16 September,2012 11:36 AM IST | | Nivedita Dargalkar
Tired of visiting the same restaurants and eating the same food? GourmetITUP (.com) will plan out your entire experience, from customising the menu to making reservations.
The service, which started last month, is the brainchild of husband-wife duo Kunal and Deepa Jain. Deepa, a food connoisseur and founder of Recipe Mobile, a food brand that supplied gourmet food items to restaurants, says, "People get bored of visiting the same places. I felt that if there could be a service that would design special gourmet experiences for patrons, it would be great."
Master class conducted by Chef Ruben Santos at Fenix, The Oberoi, on how to make different types of sushis for GourmetITUP members
Kunal, who has designed several consumer websites, felt that the food industry was not marketed well online. "We wanted to come up with an all-round solution for restaurants as well as a dependable resource and concierge service for consumers."
"We partner with fine dining restaurants in the city that have fantastic reviews, specialised menus and renowned chefs. We then design bespoke set meals, exclusive menu items, unique wine and cocktail pairings as well as mixology classes and master classes with renowned chefs at the restaurant," explains Kunal.
Currently, GourmetITUP has partnered with 25 restaurants in the city. "However, we will add new experiences and restaurants every month so that customers always have something new to try out," assures Kunal. The portal also has plans to expand their services to Delhi, Pune and Bangalore in the near future.
The service, which has designed over 100 gourmet experiences for its patrons within the first month of its launch, offers culinary packages from Rs 750 to Rs 3,000 per person at various premium restaurants in the city. Inquires and reservations can be made by calling their concierge number 12 to 24hours in advance.
"In a week's time, patrons will also be able to book and make payments for their experiences online," adds Deepa. "You can experience a culinary tour of Thailand with a delectable six-course meal at Busaba with vegetarian and non-vegetarian options and enjoy a four-course meal at newly opened Spanish restaurant Vinoteca by Sula with the best wines served with each course. These offers are exclusively available for our members," says Deepa.
They're also open to going the extra mile. "A Jain couple requested for Jain food without onion, garlic and potatoes. We arranged a culinary experience for them at Koh where chefs customised the dishes although they do not have the Jain food option on their regular menu," says Kunal.
"Once, a 60 year-old lady with a severe medical condition was advised to eat spice-free food. We requested the chefs at Neel at Tote on the Turf, who happily obliged," he smiles.
Happy reviews
Charvi Thakker, who regularly books her culinary experiences with GourmetITUp, says, "Their experiences are superbly tailored. They take away the tough part of picking the must-try dishes at restaurants."
Food blogger Rhea Ankleshwaria says GourmetITUP gets her the perfect deals at her favourite restaurants. She says, "It's like Restaurant Week all year round. I've had some wonderful experiences with them - both at old favourites and places I got to try for the first time."
Restaurants they offer
Olive Bar and Kitchen; Poco Loco; The Table; Vinoteca by Sula; Busaba; Cafe Zoe; The Tasting Room; Waterstones; Neel at Tote on the Turf; Koh, Intercontinental; San Qi, The Four Seasons; Trendz, The Lalit; Botticino, Trident; Fenix and Ziya, The Oberoi
