Latest news with #ManuChandra
The Hindu
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
French consulate in Bengaluru hosts the semi-finals of the French Patisserie Competition 2025
The French consulate in Bengaluru recently hosted the semi-finals of the French Patisserie Competition 2025. The competition saw seven professional chefs from the city compete to qualify for the finals which will be held in Delhi on June 10, 2025. The bakers presented their creations to the judges, Marc Lamy, the consul general of France in Bengaluru, Vianney Meynier, head of agritech department at Business France, and noted chef Manu Chandra. This is the third edition of the competition, and the second one to be held in Bengaluru. The winner of the competition wins a five-day trip to Paris. Vianney explains, 'The main drive behind the event was to promote French gastronomy and ingredients. Business France is in charge of trade and business in the country; we are at service of the embassy. For the event we partnered with Le Cordon Bleu, the premier culinary school.' The contestants had to use ingredients from French brands, such as the butter by Président by Lactalis and Monin syrup, and create a unique recipe. 'We thought patisserie is a good angle to focus on as there are many new players in India, and France is known for their expertise in the field.' Around 25 entries were received and seven were short listed for the event. On the day, the bakers showcased their creations, and the chefs questioned them about it and tasted each cake. Participants included Jaswinder Singh from ITC Hotels, Ashwani Sharma from Courtyard Marriott Hebbal, independent baker Domnique Fieux, chef Luxmi from The Lalit Ashok Bengaluru, Raju Vinayak Mutkekar from IBIS Novotel, Krishanu Dey from The Ritz Carlton Bengaluru and Melroy Barboza from ITC Gardenia. The cakes included recipes such as Tarte Pomme d'Amour, Caramel Pop Corn Praline Tart and Single Origin Dark Chocolate Framboise Entremet. The results will be shared by the end of this week. A total of 12 contestants from across the country will go to Delhi for the finals. About the event, Marc Lamy, the consul general of France in Bengaluru said, 'It was a very nice experience. There was a lot of talent in this competition. What I love the most is how they were able to make a fusion between French techniques and ingredients, with an Indian twist. Very inspiring.' Chef Manu Chandra said, 'It was fantastic and great to come to the consulate. It was very technical. This was a harder challenge to judge than your usual competition, because the contestants were accomplished pastry chefs. That is when the fun begins, that is when the judging gets hard. Who does not like a challenge!'
The Hindu
24-04-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Bengaluru's cocktail bar Toast & Tonic closes its doors; a look back
Somewhere between simple and artful, cosy and chic, there was everyone's favourite restaurant, Toast & Tonic, tucked in a corner of Bengaluru's Wood Street. As you entered, you could never escape the warm, homey feel of the space, the friendly staff always happy to welcome you back. A fine celebration of the art of a perfectly mixed gin & tonic, best enjoyed on unhurried afternoons or when one of those famed, surprise showers came down. A place that championed seasonality, hyper-local, fermented or raw, with a clever use of simple ingredients alchemised into the most delicious dishes; always ahead of the gastronomic curve. It also held a lot of sentiment for its patrons, many of whom returned again and again, bringing with them new friends who spread the word. Since opening its doors in March 2016, Toast & Tonic has been just that; a place to reconnect. Because, here, it was not just about what was on the table, but also those who were around it. When I first moved to Bengaluru, it was here that I came on my first date. When a dear friend, moved back to Italy alone at the end of her two-decade marriage, it was here that we met to laugh and cry into our tonics infused with elderflower, jasmine and rosemary. So, many memories! And now, after nine years of joy and laughter, Toast & Tonic will close its doors for the very last time on June 15, 2025. 'We knew we were much loved in Bengaluru and so many of our diners had some of their best memories with us over the years,' says AD Singh, founder and managing director of the Olive Group of Restaurants. 'However, we assessed that they were now looking for a refreshed Toast & Tonic for the future, and we are in the process of creating that. Our senior management team and I are deep in discussions on refreshing the vision and design and figuring the way forward.' The end of something good It is not easy to decode the spectrum of emotion behind closing a restaurant. After all, it involves a whole range of human occasions. There was a little bump in the road when Chef patron and a force to himself, Manu Chandra, parted ways with the group in August 2021. With him, went a bit of the shine, of course, but some patrons kept coming due to the restaurant's longtime repute. 'Years ago, they started the gin revolution in India here in Bengaluru. We had never seen ice set with rose petals or spices. I'm so heartbroken that they are shutting; it's the end of an era for wholesome and innovative food and drinks,' said Ila Dorairaj Naidu, a loyal regular. The menu - the meeting of comfort food and innovation The menu, as they say, is often a mirror into the soul of a restaurant, and this has been the cornerstone at Toast & Tonic. The Bajra and ricotta gnudi with creamed amaranth and spinach was a revered adaptation of a classic; one that claimed many hearts, as did the jackfruit tacos, long before jackfruit became a sensation. I remember tasting India's first artisanal cheese, Begum Victoria here, during those initial days of its launch. 'The OG gin address of Bengaluru had a regularly changing menu that always leaned into seasonal and sustainable, using local ingredients with bright flavours. The Roast Sweet Potato salad with the perfect balance of textures and sweet-tangy-briny-smoky flavours was a favourite I often ordered,' said Rupa Balachandar, food writer and a vegetarian food proponent. Adios, in T&T style As a last hurray, the restaurant will unveil the Hall of Fame Menu, a nostalgic tribute to the dishes that defined its legacy. All those T&T shrimp tempura fans can look forward to the last crunch, replete with the customary seaweed powder and sesame seed spike. Gracing the menu, will be other darlings such as fried chicken buns, beer-battered avocado tacos, and the indulgent 3 cheese & 3 pepper flatbread. Lightly perfumed nolen gur tres leches, for those with a sweet tooth. To raise a befitting toast and a last goodbye, expect signature cocktails such as the herbalist, made with gin, basil and orange shrub, tonic and coriander-orange ice for that extra pizzazz. My favourite British Raj will be there; a regal rendition of gin, pomegranate and cinnamon shrub, tonic, with rose petal and cucumber ice. Green apple martini and the fiery jalapeño margarita for the twisted classic lovers. When foraging, fermenting, smoking meats, brining, growing edible flowers and herbs, incorporating ingredients like seaweed or homegrown millets were not yet such fashionable catch phrases, they were the heartbeats of the menu. Toast & Tonic certainly redefined the culinary landscape of India, in the truest way that Bengaluru is known to do. Quietly, but resolutely. The Hall of Fame Menu will be served from April 24 until the day of closure on June 15, 2025. On Wood Street. For more details, call 8976733443
