Starbucks hosted a unique challenge called Starbucks Coffee Championship in India, where 150 of the company?s partners competed with each other on their expertise and knowledge of coffee.

After many regional rounds that tested their coffee skills and acumen, Saili Rane from the Starbucks store at the Mumbai Domestic Airport earned the title of the Starbucks Coffee Champion, while Rubeena Qureshi from Starbucks Bandra, Mumbai and Shikhar Hali from Starbucks Mantri Mall, Bangalore were the runner ups.

During the finale held in Mumbai, partners competed in four  challenging rounds, which comprised a personal coffee tasting Pour Over session, a bar skill round, which tested their beverage artistry skills and the ultimate Blind Tasting round to test the accuracy of their coffee palate. The last round was an elaborate Q&A round where Coffee Masters were judged on the basis of their proposed presentations to elevate coffee leadership in their markets.

Tata Starbucks CEO Avani Davda said, ?We?re thrilled to host the first Starbucks Coffee Championship in India. The Starbucks Coffee Championship is a celebration of our unique store partners and their passion and commitment to the brand as well as their coffee artistry.?

The winners of the India Championship will participate in the Starbucks Regional Championship to be held later this year in South East Asia.

In a city like Mumbai, where there are countless number of dine out options for every cuisine, and the number of offers and suggestions from curating apps makes you further confused, it is hard to settle with one that you call your favourite. But our execs have successfully handpicked a few haunts that have never failed to please them. This week on Exec Life, watch these media execs speak about their favourite food haunts in the city

By Papri Das

Often when we go to a formal party or a social dinner at a five star restaurant and the waiter comes up to ask us what kind of wine we would like to have, we find ourselves at a loss for words ? sparkling or rose? Chablis or Bordeaux Reds? What difference does it make when you can?t tell one from the other? You probably can afford the most expensive bottle on the menu, but don?t know what makes it so pricey. Embarrassing as it may be, such is the case with most of us who haven?t grown up in the wine culture, and are suddenly thrown into a social setting where we are expected to be experts on the subject.

For ages, wine has been a symbol of prosperity, celebration, love, eclectic taste, affluence and status in the society. Since a good bottle of wine continues to be an investment of sorts, the knowledge of wine remains limited to those who have inherited it from their earlier generation as a practice and to the extremely passionate wine aficionados. Like Vishal Kadakia, the founder and CEO of Wine Park, which is a boutique wine importing and distributing company in India supplying wines from 11 countries, 26 wine regions and 30 top quality producers.

Exec Lifestyle caught up with this renowned wine aficionado to get answers to some frequently asked questions on wines for our readers.

Is knowledge of wines important in socializing?

Absolutely. Today entertainment has become a very important part of business. Knowledge on wine, playing golf is integral for executives to know and learn. If clients enjoy your company, business becomes a lot easier. Knowing your wines over dinner and having a conversation is an art, which many people value and can help you bond.

Where does one start?

The best way to introduce amateurs to wine culture is to try wines of different styles. Like whites wines, red wines, rose wines and sparkling wines. Once the person enjoys a particular style then he/she can further start to try different wines in that particular style. For example: If a person enjoys white wines then he/she can try different white grape varietals such as Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Viognier etc. Experimenting is the key to unlock your preferences.

Is there a right way to have a glass of wine?

Yes there is, and it is simpler than we make it to be. Drink wine in a wine glass. Make sure that you hold the glass by the stem and not the bowl. Fill the wine glass upto 1/3 only so that when you swirl the glass there is no spillage. Swirl the glass regularly to release the aromas. Keep sipping and enjoying. If it?s a white wine, you enjoy have it chilled (10 C). If you like red wine, have it at 16 C (slightly chilled). Having a red wine at room temperature will kill the taste of the wine and it will taste flat.

What are the most popular wines amongst wine enthusiasts?

Wine aficionados like to experiment a lot. They generally like wines of particular style, which are more region specific. The more popular ones are: Chablis (White wine from Burgundy France), Barolo & Barberesco (Red wines from Piedmont, Italy), Super Tuscans (Red wines from Tuscany, Italy), Bordeaux Reds, Rhone Reds (Wines from Chateauneuf du Pape, Cote Rotie), Napa Reds (Wine from Napa Valley, California, USA) and Champagne (Sparkling wines from Champage, France).

Is there something like ?affordable? wine?

In India wine drinking is expensive due to taxes. However there are several Indian wines available, which are affordable to drink. A normal salary person can start with them and if he develops a linking for it, he can explore further. The possibilities are endless.

Vishal not only shared his suggestions for a new wine enthusiast, but also corrected some commonly mistaken myths when it comes to buying a bottle of wine. The following are the most common myths in buying a wine:

1. ?Older the wine, the better it is? : No. Most of the wines that you buy should not be more than two ? three years olds. The younger vintage is more fresh and fruity, which an amateur wine drinker always enjoys.

2. If it French, then it is the best -- No. New wine drinkers enjoy more fruit forward wines, which are wines from the new world (Argentina, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand). French wines (considered old world) are more savoury in style. Also there are amazing wines made in several other countries other than France alone.

3. ?Going for the cheapest imported wines? -- Just because it is imported does not mean it is good. Please buy with a bit of research.

4. ?White wine is for women? : Only if you are a male chauvinist. For a novice, the place to start is by drinking white wines, moving on to roses and then light bodied red wines like a Pinot Noir or Pinotage.

5. ?If the wine is in screw cap it is a inferior wines as compared to wines sealed in corks? -- Untrue. Some of the best wines in the world come in screw cap. The wines in screw cap remain fresher and more importantly it is much easier to open for a novice then a wine sealed in cork.

By Papri Das

The past week saw Mumbaikars break into a series of multi-cultural festivities - be it the Bengalis bringing in their Naba Barsha (New Year) with Pohela Boishakh, the Assamese honouring their spring harvest with Bohaag Bihu, the colourful Punjabis rejoicing over Baisakhi, which also marks the founding day of the Sikh Khalsa, the Malayalis from Kerala ringing in their New Year ?Vishu? with auspicious sights, or the people hailing from Tamil Nadu decorating their homes with Vilakku Kolam (rangoli) to welcome their New Year or Varsha Pirappu.

Each one of these festivals have their own customs, rituals and cultural activities, which give them their own unique flavour. And none of them are complete without trying a lavish spread of their own regional cuisine. But how does one have the gustatory experience of home, when they are staying miles away in Mumbai? To save you from this predicament, and allow you to try the mouth watering delicacies of these regions, Indiantelevision.com Exec Lifestyle has compiled a list of popular restaurants in Mumbai that are known for serving authentic regional cuisine.

Taste of Tamil Nadu:

Cafe Madras: If you are up for a wholesome Tamil breakfast complete with a sumptuous variety of idli, dosa, sambar, coconut chutney and vada, Cafe Madras is where you must head to. This pocket friendly kiosk at King's Circle, Matunga East, has a wide range of options to choose from. Although not associated with their New Year preparations, we definitely recommend their filter coffee and raagi dosa as must haves from the menu.

Cost: Rs 250 for two.

Dakshin Culture Curry: As their tag goes ?when culture met curry?, dining experience at Dakshin Culture Curry Lokhandwala Road, Andheri West comes with a promise of authentic flavours of South India, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, served with a dash of their vibrant pop culture. Their Chettinad recipes are praise worthy, and so are their quirky menu cards, which have cut outs of popular actors from Kollywood and Mollywood films.

Cost for two: Rs 1500

Taste of Punjab:

The Great Punjab: This has been an all time favourite of those Mumbaikars who have a taste for Punjabi recipes beyond Makkai Ki Roti, Sarso Ka saag, and tandoori chicken, cause authentic Punjabi food is so much more diverse. Not just regulars from the city, but this restaurant at Linking Road, Bandra West, enjoys patrons from all parts of India, who never fail to drop by when visiting the city. With gorgeous interior and soothing lighting, it completes your fine dining experience with a valet service at the door.

Cost for two: Rs 1000 (non alcoholic)

Kailash Parbat: If you are looking for something less taxing on your wallet, then you must try Kailash Parbat at New Link Road, Lokhandwala, Andheri West. With a more casual and laid back approach, it is an ideal place to hit with both family and with friends. Although they serve dishes from all parts of India, they are mostly known for their expertise in cooking authentic Punjabi recipes. We also recommend you to tickle your taste buds with the chaats on their menu.

Cost for two: Rs 600

Taste of Bengal:

Bhojohori Manna: For all the Bengalis living in Mumbai, Bhajahari Manna, is a solace of sorts answering their cravings for home food. It has built its reputation not just with stunning interior designing and visuals, but also by staying consistent with their quality of food and word of mouth publicity. Be it their mouth watering recipes with fish (Bhetki Batter Fry and Shorshe Ilish) on Non-veg or the wide range typical bengali vegetarian preparation like Mochar Ghonto and Alu Posto, their tasteful preparations with transport you to the streets of Kolkata.

Cost for two: Rs 600

Bijoli Grill: If you are looking for a more colourful place with a youthful approach, try Bijoli Grill. Starting from Pona Shorshe (A fish recipe) to Chingri Machher Malai Curry (Prawns cooked in coconut milk), their carefully curated menu will leave you spoilt for choices. It goes without saying that finishing your meal without your choice of desserts from their bengali sweet menu will leave your experience incomplete. To top it off, their interior is artistically colorful and makes for a great fine dining experience.

Cost for two: Rs1200

Taste of Kerala:

Lalit Refreshment: A favourite amongst many Malayaalis living in the city, this restaurant Near City Bank, Fort, is built in a canteen style, which, combined with friendly management and waiters, puts you immediately at ease, especially if its your first time at the place. Known for their typical Kerala style of service, the food you order here is preceded by Karingali Vellam (Ayurvedic herbs with warm water), which is good for digestion. On the menu you have a variety of fish recipes to choose from, which are generally cooked spicy. If you are a fan of Kerala snacks, you might want to take home some of their homemade snack varieties like banana chips, kappa and daal wada.

Cost for two: RS 400

South of Vindhyas - The Orchid: This pan-South Indian restaurant is known for its minimalistic approach in their interior designing brilliantly contrasted with an extensive list of choices on their food menu. If you hail from Kerala and miss the authentic flavours of their curries and masalas, South of Vindhyas will surely satiate your cravings.

Cost: The buffets ranges from Rs 1000 to Rs 1500

Taste of Assam:

Bhogdoi: Perhaps the only restaurant in the heart of Mumbai city, which has exclusive menu for Assamese cuisine, Bhogdoi is a familiar name amongst those who have a liking for the distinct taste of Assamese preparations. If you don?t have something specific in mind and would like a to taste a bit of all, we suggest you to go with their authentic Assamese thalis, which comes in both veg and non-veg (including a variety of choices of fishes and Assamese chicken curry). Cost for two: Rs 400

Now that you know where to go to get your fix of regional cuisine, we hope you make great memories eating out with your friends and family!

By Papri Das

What can possibly motivate a London based musician with a popular album to his name to to start an e-commerce business out of an animated video made for fun? Pat comes the reply - ?The eclectic taste of Biriyani.? Meet Biryani 360 CEO and founder Shayan Italia, who recently started this delivery-only startup.

?One day, I was fooling around with an animation software and created the video ?Biryani360 ? How It All Began.? It was quite a hit with people, which led me to consider exploring making Biryani360 a reality. The problem was that I had no experience in food and neither did I cook! So I went on the biryani hunt of a lifetime, sampling different varieties from across india. What came from this was a light, refreshing and incredibly flavourful dish that is unlike anything out there in the marketplace,? says Italia.

So what makes Biriyani360 different and better than the many popular choices we have at hand already? ?Biryani360 is not your typical biryani. It is an original recipe created from scratch in 45 minutes flat using the latest technologies and preparation recipes in food. There are no preservatives, no colouring agents or anything artificial in our biryani,? Italia assures.

With its people friendly website and application, online orders too can be done in a jiffy. ?Customers can place an order through our website ? www.biryani360.com and can choose to pay online or through cash-on-delivery. Thirty-one days down the line, over 90 per cent of our customers order online. This is a good start for us, and we are hoping that this trend only picks up more speed.?

Italia doesn?t indulge in the popular belief that Biriyani tastes best the next day, and so the meat in Biriyani360 is not marinated over a day. ?We?ve taken advice from the best nutritionists the world over to create something truly special. Apart from combining three unique grains of rice to reduce the carbohydrates and make it more digestible, we used BlueFlame technology that allows us to cook our meat perfectly in merely 20 minutes yielding the same results as marinating it over 72-96 hours.? 

The folks at Biriyani 360 not only take pride in their unique cooking methods, but in their packaging as well. A delicious portion from Biriyani360 comes in efficiently created boxes of quirky colours of green and red, to denote ?Veg? and ?Un-Veg (their version of Non-Veg)? orders, along with a lip-smacking side-yogurt made out of imported curd.

With quality in affordability being its USP, this month-old venture has managed to garner many patrons, and also received good reviews in online rating portals like Zomato and Burrp.

MUMBAI: Hyderabad?s Adaa at the Falaknuma Palace has done the nation proud by becoming the first Indian restaurant to have made it to the world?s top 100 list. 

Adaa, which is led by head chef Arun Sundararaj, was one of seventeen new entries that were included this year. India?s first entry into the awards reflects the continual development of haute cuisine in India.

Chicago?s Alinea, and Spanish restaurant El Celler de Can Roca took away the first and second places on the list respectively. 

?I think a lot of the other ratings systems and guidebooks are taking note. Because, quite honestly, a lot of chefs tend to complain about the unfairness of certain systems. I think it?s really refreshing to have an evaluation based on people?s experience when you don?t even know that they?re in the restaurant,? said Chicago?s Alinea head chef Grant Achatz.

Compiled by the fourth annual poll of readers by private jet lifestyle publication Elite Traveler, the list also recognised the Delhi-based restaurant, Indian Accent as one for the five strong contenders for the 2016 awards.

The 2015 awards also saw Eleven Madison Park and NoMad in New York head chef Daniel Humm take the title of ?Chef of the Year? ahead of Grant Achatz (Alinea and Next) and Heston Blumenthal (The Fat Duck and Dinner by Heston Blumenthal). 

?Young Chef of the Year? was won by Eneko Atxa of Azurmendi in Spain, followed by Joshua Skenes of Saison and Sean Brock of Husk from the US.