Why are city restaurateurs introducing a different menu for your middle-of-the-day meal? We find out
Yum cha lunch at Yauatcha
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Two drinks with a classic steak like Don Draper at a posh Madison Avenue bar or precious gossip time with the besties, a la Carrie Bradshaw and the girls, and one thing is definite - a lot can happen over lunch. And to help you achieve your goal for lunch, restaurateurs have to walk a tight rope to get the balance of taste and time right. Several restaurants in the city today, regardless of the cuisine and locality, have curated special lunch menus to make ordering easier during the short breather in the middle of a busy day. Here are the pieces that solve the lunch puzzle.
Vegetarian Thali at Bombay Vintage
Tick the boxes
"A lunch menu needs to be balanced such that it provides a mix of protein and carbohydrates, and meets the palate of diners over different age groups and meal preferences by providing them a balanced meal while also giving them enough choices to indulge in," says Neeti Goel, co-owner, Keiba, Mahalaxmi. Alessandro Persico, head chef, Celini (Grand Hyatt-Mumbai), seconds this opinion. "We are predominantly a business hotel.
Business lunch at Celini
Often, people would avoid visiting our signature restaurants, as lunches are quick; they would come only on special occasions when it is possible to spend two hours. Based on such feedback, we realised that whether it's corporates or small groups of women, everyone wants something healthy and quick that's value-for-money. Patrons aren't keen on heavy food. So we designed balanced meals that have one main protein with a soup appetiser and dessert for the fixed lunch. People are aware of the concept of eating healthy and it's not about quantity," says Persico.
Unlike Keiba, which like many other restaurants in SoBo hosts society ladies and kitty parties for long lunches, and corporate districts like BKC where people prefer either quick or elaborate lunches to impress a client, Colaba gets a mix of working professionals, business owners, shoppers and tourists. "We found that there was a gap for a happy and accessible lunch space where guests could drop by for fuss-free options. People need wholesome meals made with local and seasonal ingredients without an after-meal food coma. Which is why we developed the concept of the thali, a city favourite," says Pankil Shah, co-partner, Neighbourhood Hospitality, for Bombay Vintage.
Spicy bird-eye chilli prawn at Keiba
Thalis are also a favourite at Taftoon Bar and Kitchen, which specialises in cuisine from the Grand Trunk Road route. "Lunch menus should be used as a marketing platform to showcase the cuisine of the restaurant and hence one should always stick to their theme and cuisine. While lunch meals should be healthy as no one likes eating heavy during lunch hours, Mumbaikars love our set meal thalis because of its variety and the price factor. Although we love extra butter and dessert in our meals, of late, a lot of Mumbaikars are opting for a healthier version of these thalis," says Pankaj Gupta, co-owner. Taftoon has a rotating menu where different regional cuisines are served every day, as regulars don't want to eat the same fixed meal all the time.
Lunch meal at Taftoon
In addition to a special lunch menu, Yauatcha also has a dim sum lunch special. "Corporate consumers are looking for value, speed, comfortable seating and a satisfying but light dining experience. We curated a menu keeping these factors in mind," says Abhishek Bindal, VP of operations, KA Hospitality for Yauatcha, BKC. Bindal says that the demand changes during the festive months of Diwali and Christmas, when the menu is extended to a five-course one as people tend to indulge.
Alessandro Persico
Time is money
Whatever the choice, lunch has to be quick. At Celini, they guarantee that you will be out of the restaurant with your belly full within 45 minutes. "The lead time of food does make a huge difference during lunch hours; a dine-in customer wouldn't wait for more than 15 minutes for their food to arrive at the table. Consider an order cancelled if not delivered to the guest within 45 minutes," promises Gupta. BKC's Hello Guppy offers a donburi bowl menu as an express lunch.
Neeti Goel
It consists of salad, soup, a main course donburi bowl, dessert and a drink. "The reason why we believe it's so popular is because it takes the guesswork out of dining, by offering a busy office-goer a hearty, complete meal that they don't need to spend too much time putting together themselves," says Vikram Khatri, executive chef, Hello Guppy. Serving everything in a bowl (protein, carbs, etc) minimises the time and effort one might otherwise take to order a la carte.
The efficiency of serving things in a short time is crucial as it gives the guests the confidence to drop by again, believes Shah. "Kitty groups also prefer set meals as it saves them the trouble of going through the entire menu. Also, ordering multiple dishes in fancy restaurants can be heavy on the pocket. With a set lunch, a diner gets an option to try various dishes at a set price. Set meals are preferred over elaborate buffets because in a set lunch, the food is freshly prepared in small quantities and served on the table," says Goel.
"For most people in Colaba, lunch is a pit stop during their day. Hence, time sensitivity comes into play during the weekdays. On weekends, our guests are more relaxed and love to pair their lunches with our signature cocktails and craft beers or sangria," says Shah. Taftoon too sticks to a lead-time of not more than 12 minutes.
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