The Khar Social in Mumbai is buzzing with activity on a rain-drenched weekday afternoon. One longtime employee and acquaintance gives a look that says, “The boss is here.” Riyaaz Amlani, Founder and MD of Impresario Entertainment & Hospitality Pvt Ltd., is indeed here, with a wide grin on his face as some food items and even a matcha drink make their way to the table. He invites us to join in a freewheeling discussion whilst we share some of the new items from a revamped menu available across all Social outlets in the country.
Edited excerpts:
1. The menu refresh looks timely but does it mark a shift in preferences from millennials to Gen Z with matcha drinks, a Nihari Prashant instead of Croissant etc.?
Social has been around for 12 years now and every brand needs to evolve. Also, Social has always been a celebration of India’s social places, be it Kolkata’s coffee shops, Irani cafes, toddy shops etc. Our attempt with the new menu is to have something for everyone at every time of the day.
2. What are the experimentations that the chain looks into that gives it its peculiar character?
India is all about jugaad. We are an unique amalgamation of where we are from and where we are going and the kind of limbo that we find ourselves in sometimes. That’s what we celebrate at Social. The entry points into what we do can be different because every property in every location is different for us. For me, if I look and listen hard at the property, it kind of tells you what it wants to be. The other entry point is celebrating social spaces such as single screen cinema halls, parks, post offices, chawls at our locations. We also throw in some Easter eggs in our design for people to enjoy.
3. Social is infamously famous for bringing LIITs into the mainstream. Does that stay in the new menu?
When we started off, we wanted to make drinking affordable and fun and LIIT fit right in. We cannot move away from LIITs. In every menu we have some SOS, what we call Soul of Social, which will always remain. We’ll bring in a few more of what we think will become future classics.
4. Since Social primarily caters to a young, impressionable crowd, do you feel it needs to stand out on its own in any particular way?
There are two aspects to this. One is that yes, it’s a place where you discover things for the first time so we try to make the experience fun, affordable and almost like a friendly adda for them. I also think we get a lot of migrant audiences who are in a city for the first time, not just in a bar or restaurant. People are coming to cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram and building their connections. For us, making this audience have a sense of belonging is also very important.
5. What has Social taught you that has helped you in your other establishments?
I’ve learnt that good restaurants are not about just good food and good drinks but also doing simple things right and making people feel welcome. I also realised that it’s better to create a product for a wider audience than cater to the intelligentsia that doesn’t really care and so-called connoisseurs that don’t know their elbow from their backside. To me, Social is by far my best work as a restauranteur compared to any of my other places for the way the brand has stayed consistent across markets and geographies. It’s far more easier to create a cult restaurant than something like Social.
6. Social and social media have grown together in the country. How much has that impacted the overall restaurant business?
Social media has definitely had an impact but I also feel they are mistaking the reel world for the real world. A lot of social media just plays up on imposter syndrome I think. Restaurants should be places that you have a connection with than feel like having imposter syndrome. You have to be able to connect with people and connection doesn’t happen on Instagram. Instagram is challenging and it’s beneficial because you can tell your story in an engaging manner, but once the trending song fades people will only come back if they have a connection with the place.
7. What is your opinion about F&B awards today?
There are awards and then there are awards. I mean there are certain awards that are more sought after than the others but in many ways, awards are also propagating sameness today. So you’ll find everybody emulates what a best bar awardee wins with a certain type of décor and new cocktail techniques etc. but even a local bar can be as good as any other bar. These places have a certain charm and vibe but they will never stand up to the scrutiny but the best restaurant must be progressive and have 14 courses to win. I feel awards lead to sameness and don’t celebrate the diversity of the space.
Having said that, I find awards advantageous for two reasons. One is the capacity to bringing the community together at award ceremonies and making it tighter. We all come together, have drinks, create a certain bonhomie which I don’t see in other professions. Like I don’t know if builders come together and party at any realty awards. And second, awards do inspire you to push your own art form forward in a certain way, regardless of whether the jury or award goes to the right person. Ultimately, it’s the people who vote with their wallets that helps restaurants survive.
8. What are your top three cocktail recommendations at Slink & Bardot?
The most popular drink at Slink & Bardot is the Paanch, which is our take on the punch cocktail. Another one is the Meloma, which is a Paloma cocktail but with melon and is delicious and my final recommendation is Devil’s Share, which is Slink’s version of the Picante.
9. What are your favourite bites at Bandra Born?
The East Indian Crab Curry with the croissant puff is delicious and a top recommendation. I also think the Kamina Karpaccio is fantastic and from the new menu, I think the Podi bread with malai is amazing.
10. Finally, what can one expect from Banng Mumbai that’s opening soon?
I think Thai food is similar to Indian food in many ways even though Indian food relies more on spices and Thai food is big on herbs but both cuisines have a lot of depth. So far the Thai we’ve been getting is the green curry and the Pad Thai and Tom Yum, which is like getting butter chicken and chicken tikka and naan. There’s a lot more that Thai food has to offer. I think that Banng. Mumbai, with the expertise and sensibility of Chef Garima Arora will bring lot more flavours and depth that Thai cuisine has to offer than what you normally see on most menus.