, can't communicate. They romanticise trauma, glorify burnout, and think downloading a PDF is a personality trait.' so we left - well-fed, mildly enlightened, and deeply convinced that every generation thinks the next one is doing it all wrong, just with better lighting and worse attention spans. But perhaps that's our true legacy: the sacred art of dinner-table judgment, passed lovingly down, one course at a time. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this column are that of the writer. The facts and opinions expressed here do not reflect the views of Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. Paid less than plumbers? The real story of freshers' salaries at Infy, TCS. Can medicines inject the vitamins Amazon is missing? Can victims of Jane Street scam be compensated by investor protection funds? We prefer to have idle pilots than grounded planes: Akasa CFO on losses, funding hiccups, Boeing What if Tata Motors buys Iveco's truck unit? Will it propel or drag like JLR? How private ARCs are losing out to a govt-backed firm dealing in bad loans Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of 13 to 45% in 1 year Short-term valuation headwinds? Yes. Long-term growth potential intact? Yes. Which 'Yes' is more relevant? F&O Radar| Deploy Bull Call Spread in Nifty to gain from a 'buy-on-dips' stance
Hindustan Times
21-07-2025
- Business
- Hindustan Times
The Taste by Vir Sanghvi: Delhi welcomes new eateries, but dining experience falls short
There is good news and there is bad news. The good news is that many new restaurants have opened in Delhi this year. Once upon a time all the openings were in Gurgaon which was not great for Delhi people who did not want to brave traffic jams of much more than an hour or get stuck in water-logged roads for the three months of the year when Gurgaon becomes some Haryanvi's idea of Atlantis, the undersea kingdom. Delhi sees new restaurant openings but quality remains a concern.(Unsplash (representative image)) The bad news is that most of the newish Delhi restaurants are not much better than those in Gurgaon where the average standard is pretty dismal. The National Capital Region (NCR), which is basically Delhi plus Gurgaon plus Noida (which is the one part of Uttar Pradesh that nobody bothers to travel to for the food), has nothing on Mumbai or Bangalore where great new restaurants keep opening. Oh yes, Delhi is very good at the top of the market (Bukhara, Indian Accent, China Kitchen, Dum Pukht, 360, Shang Palace, etc) and the dhaba food can be wonderful. But at the middle of the market very few outstanding restaurants have opened in the last few years. If you want a reliable place to go to, the 50-year-old favourites (United Coffee House, Kwality etc) are still your best options. I know because even though I keep trying to eat at home when I am in Delhi, on the grounds that I eat out all the time when I am travelling, I have forced myself to explore the restaurant scene over the last two months in the interests of keeping my readers well informed. (Which is not to say that every bad meal I have had to endure is your fault, dear reader, only to inform you of the sacrifices I make for the sake of this column.) There have been some good experiences. Sahil Mehta, who is to the patisserie scene in India what Cedric Grolet is to France, has opened the Paris Coffeehouse in Greater Kailash Two market. Of course it's wonderful because Sahil is incapable of making any patisserie that is less than excellent. But it's a small cafe that depends entirely on Sahil's skills and not a full fledged restaurant. And then there is Mesa in the Lodhi Colony Market (apologies to those who live outside the NCR but all Delhi localities have strange names like these) which is a relaxed oasis of casual dining. (Dos, Tres, and Jamun are popular options.) My wife and I wandered in one day for lunch and were pleasantly surprised. Mesa is run by a young chef called Sandeep Namboodiry, who once worked with the great Manish Mehrotra (after I posted about my meal at Mesa on Instagram, Manish messaged to say how talented Sandeep was), but sticks (mostly) to a modern European menu here. Not everything works brilliantly— he doesn't have the oven required to make the greatest pizzas, though his were not bad, and his Japanese omelette was not much more than acceptable— but there's enough delicious food to make me want to go back. You can see real skill on display here and Sandeep is a chef to watch. This counts for something because I don't think Delhi has as many talented chefs as, say, Mumbai. And unfortunately, even when Delhi chefs have talent, the restaurants are badly run. A few months ago I went to Cala, an unassuming neighbourhood restaurant in Panchsheel Park. The European food was far better than anyone had a right to expect. The pizzas were good, the pasta was authentic and a sophisticated prawn dish stole the show. The chef appeared to serve the dessert (also good) and when I asked about his background, said he had worked at Masque in Mumbai. Encouraged by that experience I booked for lunch last Sunday. When we arrived the solitary server in the dining room asked if I had a reservation. I said I did and gave my name. I don't know why he bothered to ask because he didn't look up any list of reservations but just led us out of the restaurant to an outside area where a low hung shamiana had been erected. I remembered the outside area because we sat there last time. This time, presumably because it was hot, it had been covered with this makeshift shamiana. It was dark (either they had no lights or they had not bothered to put them on) claustrophobic and the tables had not even been set. I asked why this was our only option given that I had booked the day before. The server had no idea. I said we could not possibly eat here and left. He seemed unconcerned. Perhaps the restaurant is closing down and they don't care about guests. Because nobody who wants to stay in the hospitality business can afford this kind of attitude. Stuck for a place to have lunch, I looked up Plats, which many people have praised, on the net , found the number and called. Nobody answered. I then called Indy at Eldeco centre. This is run by the people behind QLA, a restaurant I like. They answered the phone promptly but said they were full. Resisting the urge to take the easy way out and find a hotel restaurant or to return to one of our two go-to places for Sunday lunch (Cafe C at Chanakya and Cha Shi, both of which are excellent) we decided to try our luck at the new bustling Eldeco Centre in Malaviya Nagar, where there are many other restaurants apart from Indy. Nearly every place was full. There were crowds of hungry Bengalis outside 6 Ballygunge Place and the Arts Room was packing them in. But we roamed the corridors till we found a table at a Japanese restaurant called Hikki which I had never heard of. It is a relatively plush place that is well managed and because it is more expensive draws an older average diner than most of the Eldeco restaurants. For all that, there were some basic mistakes. The tables are lit with overhead lamps that come down dangerously low which, I guess, is a stylistic touch favoured by someone with dodgy taste. But, more crucially, all of the lighting has been designed by a person who has never heard of Instagram. The low-hanging lamps throw shadows on the food so that you can't take pictures and they also make the guests look strangely ugly. The food is hit and miss. The prawn tempura was good with high quality frying but this was not true of the chicken karaage. The gyoza had an oily slippery feel to them. And even by the standards of junk sushi, the nigiri was a disgrace, made with rice that was so dry they could well have cooked it a week ago. The meal was redeemed by an interesting noodle dish which was made carbonara style (like the pasta) and powered with the addition of Korean gochujang paste. To the credit of the servers, they quietly took the karaage off the bill when they saw we had wasted it. Clearly, they mean well. And to be fair, by the time we left, the restaurant was full. Perhaps they will get their act together: they need some urgent changes in the kitchen and they need to get someone who understands lighting to redo the lamps in the dining room. So, nothing inspiring to report. But I shall keep looking. At some stage, some thing really good will turn up. Or so I hope!
New Indian Express
15-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Menu of magical memories
Can Sadhya—the quintessential Kerala meal with 24-28 dishes—be compressed into a bite-sized delight? While most would say, not possible, 'why not', thought chef Himanshu Saini. At his Dubai restaurant Tresind Studio, he did just that. There are layers of grilled pineapple marinated in Indian spices, cream of rice, payasam, mango pickle, banana vinegar, cuddapah almonds, second press of coconut ice cream, grated sugar spiced stone, mela blossom flower that is served with a papadum and tomato broth tempered in southern spices. All bit by bit, layered to perfection so you can experience a myriad of flavours when you pop it in. Little wonder that this spirit of innovation created culinary history by making it the first Indian restaurant ever to receive the coveted three Michelin stars in the Michelin Guide Dubai 2025. For someone whose food journey began in the heart of Old Delhi, where he grew up in a multigenerational home, being a chef was not part of his initial plans. 'But I found my footing at the Institute of Hotel Management in Aurangabad, where I discovered my passion and met lifelong collaborators. That experience taught me how to push boundaries while honouring the essence of Indian cuisine,' says Saini, who later trained under Chef Manish Mehrotra at Indian Accent in 2008. The same spirit of innovation led him to Dubai in 2018, where, with the support of Bhupender Nath, the CEO and Founder of Passion F&B, he started Tresind and eventually opened Tresind Studio—a fine dining concept rooted in Indian tradition but unafraid to break the mould.
Tatler Asia
03-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Tatler Asia
Dining news: Cristal Room by Anne-Sophie Pic welcomes Solbam from Seoul, Chaat collaborates with New Delhi's Indian Accent, and more
From grill top to clay pot Above Boston lobster Above Beef uni ikura pot rice Enishi in Sheung Wan has unveiled three new omakase menus and a fresh teppanyaki à la carte offering, expanding its appeal. Head chef Toru Takano's latest menus range from the entry-level Kizuna (HK$888), featuring dishes like firefly squid gyoza and Wagyu usuyaki rolls, to the premium Tsugi (HK$1,680), with mantis shrimp in dashi butter and a standout ezo abalone prepared two ways. All menus end with the restaurant's signature pot rice, made with Niigata-grown grains in a clay pot and finished on the teppan. Meanwhile, the new à la carte menu offers izakaya-style flexibility with teppan-prepared hamaguri steamed tableside, kadaifu-wrapped prawns, and Boston lobster tail grilled to order, its head turned into bisque. Enishi Address: G/F 49 Bonham Strand, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong A progressive Indian collab Rosewood Hong Kong's Chaat is teaming up with New Delhi's Indian Accent for a two-day showcase of progressive Indian cuisine on June 20 and 21. Chef Gaurav Kuthari and Indian Accent's executive chef Shantanu Mehrotra will present a collaborative tasting menu that blends bold street-style flavours with refined innovation. Lunch (HK$888) features dishes like lamb samosa tart, wagyu with sweet onion korma, and a pistachio and white chocolate gujiya, while dinner (HK$1,698) adds Kristal caviar pani puri, tandoori quail, and halibut pollichathu wrapped in banana leaf. Both menus close with Indian Accent's signature black dairy dal and kulcha, followed by golden chai masala. Scraps to table HKU's School of Biological Sciences has teamed up with Green Hospitality and Chomp for the third edition of Food Waste to Good Taste, this time culminating in a cookbook: Conscious Cooking – Asian Delights , which features 20 recipes from nine Hong Kong chefs including Barry Quek of Whey, Samaira Kavatkar (The Bombay East Indian Girl), Chris Winski of Soho House, Little Bao's May Chow and Tiff Lo of Jean May, among others, alongside Chomp founder Carla Martinesi. Each recipe transforms commonly discarded ingredients like cucumber peels, leek tops and tea leaves into inventive, Asian-inspired dishes. Launching on June 6 at Soho House, the cookbook highlights the 3,437 tonnes of food waste Hong Kong generates daily, over 778 of which come from the hospitality sector. All proceeds will go to Foodlink Foundation. Soho House Hong Kong Address: 1F, Soho House Hong Kong, 33 Des Voeux Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong A pandan-filled summer Above Pandan Man afternoon tea at Cruise Restaurant & Bar Above Cool down with cendol shaved ice at Cruise Restaurant & Bar Cruise Restaurant & Bar at Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong is teaming up with homegrown brand Pandan Man for a weekend-only afternoon tea running from June 7 to August 31. The pandan-themed spread features Southeast Asian-inspired treats like pandan kaya cheese toast with onsen egg, mango pomelo sticky rice froth pandan cake, and all-you-can-eat pandan ice cream with cendol shaved ice, made using fresh Thai pandan leaves. Priced at HK$688 for two, the set includes pool access and discount vouchers for Pandan Man stores. Guests who dine between June 9 and 30 can also enter a giveaway to win a two-night stay at Hyatt Centric City Centre Kuala Lumpur. Cruise Modern | $ $ 23/F (West Tower), Hyatt Centric Victoria Harbour Hong Kong, 1 North Point Estate Lane, North Point, Hong Kong
Hindustan Times
22-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Tresind Studio in Dubai becomes first Indian restaurant with 3 Michelin stars
It is the ultimate gastronomic accolade. And yet when it came it took much of the global foodie community by surprise. On Thursday night, Tresind Studio, an Indian restaurant in Dubai, was awarded three stars by the Michelin guide. This makes Tresind Studio the only Indian restaurant in the world to hold three stars. It is also the only restaurant in West Asia, across all cuisines, to have won this culinary accolade. Michelin stars are highly valued by chefs because of the incorruptibility, expertise and credibility of the guide. One star means that a restaurant is very good. Two stars make it one of the finest in the region. Three stars are only given to restaurants regarded as being among the best in the world. Tresind Studio's success is even more remarkable because its chef Himanshu Saini is under 40 and because it was widely expected that the first restaurant in Dubai to win three stars would be one of the many hyper-expensive places that are run by famous European chefs. Very few people believed that an Indian restaurant had any hope of competing with the biggest names in the world. Michelin clearly did not see it that way. Gwendal Poullennec, the head of Michelin, believes that the 'time is right for the recognition of Indian food on the world stage.' In recent years Michelin has broken with tradition and awarded stars to Indian restaurants all over the world. But three stars seemed like an impossibility till now. Though the guide covers over 50 global destinations and includes thousands of restaurants there are only 151 three star restaurants in the world. Poullennec made a special trip to Dubai for the announcement and two days before Tresind Studio's success was revealed , he went in secret to tell Saini and his team that they had made culinary history. They were sworn to silence and signed Non Disclosure Agreements so the official announcement took the culinary world by surprise. Saini seemed stunned and a little numb when Poullennec told him about the three stars but members of his team whooped, then wept openly and hugged each other in joy. Saini held it together long enough to make a short speech ('this is a big moment for our country, one that will inspire generations ') and then as the enormity of the achievement sunk in, he burst into tears as well. Though Tresind Studio is located in Dubai, its roots are firmly Indian. Saini trained at Delhi's Indian Accent and still credits that restaurant's legendary chef Manish Mehrotra with teaching him everything he knows about food. Bhupender Nath, the owner, is a self made man from a small town in Bihar who made a fortune in the global fisheries business and opened Tresind as a labour of love, backing and encouraging the then unknown Saini. Though Tresind Studio is the group's flagship, there is also a Tresind in Mumbai. Before the third star was announced Saini had promised to spend more time in the Mumbai restaurant. It remains to be seen if he will stick to that resolution now that he is the most successful Indian chef in the world and a member of that tiny international club of chefs who run three star restaurants.
