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With gourmet food stores setting shop in the city,serving sushi and Thai red curry at home has become a lot easier
It is rather common to bump into an enthusiast shopper with a cookbook at Chefs Gateway. After all,the stores owner Gurvin Singh encourages people to experiment with world cuisine. The 1,700 sq ft store,in Sector 22,was planned to fulfill that aim and cater to the needs of the required ingredients. Lined on its shelves is a range of products,from gourmet cheese to specialty meats,truffle,amedei chocolates,tempura batter,miso paste and others exotic ingredients imported from across the globe,South East Asia to the Middle East,Japan,Europe and Mediterranean Before opening this store,we spent a considerable time in understanding customer needs and preferences and the range of specialty foods that was missing in
Chandigarh, says Singh,who even has a reference counter for those in doubt.
The customer can inquire here about gourmet food. They can learn new recipes and get tips he adds.
Singh is not the only one catering to the demands of those interested in experimenting with cooking. If Sanjay Singla,owner of Cooks Corner,in Sector 10,frequents Delhi to add to his stock of South East Asian,American and European food products,Woodhouse,another gourmet store in Sector 10,offers numerous meat options. Few stores away,a nondescript cold storage,next to the Bombay Chopsticks restaurant,is a favourite with those shopping for exotic herbs and vegetables. I love putting together salads now,especially because iceberg lettuce is so easily available, says homemaker Puneet Randhawa,who we spotted stocking up for the week in Sector 10.
Banker Anupama Sharma recalls her delight when she spotted vanilla pods at the Cooks Corner. A self-confessed foodie,and an ardent Nigella Lawson fan,she bought a book of the culinary expert and show host on the Travel and Living,after a friend acquainted her with the gourmet stores in the city. I have always been fond of cooking and love to experiment,but till now finding exact ingredients here in Chandigarh was disappointing. The effort in sourcing the ingredients was not worth it, she states. The last couple of months,however,she has been fairly busy in the kitchen.
Amateur chef Bhavneet Kalra,has also been busy in her kitchen. Working in a telecom company,she now finds it easy to dish out crispy tempura (a Japanese dish) for friends and family. I love eating out and often come back wanting to replicate the dish at home. Tempura is a favourite and the batter and ingredients are now so easily available, says Kalra who is going to have sushi on her menu soon. I have spotted sushi mats and will definitely get cracking over the weekend, she adds. Perhaps rustling up a Michelin star meal at home now possible with plenty of imported wines available in the neighbouring stores.
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