New Menu With French Flair Sets Vietnamese Ingredients Centre Stage at The Colonial

New Menu With French Flair Sets Vietnamese Ingredients Centre Stage at The Colonial

By Nishang Narayan

Published on April 2, 2025

The Colonial restaurant at The Anam Cam Ranh has unveiled an exciting six-course degustation menu that fuses Vietnamese ingredients with French culinary techniques. Curated by the resort’s Executive Chef Duy Anh Nguyen, the new menu celebrates Vietnam's distinct flavors while presenting them with French finesse.

An Unforgettable Culinary Journey

Guests are welcomed into a setting with an open kitchen, a grand piano, and a courtyard adorned with lush gardens, setting the stage for an unforgettable dining experience. The menu begins with a creative amuse-bouche featuring giant clam with sausage, daikon jams, and salmon roe, alongside Vietnamese beef tartare with caramelised cashew, crispy garlic, and betel leaf.

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Following the appetizer, the entrée showcases salted mackerel served with a fermented star fruit broth, garnished with chrysanthemum and coriander oil, offering a perfect balance of sour and aromatic flavors. The first main course brings a 14-day dry-aged duck breast paired with pumpkin flower, black apple amazake, and brown butter fermented tofu sauce, offering complex textures and rich, savory flavors.

For a refreshing palate cleanser, mango and passion fruit sorbet with oolong tea cordial and yellow raisin is served before the second main dish: a luxurious 150-day dry-aged Black Angus tenderloin accompanied by eggplant puree, homemade chili and basil beef jus, and Vietnamese ST25 fragrant rice with corn and green beans.

To finish, a delightful dessert of Tahini ice cream with sesame chips, caramelised hajikami, and coconut milk sauce is paired with a delicate Nha Trang tofu pudding, providing the perfect sweet finale to the meal.

Wine Pairing for a Perfect Complement

For those looking to elevate their experience, the menu offers an optional wine pairing, featuring wines from Australia, France, and Italy, selected to complement each course and enhance the flavors of this innovative fusion feast.

A Nod to Vietnam’s Rich Culinary Heritage

Chef Duy Anh Nguyen shared his excitement about the new menu, saying:

"Vietnamese cuisine is renowned the world over for its distinct flavour combinations thanks to vibrant ingredients such as aromatic herbs, spices, and sauces. Our new menu celebrates these combinations and contrasting textures with an undeniable French influence."

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The Colonial’s Unique Dining Experience

With its Indochine-inspired design, The Colonial specializes in modern European and French dishes infused with Vietnamese nuances, providing a premium fine dining experience. The restaurant transforms into the club lounge for guests of premium suites and villas during the day, offering a relaxed yet refined setting before transitioning to an elegant dining space at night.

The Anam Cam Ranh, recently listed as one of Fodor’s Finest Hotels for 2025, continues to set a high standard in luxury hospitality, offering not only exceptional dining but also a host of world-class amenities, including a beachfront location, luxurious villas, pools, spas, and more.

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For reservations or further details, visit www.theanam.com, email info.cr@theanam.com, or call +(84) 258 398 9499.

About The Anam Group

After debuting The Anam Cam Ranh in 2017, The Anam Group expanded its portfolio with the opening of The Anam Mui Ne in January 2023 and the Axi Plaza convention centre in April 2024. The group combines Indochine charm with modern luxury, offering an extraordinary blend of colonial-era aesthetics and attentive Vietnamese service.

The Anam Cam Ranh boasts 77 villas, 136 rooms, and extensive luxury amenities. With another property, The Anam Mui Ne, already making waves in southern Vietnam, the group is carving out its place as a leader in luxury hospitality on Vietnam’s scenic coastline.


Punjab Sind Enters Artisanal Ice Cream Market, Expands Dairy Portfolio

Punjab Sind Enters Artisanal Ice Cream Market, Expands Dairy Portfolio

By Hariharan U

Published on November 15, 2026

Mumbai-based dairy brand Punjab Sind is expanding beyond paneer with its entry into the artisanal ice cream segment, introducing a range of small-batch flavours made using quality milk and Italian ingredients. The move marks another step in the family's effort to build a broader dairy portfolio while drawing on its experience in dairy production.

The brand's journey began with Jagjit Singh Bajaj, who established the family's paneer business. His son, Jasvinder Singh Bajaj, subsequently gave the business a distinct brand identity and developed its market presence. The name Punjab Sind draws inspiration from Mumbai's Khar neighbourhood in the 1990s, when Punjabi and Sindhi communities formed an important part of the area's cultural and food landscape.

With its new ice cream range, Punjab Sind is bringing its understanding of dairy into another category. The products are made in small, fresh batches using Italian machinery, with an emphasis on ingredient quality, consistency and texture. Their higher-fat composition gives the ice creams a rich, creamy mouthfeel. Each scoop contains approximately 5–10 grams of protein, although the range is positioned primarily as an indulgent dessert rather than a health-focused product.

A Range of Familiar Favourites and New Flavours

The collection includes Melon, Tiramisu, Biscoff, Wild Berries and Malai Kulfi, alongside familiar choices such as Vanilla and Mango, the latter made with Alphonso mango. Other options include Coffee, Chocolate, Hazelnut and Pistachio, as well as Raspberry and Mixed Berry Sorbets.

The brand is also exploring ways to incorporate ice cream into more elaborate dessert creations. One example is the Milky Way Sundae, which pairs malai ice cream with warm milk cake. The combination brings together contrasting temperatures and textures while drawing on familiar dessert flavours.

Punjab Sind plans to keep the range evolving through seasonal fruit flavours, creations inspired by Indian mithai and other experimental combinations.

Speaking about the brand's expansion, Jasvinder Singh Bajaj said, "Our journey began with my father, Jagjit Singh Bajaj, who started our paneer business, and I have always believed in carrying that legacy forward while finding new ways to serve our customers. With our artisanal ice creams, we wanted to bring the same commitment to quality into a new category, using real milk, rich cream and authentic ingredients without compromising on taste or texture. Made in small batches, each flavour reflects our belief that good dairy takes time, care and craftsmanship. For us, ice cream is more than a dessert; it is about creating moments of happiness and sharing something we truly believe in. As we grow, our aim is to keep innovating while holding on to the values that have shaped Punjab Sind across generations."

Paneer and Other Dairy Categories

Alongside its ice cream launch, Punjab Sind is preparing to introduce new packaging and an improved recipe for its high-protein paneer around Dussehra. According to the brand, the revised formulation will provide 7–10 grams of protein in every 200-gram pack, while retaining the soft texture and familiar taste of paneer.

The company says the new formulation is intended to offer a protein-rich option that remains suitable for everyday cooking, without the firm or dense texture sometimes associated with high-protein paneer.

Looking ahead, Punjab Sind plans to explore additional categories, including sweets, pickles and bakery products. The developments form part of its broader strategy to evolve from a paneer-focused business into a more diversified dairy and food brand.


HUNGRY HOPPER Opens in Vasant Vihar, Plans 4–5 Outlets in Three Years

HUNGRY HOPPER Opens in Vasant Vihar, Plans 4–5 Outlets in Three Years

By Hariharan U

Published on November 15, 2026

Delhi's dining scene has a new coastal address with the opening of HUNGRY HOPPER in Vasant Vihar. Founded by hospitality entrepreneur Jai Batra and Malika Chawla Batra, the restaurant brings together the food traditions of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka through a menu centred on appams, hoppers, regional curries and seafood.

The 30-seater restaurant marks the founders' entry into a focused coastal dining concept, with plans to open four to five additional outlets over the next three years. The expansion strategy is intended to take the brand's regional food offering to a wider audience while retaining its culinary identity.

The idea behind HUNGRY HOPPER grew from the founders' shared appreciation for appams and hoppers, coastal cooking and their pairing with seafood. Its menu draws on the coconut-led preparations of Kerala, Tamil Nadu's robust spice profiles and Sri Lanka's distinctive tangy flavours.

At the centre of the offering are plain, butter and egg hoppers, flat appams, neer dosa and string hoppers. These are paired with regional curries such as Jackfruit Kari, Coastal Chicken Kari, Prawn Kari and Crab Moilee.

Other menu highlights include Fort Cochin Pepper Jumbo Prawns, Kanyakumari Pepper Crab, Kerala Fish Fry and Kothu Roti. Vegetarian options include Malabar Jackfruit Cutlets and Chettinad Mushroom Parotta Tacos. Regional rice preparations, including Thalassery and Vaniyambadi biryanis, add further variety to the menu.

The dining experience is centred on generous, uncomplicated meals, with guests encouraged to explore different hopper-and-curry combinations, share dishes and eat with their hands. The format places familiar regional food traditions at the heart of the restaurant's proposition.

Speaking about the brand's long-term plans, Jai Batra, Founder, HUNGRY HOPPER, said, "I have always felt that the real measure of a restaurant is not the attention it receives when it first opens, but the place it earns in people's lives over time. That comes down to the decisions made every day, how a team works, how standards are maintained and how thoughtfully the business evolves. We are approaching HUNGRY HOPPER with that long-term perspective. The ambition is to build a brand with its own identity and the discipline to grow without losing sight of what it stands for."

Malika Chawla Batra, Co-Founder, HUNGRY HOPPER, added, "With the launch of HUNGRY HOPPER, we wanted to introduce Delhi to the diversity of coastal food cultures in a way that feels approachable yet distinctive. My background in design and culinary arts has shaped how I look at food, not just as a collection of flavours, but as an expression of culture, craft and identity. I hope this becomes a place that encourages people to discover something new and see these cuisines from a fresh perspective."

A unit of M.J. Hospitality, HUNGRY HOPPER brings a regional coastal dining proposition to Vasant Vihar. Its planned expansion will depend on building a recognisable brand identity while taking its interpretation of South Indian and Sri Lankan food traditions to more diners.

Restaurant Details

  • Brand: HUNGRY HOPPER

  • Founders: Jai Batra and Malika Chawla Batra

  • Location: First Floor, C-15, Vasant Vihar, C Block Main Market, New Delhi – 110057

  • Timings: 12:30 PM–3:30 PM and 7:00 PM–11:00 PM

  • Seating: 30 covers

  • Expansion Plans: Four to five additional outlets over the next three years


Courtyard by Marriott Madurai Announces Casino-Themed New Year’s Eve Celebration

Courtyard by Marriott Madurai Announces Casino-Themed New Year’s Eve Celebration

By Hariharan U

Published on November 15, 2026

Courtyard by Marriott Madurai is set to welcome 2027 with Casino Eve, a casino-inspired New Year’s Gala Dinner bringing together festive dining, live entertainment and family-friendly activities at Madurai Kitchen on December 31, 2026.

Inspired by the glamour and energy of a Vegas casino night, the celebration will offer guests an evening of food, entertainment and festive experiences. The event is being positioned as an all-ages celebration, with offerings for families, couples and groups looking to mark the arrival of the New Year.

The evening will feature live music, vibrant live food stations, premium beverages, a lucky draw and magician performances. A dedicated kids’ zone with activities for younger guests will also be part of the programme, adding a family-friendly element to the celebrations.

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With entertainment and dining planned under one roof, Casino Eve will offer guests an opportunity to celebrate the final evening of 2026 in a lively setting. The casino-inspired theme will provide the backdrop for an evening centred on food, music and shared celebrations.

Event Details

  • Event: Casino Eve – New Year’s Gala Dinner

  • Venue: Madurai Kitchen, Courtyard by Marriott Madurai

  • Date: Thursday, December 31, 2026

  • Time: 8 PM onwards

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