Punjab Grill Exploring Intl Market
Punjab Grill Exploring Intl Market

Recently Punjab Grill opened in Singapore and is planning for a few more international destinations. Amit Burman, Chairman, Lite Bite Foods, shared his plans with Ankur Garuav.

Ankur Garuav: What is Punjab Grill’s expansion plan abroad?

Amit Burman: Lite Bite Foods opened its first overseas outlet in Singapore in July 2011 with Punjab Grill, the North Indian Frontier Cuisine chain. We are followed it up with the opening of two new Punjab Grill overseas outlets in Bangkok and Abu Dhabi in the first quarter of 2013, marking the international expansion of the multi-award-winning brand.

AG: What other destinations are you looking at?

AB: While no target has been fixed yet for the number of overseas F&B retail outlets, we are exploring in a number of destinations like Hong Kong, London, Dubai and Malaysia. We would look at Punjab Grill being the face of Lite Bite Foods in the international markets, offering authentic & the best that Mughlai cuisine has to offer under one roof.

AG: What is the brand identity for Punjab Grill?

AB:  Punjab Grill promises Punjab to provide a culinary haven that would recreate the scintillating magic of royal & traditional Punjabi cooking, in turn offering a truly gastronomical adventure to the food lovers. Punjab Grill boasts of a menu that commemorates Punjab and its glory, a concoction of cuisines from Lahore, Rawalpindi, Kabul, Amritsar, Multan and Patiala. The mouth-watering cuisines portray the confluence of Hindu, Muslim, Pathan and Sikh recipes and traditions, at Punjab Grill.

AG: Why Singapore?

AB:  Singapore was an obvious choice for our first venue outside India. It is a thriving, cosmopolitan city brimming with diversity of culture, languages and the arts. The people would be able to appreciate the cuisine we offer.

AG: Does it have something to do with the number of Indians residing there?

AB: Each of these overseas cities, besides having a sizeable Indian population, is a melting pot of cultures and traditions, much like Punjab Grill. Residents and visitors to these cities have always sought authentic North Indian cuisine and Punjab Grill is proud to offer food lovers the rich culinary traditions from the Punjab province. I am confident that Punjab Grill will satiate the palates of the well -travelled connoisseurs of the region, while setting new benchmarks in hospitality.

AG: How smooth is running the operations there?

AB: The outlet in Singapore has been running smoothly. The Singapore restaurant has already become of the hot spots for food lovers on Singapore. It has also received rave reviews from the likes of CNN International.

AG: How are the non Indians accepting the Indian companies?

AB: Punjab Grill is not targeted at the Indian diaspora alone. A good chunk of the patrons visiting the restaurant are non-Indians who seek authentic North Indian cuisine. As I mentioned earlier, this cuisine is already widely popular and people are increasingly seeking the rich culinary traditions from the Punjab province, which Punjab Grill offers.

AG: Any change in the Menu adapting the consumption pattern there?

AB: No. Punjab Grill provides a culinary haven that would recreate the scintillating magic of royal & traditional Punjabi cooking, in turn offering a truly gastronomical adventure to the food lovers.

AG: Tell us more about the speciality of Punjab Grill.

AB: The vast menu of Punjab Grill handcrafted by Chef Gurpreet (Brand Chef-Punjab Grill) for Bangkok and Abu Dhabi will boast of the everyday ‘sarson da saag’ (a vegetarian curry made of mustard greens and spice) and ‘makki di roti’ (a flat, unleavened bread made of corn flour) as also the secret recipes of the royal kitchens — with a dash of panache and modernity thrown in.

Punjab Grill is well-known for serving authentic cuisine from the undivided Punjab province, reinventing traditional recipes and creating new dishes, like Dahi ke Kebab, Tandoori Guchchi Salad, Kurkuri, Salmon Tikka, Tandoori Duck, Tawa Scallops, Tandoori Lobster, Phirni, the Paan shot and more.

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