Aditya Birla New Age Hospitality (ABNAH), the hospitality division of the Aditya Birla Group, has launched Waarsa, a premium casual dining restaurant offering signature Awadhi cuisine. Waarsa͏͏ is͏͏ located͏͏ within͏͏ the͏͏ heritage͏͏ precinct͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ renowned͏͏ National͏͏ Centre͏͏ for͏͏ the͏͏ Performing͏͏ Arts͏͏ (NCPA)͏͏ in͏͏ Nariman͏͏ Point,͏͏ Mumbai.
Celebrating͏͏ Awadhi Heritage͏͏ Through͏͏ Culinary͏͏ Artistry:
Waarsa,͏͏ meaning͏͏ “inheritance,”͏͏ aims͏͏ to͏͏ tell͏͏ the͏͏ story͏͏ of͏͏ Awadh͏͏ and͏͏ its͏͏ chefs͏͏ through͏͏ the͏͏ flavours,͏͏ aromas,͏͏ and͏͏ techniques͏͏ handed͏͏ down͏͏ through͏͏ generations.͏͏ It͏͏ embodies͏͏ a͏͏ profound͏͏ connection͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ rich͏͏ legacy͏͏ and͏͏ culinary͏͏ heritage͏͏ of͏͏ Awadhi͏͏ cuisine.
Continue͏͏ Exploring:͏͏ Aditya͏͏ Birla͏͏ Group’s͏͏ hospitality͏͏ arm͏͏ ABNAH͏͏ secures͏͏ major͏͏ deal,͏͏ adds͏͏ iconic͏͏ restaurant͏͏ brands͏͏ to͏͏ portfolio
Culinary͏͏ Expertise͏͏ Behind͏͏ Waarsa:
Waarsa,͏͏ led͏͏ by͏͏ Rahul͏͏ Akerkar,͏͏ culinary͏͏ director͏͏ at͏͏ ABNAH,͏͏ and͏͏ master͏͏ chef͏͏ Mukthar͏͏ Qureshi,͏͏ is͏͏ more͏͏ than͏͏ just͏͏ a͏͏ restaurant.͏͏ It͏͏ offers͏͏ a͏͏ journey͏͏ through͏͏ the͏͏ vibrant͏͏ and͏͏ rich͏͏ history͏͏ of͏͏ Awadhi͏͏ cuisine,͏͏ drawing͏͏ inspiration͏͏ not͏͏ only͏͏ from͏͏ royal͏͏ kitchens͏͏ but͏͏ also͏͏ from͏͏ the͏͏ homes͏͏ of͏͏ regional͏͏ cooks͏͏ who͏͏ migrated͏͏ from͏͏ Awadh͏͏ to͏͏ various͏͏ parts͏͏ of͏͏ India.
Udai͏͏ Pinnali,͏͏ CEO͏͏ of͏͏ ABNAH,͏͏ stated:͏͏ “We͏͏ are͏͏ honoured͏͏ to͏͏ launch͏͏ Waarsa͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ esteemed͏͏ NCPA,͏͏ a͏͏ venue͏͏ celebrated͏͏ for͏͏ its͏͏ dedication͏͏ to͏͏ traditional͏͏ and͏͏ contemporary͏͏ arts͏͏ over͏͏ the͏͏ years.͏͏ Waarsa͏͏ is͏͏ our͏͏ tribute͏͏ to͏͏ a͏͏ cuisine͏͏ influenced͏͏ by͏͏ both͏͏ regal͏͏ kitchens͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ warmth͏͏ of͏͏ traditional͏͏ Awadhi͏͏ homes.͏͏ Chef͏͏ Rahul͏͏ Akerkar͏͏ and͏͏ Chef͏͏ Mukhtar͏͏ Qureshi͏͏ have͏͏ worked͏͏ together͏͏ to͏͏ create͏͏ a͏͏ culinary͏͏ experience͏͏ that͏͏ is͏͏ deeply͏͏ rooted͏͏ in͏͏ Awadh͏͏ while͏͏ being͏͏ thoughtfully͏͏ adapted͏͏ to͏͏ modern͏͏ tastes.”
“At͏͏ ABNAH,͏͏ our͏͏ approach͏͏ to͏͏ new͏͏ dining͏͏ concepts͏͏ is͏͏ guided͏͏ by͏͏ a͏͏ mission͏͏ to͏͏ harness͏͏ the͏͏ transformative͏͏ power͏͏ of͏͏ food͏͏ and͏͏ share͏͏ culinary͏͏ stories͏͏ that͏͏ resonate͏͏ with͏͏ today’s͏͏ audience.”
“We͏͏ have͏͏ meticulously͏͏ designed͏͏ every͏͏ detail͏͏ of͏͏ Waarsa͏͏ to͏͏ embody͏͏ the͏͏ essence͏͏ of͏͏ Awadh͏͏ in͏͏ an͏͏ understated͏͏ yet͏͏ elegant͏͏ manner.͏͏ To͏͏ achieve͏͏ this,͏͏ we͏͏ immersed͏͏ ourselves͏͏ in͏͏ the͏͏ diverse͏͏ culinary͏͏ landscapes͏͏ of͏͏ Lucknow,͏͏ Benares,͏͏ Kolkata,͏͏ and͏͏ beyond,͏͏ deeply͏͏ exploring͏͏ the͏͏ history͏͏ and͏͏ intricacies͏͏ of͏͏ this͏͏ remarkable͏͏ cuisine,”͏͏ added͏͏ Rahul͏͏ Akerkar.
“For͏͏ me,͏͏ Waarsa͏͏ is͏͏ a͏͏ deeply͏͏ personal͏͏ journey.͏͏ The͏͏ menu͏͏ captures͏͏ my͏͏ childhood͏͏ memories͏͏ of͏͏ home-cooked͏͏ meals͏͏ and͏͏ the͏͏ rich͏͏ stories͏͏ from͏͏ my͏͏ family,͏͏ while͏͏ also͏͏ reflecting͏͏ the͏͏ culinary͏͏ voice͏͏ I’ve͏͏ developed͏͏ over͏͏ the͏͏ years.͏͏ It͏͏ pays͏͏ homage͏͏ to͏͏ the͏͏ authenticity͏͏ of͏͏ Awadhi͏͏ cuisine͏͏ and͏͏ its͏͏ historical͏͏ roots,͏͏ while͏͏ introducing͏͏ subtle͏͏ modern͏͏ touches͏͏ to͏͏ create͏͏ a͏͏ lighter͏͏ and͏͏ more͏͏ contemporary͏͏ dining͏͏ experience,”͏͏ said͏͏ Mukhtar͏͏ Qureshi,͏͏ a͏͏ member͏͏ of͏͏ the͏͏ esteemed͏͏ Qureshi͏͏ family͏͏ known͏͏ for͏͏ their͏͏ strong͏͏ Awadhi͏͏ heritage,͏͏ who͏͏ leads͏͏ the͏͏ kitchen͏͏ at͏͏ the͏͏ restaurant.
