Get Set eat

The offer sounds like a steal,but Two One Two is one of the many restaurants that now do set meals. The concept involves serving three to four course meals of pre-plated appetiser,main course and dessert,sometimes followed by a hot beverage. The menu provides limited options for each course but is priced under Rs 1500,inclusive of taxes at most restaurants.

Aimed at corporates and large groups,the set meals are often scheduled for lunch and priced attractively. “When corporates step out for lunch,they have limited time and budget,and are talking work. An a la carte menu can thus be too distracting. A fixed lunch,with a handful of options,provides the host with full control over the table and eliminates chaos,” explains Sherman Almeida,F&B Manager,Courtyard by Marriott in Andheri. The hotel’s oriental restaurant Red Zen has a variety of bento lunch menus priced at Rs 450,excluding taxes.

The biggest advantage lies in the fact that each dish is prepared fresh,says Jeetesh Kaprani,the F&B Manager at The Oberoi in Nariman Point. This explains why restaurants are switching over to set meals from buffet lunches,where cooked food

is reheated.

However,the customers’ convenience isn’t the only reason for the introduction of fixed menus. “Most items on a set lunch menu are easy to prepare and the limited options allow the chef to focus on fewer things. Besides,lunch is a weaker meal,when it comes to bringing in clients,especially for hotel restaurants. Quick,well-priced meals help us rope in that elusive clientele,” explains Nishant Agarwal,F&B Manager,Trident,Nariman Point. Most restaurants under the Trident and The Oberoi group of hotels offer set meals.

While the trend is common among restaurants in five-star hotels,it’s interesting to note that standalone eateries too are taking it up. Busaba,Nikhil Chib’s oriental restaurant in Colaba,also offers bento box lunches. Cafe Mangii in Powai too has an open salad bar,freshly-prepared pasta and dessert buffet with a pint of beer at Rs 499. The Elbo Room in Khar,like Two One Two,offers a three-course meal. Indigo in Colaba too had introduced the concept temporarily,earlier this year.

There is also an attempt to redefine the set menu concept,and use it as a platform to showcase the chef’s creativity. “With a chef like Michelin Star-winner Vineet Bhatia on board,we wanted to offer a special opportunity to both the diner as well as the chef. Our gourmet set meal at Ziya consists of dishes that the chef especially creates for those who value gourmet food,” says Kaprani. These meals,however,are priced exclusively and are meant for

special occasions.

The idea,says Almeida,is to be flexible and cater to the clientele’s needs. “We wish to reach out to as many people as possible. So if clients intend to bring in a large group for lunch or dinner,we even allow them to sit with the chef and customise the set menu. Set meals,therefore,are changing the way restaurants serve the customers.”