MUMBAI: India’s premium lifestyle channel, Living Foodz organised the first edition of Epicurean Guild Awards at an entertaining evening of glitz and glamour in Mumbai.
The event celebrated authentic fine-dining restaurants and the best lounges in Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru. Best New Restaurant, Best Nightlife Award and category-wise awards for the best Italian, Global, Asian and Indian cuisine were awarded at the do. Living Foodz also introduced a Popular choice award and ‘Bombay Canteen’, ‘Big Chill’ and ‘Karavalli, The Gateway Hotel’ emerged as the clear winners of Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru.
The jury comprising India’s finest food mavens and eminent personalities -- Chef Ajay Chopra, Anoothi Vishal, Bhaichand Patel, actress Pooja Bedi, food blogger Aman Verma, Clinton Cerejo, Devita Saraf, Chef Gautam Mehrishi, Kalyan Karmarkar, Maria Goretti, Nicole Mody, Pankaj Bhadouria, Prasad Bidappa, Rakhee Vaswani selected winners in each category based on different parameters.
The selection process was audited by KPMG.
After shortlisting the top entries in each category, the jury assigned a score to each of them in a unique ‘Flames Round’ where each denoting a different standard of culinary excellence. Living Foodz introduced a significant Iconic Award for the exceptional restaurants and lounges which were awarded three flames and declared as winners. This award was bagged by ‘Masque’ and ‘Indian Accent, The Manor’ for the cities of Mumbai and Delhi, respectively, for showcasing an exemplary dining experience.
The night commenced with a mesmerizing performance by a blues rock band. The event was a perfect amalgamation of great food and fun, and was hosted by actor-comedian Varun Thakur.
Speaking at the event, Living Foodz business head Amit Nair said, “The Living Foodz- Epicurean Guild Awards 2017’ is the newest feather in our cap. The awards will help people discover the restaurants that offer the finest dining experiences in India. As a premium lifestyle destination, we have always encouraged the Indian food and beverage ecosystem through our innovative brand initiatives."
Commenting on the awards, Zee Living CEO (India and APAC region) Piyush Sharma said, “The Epicurean Awards endeavours to honour the gamechangers who’ve demonstrated unconventional and ingenious creativity in this space."
The winners of Living Foodz Epicurean Guild Awards for 2017 include:
JURY CHOICE AWARDS
Living Foodz Iconic Award (Mumbai): Masque
Living Foodz Iconic Award (Delhi): Indian Accent, The Manor
Best Asian Award (Mumbai): Yauatcha
Best Asian Award (Delhi): Edo Restaurant & Bar, ITC Gardenia
Best Asian Award (Bangalore): Megu, The Leela Palace
Best Global Award (Mumbai): Masque
Best Global Award (Delhi): Graze, Vivanta by Taj
Best Global Award (Bangalore): Orient Express, Taj Palace Hotel
Best Indian Award (Mumbai): Dum Pukht, ITC Maratha
Best Indian Award (Delhi): Indian Accent, The Manor
Best Indian Award (Bangalore): Dum Pukht, Jolly Nabobs, ITC Windsor
Best Italian Award (Mumbai): Mezzo Mezzo, JW Marriott
Best Italian Award (Delhi): La Piazza, Hyatt Regency
Best Italian Award (Bangalore): Otimo, ITC Gardenia
Best Multi-Cuisine Award (Mumbai): Fenix, The Oberoi
Best Multi-Cuisine Award (Delhi): threesixtyone, The Oberoi, Gurugram
Best Multi-Cuisine Award (Bangalore): Kava, Fairfield by Marriott, Rajajinagar
Best New Restaurant Award (Mumbai): Estella
Best New Restaurant Award (Delhi): Depot 48
Best New Restaurant Award (Bangalore): The Druid Garden
Best Nightlife Award (Mumbai): Aer, Four Seasons
Best Nightlife Award (Delhi): Ek Bar
Best Nightlife Award (Bangalore): Hard Rock Café
Best Seafood Award (Mumbai): The Konkan Café, Vivanta by Taj
POPULAR CHOICE AWARDS
Living Foodz Popular Choice Award (Mumbai): Bombay Canteen
Living Foodz Popular Choice Award (Delhi): Big Chill
Living Foodz Popular Choice Award (Bangalore): Karavalli, The Gateway Hotel
Since it’s launch in 2015, Living Foodz has steadily gathered a strong fan base for its unique offerings. The brand has has created various consumer touch points through on-ground activations and successful brand franchises such as the Living Foodz Powerlist Awards, Food Fiesta, etc.
