Luxury group dining series | A Michelin Star dinner, brunch curated by seven top chefs, and more

A Michelin Star dinner, cocktails made by mixologists from Singapore, a brunch curated by seven of top chefs in the Indian culinary industry were among the highlights of the Luxury Group Dining Series, which made a stopover in Mumbai last weekend.

The three-day dining series started with Spanish Chef Miguel Navarro bringing his 1 Michelin Star restaurant Es Fum dining experience to Koishii, St Regis Mumbai. His arrival did keep the kitchen busy, but after trying the five courses one knew why!

The first course started with an extraordinary ‘Salmorejo with beet tartar’ and every dish that followed had Navarro’s unique touch to it, whether the seabass, lamb, pickle avocado or the shiitake creamy rice. Each course was satisfying yet left you with a “what’s next?”.

And to go with the delicious food, Cassandra Sim and Karina Coleen Lugtu of the Republic bar at Ritz-Carlton Singapore brought four of their signature cocktails — The Greatest, The Headliner, Speed of Sound and Vision of Stellar — to Mumbai for guests to try.

“At Republic, we have 16 signature cocktails, which are part of four pillars. Each drink we have here comes from each of the four categories,” Cassandra said.

The Headliner, a personal favourite, turned out to be one of her favourites too. A Jameson base, with cacao white concoction, berries syrup, filtered coffee topped with cream cheese foam, The Headliner was the perfect warm cocktail to sip on.

Cassandra said that while she liked working with vodka, gin, whiskey, because their flavours were mild, she welcomed a challenge. “I think for me the up and coming trend is using tequila, mezcal, maybe rice wine like soju. Challenges are always welcome, challenges are good,” she said.

The second and third day comprised other events such as a Loy Krathong dinner with Chef Keith, a patisserie master class by guest chef Vinesh Johny, and concluded with the Seven Master Chefs Brunch at Seven Kitchens, featuring a collaboration of some of the top chefs across India — Asif Qureshi from JW Marriott Mumbai Juhu, Alessandro Piso from JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, Kevin Chow Chee Meng from The Ritz-Carlton, Bangalore, Bhaskar Chakraborty from the JW Marriott Kolkata, Sahil Sharma from JW Marriott Hotel New Delhi Aerocity, Chef Paul Kinny from The St. Regis Mumbai and Chef Golpin Sianipar from The Westin Mumbai Powai Lake.

The lavish brunch spread covered nearly the entirety of the restaurant. With live music playing in the background, each chef had a dedicated space to display their menu along with their signature dishes. And with more designated spaces for seafood, chaat, pasta, cheese, breads, a chocolate bar and a dessert table, diners were spoilt for choice.

“We have been preparing for this event for around three months now,” said chef Golpin Sianipar. His signature dish was the black truffle chicken – an oven roasted cornfed chicken infused truffle, served with ginger soy rice and black truffle sauce.

Chef Paul Kinny said curating the Sunday brunch with his fellow chefs was an exhilarating journey of collaboration and creativity. “Each chef brought their unique flair, making it a true culinary symphony. The planning and preparation spanned weeks, involving brainstorming sessions and meticulous execution to ensure an unforgettable experience for our guests,” he said.

Chef Kevin Cho Chee Meng, who is originally from Malaysia, and has now been at Ritz-Carlton Bangalore for six years, said he was happy to showcase his Chinese cuisine here. His signature dish was the national dish of Singapore, the Hainanese Chicken Rice. It comprised poached chicken with seasonal rice, served with the chef’s special chilli sauce. He said it is important to upgrade oneself as time passes and also learn the culture of every new place one visits.

Chef Kevin, who has previously worked in Singapore, London, Indonesia, said that he thinks India is now opening up to the new culinary culture. “Earlier in Bombay, they were not very welcoming. Now, the young and the old, they know about the different types of cuisines and are welcoming towards it such as Cantonese, Chinese, Mediterranean cuisines,” he said.

Chef Paul too said the Indian culinary industry is poised for a renaissance in the next decade. “With the growing emphasis on sustainability, regional authenticity, and innovative techniques, we’re set to witness a fusion of deep-rooted traditions and global trends. It’s an exciting time for chefs to redefine the narrative of Indian cuisine on the world stage,” he said.

The Luxury Group Dining Series, which commenced in September, will end at its next stop at the JW Marriott Hotel Singapore South Beach.