Restaurants going back to basics

With the change in atmosphere and climate, businesses opting for sustainable methods, seems to be the only option left to save this planet. More than a trend, it is now about survival. That being said, people are also realizing the significance of this movement and prefer to eat or dine out at restaurants which provides food using organically produced ingredients and supports sustainability.  

Restaurants across the country are providing services and food without using the conventional inputs and ingredients. For example, California Burritos in Bangalore serves Mexican dishes without using Microwave and preservatives.  Restaurants like Café Organica in Kolkata and Birdsong organic Café in Mumbai are serving food made of organic vegetables and fruits.

Chef Vanshika Bhatia at Together at 12^th says “As a restaurant and bar which is trying to follow the philosophy of Zero Waste, we try to be creative in using as much of each ingredient as possible. We also try to use the wastage of the bar in the kitchen and vice versa, for instance, if the bar is using egg whites for cocktails, the yellows are used by the bakery and the lemon peels from the kitchen are used by the bar to make the syrup for our Up cycled Lemonade.”  She also says that being sustainable is not as difficult as it sounds; the people working behind the scenes just have to be tuned into the philosophy and use their imagination. 

“Together at 12th is also using terra-cotta coasters and paper straws in an effort to reduce plastic waste in service-ware,” she added.

Chef Shireesh Singh, Corporate Chef, Uno Chicago and Grill says “we are using paper straws, wooden stirrers, water bottles, butter paper for product wrapping and all the packaging material for home delivery is of bio-degradable nature. Even our beverages on delivery are packaged in glass bottles.”

Meanwhile, there are restaurants which not only provide organic food but have organic cutleries too. Green café in Chennai’s first organic café, which not only claims to provide 100% chemical free, organic gourmet dishes made of ingredients like millets and Navadhaniyam but also has cutleries made out of tree bark. This vegetarian restaurant has furniture made of re-cycled wood and ingredients from organic farms only. The best part is that they don’t reheat the food. Some of the most relished dishes there are Crispy Millet Paniyaram, Carrot, Beetroot and Ragildiyappam, Ragi Kozukattai and Ragi Peanut Halwa.

Other upscale restaurants are committed to incorporate sustainable ways to have a healthy environmental balance.  “Our wet and dry garbage is segregated properly. With the help of organic waste converter, the web waste is converted and used as manure. We have also installed aerator’s in the washrooms of our guest rooms and public areas. This helps in controlling the excess wastage of water,” Somrup Chanda, Director Food & Beverage, Indore Marriott Hotel said.

Green architecture

If we talk about the sustainable interiors then Little Green Café in Bangalore will lead from the front. It has been sustainably designed and has energy-consuming appliances. The walls are made using natural plasters (i.e. lime and clay), shelves and furniture are made of old teak wood, and chairs are made of cane. Not only this, the restaurant has a passive cooling system.  

Restaurants today are also substituting regular kitchen wares to sustainable ones. Paper straws have taken the shelves ever since the reports of marine animals suffering from it got surfaced. Earthen cooking wares are being sold and chefs across the world are encouraging people to use it for its health benefits too.