POPULAR instant noodle brand Wai Wai has come on board as the presenting sponsor of the Asian Hawkers Market, Delhi-NCR’s first-ever public food festival dedicated to Chinese, Japanese and South-East Asian cuisines, from October 23 to 25at the Select Citywalk, Saket.
Select Citywalk, Delhi-NCR’s busiest retail and dining destination, is the venue partner of the food fiesta and global information technology company HP is the co-sponsor and it will be present at the festival with its ever-popular selfie booths.
As many as 24 multi-award-winning restaurants and one individual operator are participating in the Asian Hawkers Market. Popular bar PCO and its partner, the members-only club A Ta Maison, will run the exclusive liquor enclosure at the festival. Excise rules do not allow liquor to be served in non-designated areas at public events.
Sharing these updates with the media at Sampan, Suryaa’s rooftop Pan-Asian restaurant, the event organisers announcedon Friday that at least 20 per cent of the food served at the festival will be gluten-free. The chefs from participating restaurants present at the briefing reiterated this commitment individually in response to a query from a representative of Gluten Free India.
“By becoming the first food festival to go partially gluten-free, we have ensured that no one is left out of this first-of-its-kind celebration of Japanese, Chinese and South-East Asian cuisine,” said Atul Sikand, one of the festival organisers, and founder-administrator of Facebook’s largest South Asian recipe sharing community, Sikandalous Cuisine.
Commenting on Wai Wai’s association with the event, Varun Chaudhary, Executive Director, CG Corp Global, makers of the popular instant noodles brand, said: “We at Wai Wai are delighted to be a part of the first Asian Hawkers Market. The concept is completely in sync with the our brand of exploring the varied flavours of Asian cuisine. Through this forum we are treating food lovers with an innovative avatar of Wai Wai.”
Wai Wai will have a stall at the Asian Hawkers Market where it will for the first time showcase innovative and tasty ways to cook and serve its products.
The food festival’s entertainment curator, Divij Kaul of Limn Entertainment, said the Asian Hawkers Market will feature 12 different genres of music, fun theme games, live graffiti artists and “one surprise act” on each day of the event.
Speaking at the media briefing, acclaimed food writer and restaurant blogger Sourish Bhattacharyya said, “With 25 of the best names in the Pan Asian cuisine circuit participating at our inaugural event, we are definitely excited about what Delhi foodies have in store for them. Covering a culinary journey from Tokyo to Bali, we have restaurants from Bercos to Yum Yum Cha, including dimsumbros, Mamagoto, Neung Roi and Royal China, offering their signature as well as out-of-menu dishes at one venue. For the first time ever, we will see gourmet food served street style. And to have this all at the city’s busiest food and retail destination, Select Citywalk, Saket, is just perfect for those coming for a day of food, fun and shopping.”
· See list of restaurants and other food business operator participating in the festival at the end of this media release.
The food festival’s other organisers, apart from Bhattacharyya and Sikand, are: Siddharth ‘Sid’ Mathur, Director and Head of Food at Riyaaz Amlani’s phenomenally successful Social and Food Consultant to My Square, Select Citywalk’s immensely popular food court; and Tanveer Kwatra, celebrated Executive Chef of Le Meridien Gurgaon.
Highlighting the festival’s format, Sikand noted: “With a focus on small plates, our intention is for visitors to try as many different menus across restaurants that they might not otherwise have had a chance to visit.” Chef Tanveer further emphasised the uniqueness of the concept: “We have some great restaurants associated with us that I’m sure all of us know about. This is also an opportunity for the participating restaurants to showcase their signature dishes to a new audience and experiment with new menus.”
The food festival seeks to engage all senses beyond just your palate. To quote Mathur: “Street style has always been an important part of Asian culinary tradition and we intend to celebrate this tradition not only in India, but also across Asia.” Gear up for an amazing culinary journey from Tokyo to Bali via Sichuan and Yangon without stepping out of Delhi. Welcome to the Asian Hawkers Market!
LIST OF PARTICIPATING RESTAURANTS AND FOOD BUSINESS OPERATORS
Asia 7; Asian Haus / Sushi Haus; Bercos; Chaayos; Chi Asian Cookhouse; Chi Ni; dimsumbros; En; Fatty Bao; Guppy by ai; Jade; Latest Recipe; Mamagoto; Neung Roi; Pan Asia; Rred Hot Café; Piccolicko; Royal China; SelectED; Social; The Artful Baker; The Pho Kart; Wai Wai; Wow Momos; Yum Yum Cha.
