Beginning with a fresh orange mocktail, I was served with one surprise after another as India’s popular chef an entrepreneur, Sanjeev Kapoor opens his restaurant chain ‘The Yellow Chilli’ which made its debut in the fun-loving state of Goa on June 13, 2016. Located in the largest mall of Goa, Mall De Goa in the legislature capital Porvorim, the 84 cover ‘The Yellow Chilli’ was inaugurated by Sanjeev Kapoor at a grand launch yesterday. The Masterchef along with the franchise owners Darshan Kamat, Navami Kamat Gothoskar, Maya Dempo Kamat, Siddharth Gothoskar and the entire restaurant staff welcomed members of the media to the splendid event followed by a Press Conference and a Gala Dinner. The Yellow Chilli brings an exclusive fare of delightful Indian cuisine for the Goan foodies!
Launched in 2001, with restaurants spread across India and outside its shores too, ‘The Yellow Chilli’ chain has been serving its patrons with excellent and innovative Indian cuisine. Apart from the food, the common thread that binds all the restaurants is that the décor everywhere is contemporary and chic with beautiful elements. Beautiful furnishings in muted tones, soft music, combined with an exquisite use of glassware and cutlery seamlessly set the tone for a fine dining experience. To top it all the service is on par with the best in the world. These restaurants are designed to cater to the myriad tastes of its discerning guests.
The Yellow Chilli menu reflects Sanjeev Kapoor’s culinary excellence and is drawn from the North-West Frontier area with exotic picks from the Mughal era and specific regions of Punjab. Reflecting upon the menu in Goa he said, “food of The Yellow Chilli is part of our contribution to Goa and we are in the process of finalizing Goan iconic dishes at The Yellow Chilli” The menu in Goa features some exotic preparations made from the fresh sea produce that is available in this region like Bhatti ka Jhinga, Fish Tikka Masala, Rawa Fry, Home Style Curry with choices like pomfret, kingfish, tiger prawns or lobsters (depending on the catch).
Speaking at the event, the partners elucidated on their reasons for choosing The Yellow Chilli in Goa, “The quest for finding the right partner to put Goa on the global culinary map led to the association with SK Restaurants that is carrying forward the dreams of Chef Sanjeev Kapoor by bringing tasty food at affordable prices. The Yellow Chilli is truly redefining Indian food globally and we are more than happy to be associated with such a dedicated and hardworking team under the guidance of the Masterchef himself.”
Sanjeev Kapoor says “I love the entire vibe and feel of this place and Goa has always been special to me. I have feasted on the authentic fare here and since the time I’ve done that, my affinity for this place and its cuisine has increased tremendously. It was more than time for me to bring my brand here as well and I found the perfect partners for the same.” Adding to that he also shares how he built up love for Goan food,” At the age of 21, when I was a trainee, my company, where I worked organized a food festival in Delhi where I had to prepare Goan food after which they organized three more festivals by which I got exposure to Goan food.” Adding to that he also said that his sister-in-law’s husband’s mother who hails from Goa would always explain the different ways of cooking and the ingredients that go into the making of Goan food.
On asking him, which is his all time favorite restaurant in Goa, all he had to say is that “I don’t like to have favorites but would like to try out new places, every time I visit Goa. “
A little brief of Sanjeev Kapoor
Sanjeev Kapoor is the most celebrated face of Indian cuisine today. He is Chef extraordinaire, runs a successful TV Channel ‘FoodFood’, author of best-selling cookbooks, restaurateur, and winner of several culinary awards in India and abroad. Amongst other things, his website www.sanjeevkapoor.com which has more than 15,000 recipes, attracts more than 10 million page views per month and over 4.2 million fans follow him on Facebook. His business of world class kitchen gadgets, Wonder chef has enabled and continues to empower women, a cause close to his heart.
About the owners
Darshan Kamat, a young entrepreneur, after the completion of Post-Graduation in Management Studies from NMIMS, Mumbai, joined his family business of Distribution, Trading, and Marketing in Goa. After 6 successful years of hands-on experience in retail garment franchise business with his wife Maya, he is all set to venture into the food and hospitality business.
Navami Kamat Gothoskar’s journey from launching and running her own fashion label in Goa to starting her own restaurant has been quite memorable. The creativity that was inspired by turning fabric into lovely bridal wear has now transpired into providing food lovers a range of scrumptious dishes served impeccably in a high-tech atmosphere at down-to-earth prices. She shares her passion for food with her husband Siddharth and their 2-year-old daughter Sana.
