Exclusive: Chef Mayank Tiwari talks about changing food trends in theatres, healthy menus and more

New Delhi: It is often said that good food brings good mood. Followed by it religiously, the newly renovated PVR Cinemas in DLF Mall of India has an exquisite array of cuisines to enhance the movie watching experience. As cinema halls were revamped launching multiplexes like P(XL), Laser with IMAX and 4DX for the first time, the food menu was also revamped with the introduction of ‘The Luxury Collection’. Several unique concepts were introduced including the quintessential Indian street food brand ‘Masala Trail’; ‘Swamy’s’, the first homegrown South Indian brand; ‘Wox and More’, an eclectic selection of Dim Sums, Monastery Road style momos, rice and noodle bowls.

In an exclusive conversation with Zee English Digital, PVR Group Executive Chef Mayank Tiwari and Regional Chef Shiva Arora talk about the wide range of their menu, their aim to bring world-class culinary experience to cinemas and the evolution of culinary art. Trend in cinema hall.

Q – What is the difference and challenge in making menus for theaters and hotels?

Chef Mayank Tiwari- Our workforce comprises of highly skilled chefs who come from credible backgrounds. We have people from different hotels, restaurants so the challenges are limited. The main challenge is to serve food within a specific time so we try and make our kitchen modern and well equipped. We research the products and the resources behind them to make the process easy. We are glad that PVR has the bandwidth and vision to realize something like this.

Question – What is the purpose of having an open kitchen?

Chef Mayank Tiwari – With the Live Kitchen, the idea is to showcase the drama of the kitchen in front of patrons and demonstrate the cleanliness of the way food is prepared and served. So, our clean kitchen is something we really value.

Q – What are some of the most popular dishes here?

Chef Mayank Tiwari – We are proud of our Chole Chawal and Chaat. They are our bestselling item. Apart from this, our Dim Sum, Chicken Burger and Pizza are also a huge favorite among the youth. We have also evolved the traditional mac n cheese into a burger patty and that too is a favorite of our patrons. We have worked hard on our Indian food and our Chaat is a must try.

Q – Any special menu for health conscious people?

Chef Mayank Tiwari – We put a lot of focus on having a healthy menu in general rather than creating a special salad station. We make sure that we are getting the healthiest option, for example, if we are using a particular oil then what are its properties and components. The idea is responsible sourcing, less waste and making our products eco-friendly. So, instead of having just three or four dishes as a healthy menu, we try to have these things in our overall menu.

Q – Do you have any specific vegetarian menu as a lot of people are turning to vegetarianism these days?

Chef Mayank Tiwari – We do not have a special menu but yes, we do have vegetarian dishes. Our chefs are also friendly to the theaters to understand if anyone has any allergies and dietary requirements. They are able to take and execute requests on a day-to-day basis.

Q – Have you noticed any significant change in consumer behavior in recent times?

Chef Shiva Arora – Cinema food is divided into two parts, regular popcorn and pepsi and hot cooked food. In recent times, we have seen that customers are more attracted towards hot food as it has variety and quality.