Bengaluru raises a toast to good food

One event on Bengaluru’s social calendar that the city’s crème de la crème will not miss is, without doubt, the annual Times Food and Nightlife Awards and the launch of the latest Times Food Guide.
And this year was even better as Sandalwood stars, corporate honchos, city A-listers and the biggest names in Bengaluru’s culinary landscape descended on ITC Gardenia on Thursday evening to witness the launch of the revamped Times Food Guide 2018 and honour the best in the business of food.
With 45 awards across various categories on offer and Bengaluru’s nightlife deadline just hours away, emcees Anuj Gurwara and Pallavi Walia Raj took guests into the thick of things from the word go, with chief guest for the evening — Miss Supranational 2016 and soon-to-be Kannada film actress Srinidhi Shetty — unveiling the guide. The author of the Guide, Priya Bala, then took the stage to welcome the gathering to the award ceremony, and explaining the effort that went into putting together the Guide in its new avatar.
“The Times Food and Nightlife Awards night has become a highpoint in the Bengaluru event calendar and tonight is extra special as it is different and has come a long way from when it was first launched in the city in 2003 — an edition that I had worked on. The Guide was conceptualized as a go to resource for navigating the culinary landscape and nightlife scenario of the city. The size and shape was such that it would fit into a car’s glove compartment or a lady’s handbag. It served its purpose, but then along came the internet, bringing with it all these websites and later on apps, featuring restaurant listings and reviews, it was time to relook at our little book and reinvent it. So, now, we have the Guide in a brand new, very attractive avatar,” explained Priya.
It was then time for serious business with the awards, and as the winners walked away all smiles, Anuj and Pallavi kept the mood light and jovial with their playful banter and jokes about Bengaluru’s missed date with Sunny Leone, breaking new year resolutions in just four days by shifting the event to January, and, of course, linking of the Aadhar card.
Speaking about the event, Amaan Kidwai, GM of ITC Gardenia, said, “We have always been delighted to partner with the Times Food and Nightlife awards because these are very prestigious awards in the industry and we look forward to a continued relationship. Both our hotels have been venues for the event for several years now. We have a bouquet of restaurants, which offer a great variety of cuisines. Our endeavor is always to provide the city of Bengaluru, great food, ambience, service and authentic experiences. We will continue to work on that and ensure that our restaurants offer the best and then, it is up to the city of Bengaluru to recognize that. We are thankful to the Times Group and Bengaluru for the awards and recognition we have received.”
After the ceremony, it was time for everyone to sample the offerings that were laid out by the award-winning restaurants. There was something for everyone, whether it was North Indian, pan-Asian, Italian, coastal Karnataka, Chettinadu or Japanese, as well as a delectable range of desserts. All in all, it was truly Bengaluru served up on a platter.
The Times Food and Nightlife Awards, Bengaluru, 2018 was presented in association with Swiggy, India’s largest food ordering and delivery platform, Narang Group — O Smart natural mixers, drink smart mix Natural and QUA natural mineral water, and Diageo — Johnnie Walker The Journey that has told stories of personal progress.
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