Catch ‘em young: GVK Lounge at Mumbai airport creates authentic Indian experience

The entrance is guarded by a life-size Kathakali idol and decorations of intricate paintings. This is only the beginning of a journey. The different festivals of India, Durgapuja and RamNavami, that are intrinsic to the thoughts, beliefs and culture of the country are represented. The art of handloom is on live display, alongside colorful sarees. Regional art of Madhubani and Patachitra adorn the passageways of the cosy retreat.

The most appealing attribute of India, cuisine, takes centre-stage, with a huge spread of delicacies in the buffet of the Premium Business class. A seating arrangement has also been provided in the First Class for those who love to take time enjoying their food.

Every one of the dishes come with their own flavor of authenticity. The ‘Chaat –Stand’ for instance is hosted by men very originally dressed in the simple Indian attire akin to that in the street stands . The Mumbai special ‘Cutting Chai’ is poured out by a convincing ‘Chaiwaala’ complete with a bicycle, blackened aluminium kettle, and glass racks.

Other than the usual continental A la Carte, a special ‘Indian Touch’ menu provided Indian Thaalis with Parathas, Paneer, Prawns, cooked the spicy way. Guests can now sample the aromatic Chingri-Malai (Dish from Bengal with tender prawns cooked in coconut curry), Chicken Sukhe, Laal maas (a spicy mutton preparation from Rajasthan) piping hot Daal Makhni, Kashmiri Dum Aaloo, Dewani Handi, Kasundi Fish Tikka, Tandoori Broccoli, to name a new. A tempting dessert assortment of ‘jalebis’, Gulabjamuns, and Sandesh bring up the rear. The cocktail menu too has been developed based on local drinks, like Aam Panna martini, or Kokum fizz.

“The idea was for us to give our guests a taste of India. We get travelers from all over the world and we wanted to showcase what India offers. We are trying to bring in food from different regions, and trying to do it as authentically as possible, so that they can get the real taste of India. We have picked up dishes that are done in households. Customer experience is very important for us, and we have done this to heighten their experience,” said Executive Chef Rajesh Shetty.

The festival, which was initiated on the 11th of September, will be continuing for a month. The GVK Lounge will be celebrating the country’s glorious culture and cuisine, and facilitate guests to take a walk down India’s diverse and rich heritage, wondrous handicrafts, and an explosion of Indian flavors.

Travel Food Services Limited (TFS) is one of India's dedicated F&B concessionaire in the travel infrastructure segment,catering to over 110 million customers, with major operations at Chennai, Mumbai, Kolkata and New Delhi Airports. This novel initiative in partnership with Performa, will give the travelers a memory of India to cherish, in the little transition time between flights.

Speaking on ‘The Indian Touch’ festival, Mr. Gaurav Dewan, COO, TFS said, "TFS is always in search of excellence and committed to transforming the F&B experience of travellers. The beginning of this season marks the advent of a period of key festivals that also set off a time for holidays. This is an endeavour to make journeys more memorable. Our guests flying out of T2 can experience and enjoy the art, culture and food of several Indian regions together at a single venue. The Lounge in all its splendour has transformed into a huge melting pot of sights and flavours with The Indian Touch, which otherwise could have been a rarity for international guests to experience.”