The Grub Fest was a feast of the senses, says Team Viva
If the 16-year-old Manu Bhaker won gold at the Commonwealth shooting range, another 16-year-old, Manika Chakerverty, grabbed eyeballs at the Grub Fest with her bakes stuffed in quirky glass jars. Call it feast of the senses but she got it comfortingly right with heavenly flavour pairings — like moist Nutella and Oreo sponge splashed with crushed Oreo biscuits and a generous spread of Nutella in between layers — and a visual sense of lusciousness through the glass.
There was a chocolate block, carefully sliced up into four thin layers, each layer topped with homemade dark chocolate ganache. Each such block was flavoured with Ferrero Rocher and topped with smooth Dairy Milk Silk. Familiar flavours in an unfamiliar mix. And all arrayed in colourful jars. Amid some of the big labels like Baking Bad, IHOP and Big Yellow Door, Manika’s little Mixx stood out. “I have a passion for baking and I don’t find this job hindering my studies in any way. Every night after my studies, I have infinite and indulgent ideas rolling in my head which I keep writing down alongside. It’s the sixth year that I have been working on my food label. Stepping into Grub was a big leap. Though the first day turned out to be the flop, sales picked up from the second day onwards as the foodies were surprised by my innovative jars and tastes.” Manika was one of the contestants on Masterchef Junior but fell just short of the final. She plays with few ingredients but works out countless combinations of flavour mixes and profiles. “I do not follow any examples, every recipe is my own,” she added.
Another first came in the form of Russian bakes and savouries. We spotted seemingly unique varieties in waffles, from pies to sandwiches, the latter enwrapping farm-fresh, organic vegetables. Then there was the J-Tube, packed with vanilla, chocolate and other flavours, looking like delectable twisted candies. “We have introduced these here a month ago and in our outlet at GK-1 it’s a hotseller,” said Ritin Gandharva, the founder of Wafl in India.
Another eye-catching element was the giant “Chicken Kamina Bada Bhai Burger” by Bewdi Ainak. Served with onion and capsicum rings at the bottom and crispy Nachos and chicken patties on the top layer, all pasted together by creamy cheese and dressing, it was held together by a stick, which gave it a fuss-free appearance.
The quirky names of the dishes became the talking point such as Rag Rag Mai Cheese with a fun tagline, “This guy has cheese instead of blood in his veins” and “Mutthu met Pammi Mexico.”
And though vodka golgappas have been around for quite some time, Kshitij Sanghi and Urvashi Bhatia’s cocktail versions were a quick draw on a Sunday afternoon. Childhood friends, they told us, “We try keeping the drunken vision alive in our food. Setting up this pop-up stall was a dream which we saw as kids and we are really excited to finally bring it to the food lovers.”
As a sideshow to restaurants, bars, exclusive lounges, meal carts and food trucks, the sixth edition of Grub Fest also had DJs and a fashion and lifestyle exhibition alongside. “The fest is a feast of the senses. Be it singers, songwriters, DJs and various other talented musicians, our platform is one of talent and innovation,” said Arjun Jain, founder of Grub Fest India.
“We also introduced a live ice-skating experience and a beer garden to sit back, relax and enjoy some grub,” added Chaitanya Mathur, the fellow founder.