Banquets go bespoke

Bindu Gopal Rao

When Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone announced their wedding, one of the things that made news was that the couple had asked the chefs to sign a special bond to ensure that the exclusive dishes made for their wedding would not be replicated anywhere else. While this might sound exaggerated for some, it has firmly brought the spotlight back on food, especially in the banqueting space.

Tossing the new

Banquets have always had a standard method of functioning. However, that is changing today with clients demanding bespoke and custom-made offerings. The entire concept of banqueting has evolved from the conventional style, which was a traditional buffet with salads, soups, main course and dessert to interactive food stations.

“People have now started looking for dishes they would eat at fine-dining spaces. We now see endless variety at the banquets, some of them so  unique they may not be on the menu of the best of restaurants also,” say Rajat and Manik Kapoor, owners Gola Ceremonial Banquets. So, while fruits, nuts and yogurt are being added to seaweed and plant-based snacks, smoothies are made with nut-based milks.

Gourmet choices

So, what does the menu feature? Sample this list at Le Jardin, a specialty banquet space in Kolkata. On the menu are coconut and honey popcorn, fennel and parmesan biscuits, parmesan oat cakes, togarashi spiced murgh malai tikka, peri-peri tawa macchi, goat cheese malai broccoli, jackfruit taco, asparagus wantons and edamame and smoked corn pan-fried dimsum. In fact, this is a small list of the whopping 24 concept stations that can be set up at a wedding or a party. Their executive chef, Neelabh Sahay, says, “Guests today are aware of what they want. Instagram and Facebook are big influencers. Innovation in cuisine has taken a whole new meaning for chefs. It inspires us to play with flavours and textures.”

Health too

As guests inspire a shake-up in the traditional banquet and catering menus, lifestyle changes are pushing healthier options into banquets too. Don’t be surprised if you next see a gluten-free corner at a party! “People today have high expectations and diverse dining demands. They want to know about the ingredients and produce. Catering too focuses more on fresh production from live stations and experiential catering, portion-controlled technique aiming to keep food fresh and the quality consistent. The need for healthy food and neuro-nutrition is making room for dishes such as wheat and oat based products, zucchini pasta and other plant-based dishes.  They want the food to be both yummy and healthy,” says chef Ritesh Negi from Radisson Blu MBD, Noida.

Making the connect

Interactive dining is becoming another trend where diners witness chefs prepare meals right in front of them. To jazz things up, chefs are including house signature dishes in small portions for greater variety. Aditya Mehta, co-founder White Castle Hospitality, that operates the Ozora Banquets in Kolkata, says, “Live counters, though not a new concept, have caught on like wild fire in the recent times. Main course on the buffet has been greatly reduced and live counters have come in. The drama and the interaction that ensues in a live counter are both fun and engaging.” Food, after all, is all about experiences and interaction just adds to the same.