Bangalore Goes The BBQ Way

Vyas Sivanand - Bangalore

With the sudden mushrooming of hotels and independent restaurants in Bangalore, hoteliers and restaurateurs are trying to find unique ways to indulge the ever-demanding gastronome. A trend that is fast emerging in the Indian food and beverage market is the style of cooking called Barbecue (BBQ) which involves roasting or broiling on a rack over hot coals or on a revolving spit before or over a source of heat.

According to most hoteliers, the reason for this method gaining popularity is because this mode of dining fits into the cosmopolitan lifestyle that involves people who have the money but less time to spend it in. Another reason is that it is healthier and more filling than a typical full course meal.

Says Shekhar Bhargava, vice-president, Baljee Group of Hotels, which is opening up a barbecue outlet at its Hotel Central Park soon, "The restaurant business in Bangalore has grown in leaps and bounds in the last year with the influx of the call centres, pharmaceutical industries, banking and finance etc. This concept is one of the fastest growing and it could be attributed to its low costs, the fact it is healthier and that BBQ items are versatile and compliment most kinds of drinks."

Vishnuvardhan Bhat, hospitality consultant, supports this view saying, "The cost involved in setting up a barbecue outlet is comparatively lower. A hotel could easily modify its terrace to a barbecue outlet with minimum investment towards equipment and infrastructure. I believe that there are approximately 15 of these outlets, which have already come up or are on the verge of opening in the near future."

The menu includes a host of items that are ideally served straight from the fire, and are eaten sizzling hot. "The experience is very unique because people experience the real aroma and flavour of the dish, which is otherwise lost when it comes to a full fledged curry or dry item," adds chef Nimish Bhatia, executive chef, Hotel Grand Ashok, Bangalore.

MRG Group, which has specialises in restaurants and recently forayed into the hotel business with a boutique hotel and opened an exclusive BBQ outlet in their Hotel Goldfinch named Kebab Studio. Commenting on the reason for opening the outlet when the group specialises in fine dining, Jeffrey Crasta, VP-Corporate, MRG Group says, "We have a lounge bar known as Aura, which has a fine dining section, a lounge and a BBQ area. I have seen that almost 90 per cent of people coming in prefer to sit at the BBQ area. While the investment required is definitely less, we can try unique service methods and even provide an exotic variety, which is usually receives much appreciation."