Latest news with #Yauatcha
Mint
30-06-2025
- Business
- Mint
Markets with Bertie: Does it really take 109 years of savings to buy a home in Mumbai?
Bertie highly values his eclectic circle of friends. Unlike his finance brethren who seem to be always hanging with their own tribe, Bertie loves the company of his artist, teacher and athlete friends. For starters, they dress better. They are enthusiastic about new adventures and know of cool places to eat and drink that aren't called Bastian or Yauatcha. But what Bertie loves the most are the conversations that almost always provide a different perspective or teach our old dog Bertie a thing or two. The only small irritant is that this crew relies on Instagram to get their financial news and then uses Bertie as a human ChatGPT to ask questions or seek opinions on matters of money. Three people from this cohort sent the same news piece to Bertie last week. It was about how it would take 109 years of savings for even the top 5% income-earning families in Maharashtra to afford an average-sized dwelling in Mumbai. Over time, Bertie has developed some standard responses to these Instagram forwards like 'It's Trump, man!' (with hands thrown up in the air emoji) or 'Stay invested for the long-term' (with a human in meditation pose emoji) or the most-used 'This sounds like a scam' (with a red cross emoji) but this 109 years of savings, Bertie thought, would deserve a deeper response. Now Bertie loves to rant about Mumbai real estate as much as the next guy in the local train; not just about prices but the soul-sapping experience of buying a house in the city. But Bertie also takes pride in the fact that he rants with data. So, over the weekend, Bertie went through the math behind the sensational '109 years of savings' news item. To estimate the savings potential of a household, the data used consumption expenditure as a proxy and multiplied it by the national savings rate of 30%. Now Bertie knows enough economics to know that the savings rate is to be applied to the overall per capita GDP number and not the consumption expenditure. The other issue, thought Bertie, was using the Maharashtra income levels to compare with real estate prices in Mumbai. Of all the states in the country, Maharashtra probably has the starkest difference between the per capita income of its capital city and the rest of the state. Various studies estimate that Mumbai's per capita GDP would be 3-4x that of Maharashtra. The thing that made Bertie go wide-eyed, though, was the estimate for the cost of an average dwelling unit in Mumbai. It was assumed to be ₹ 3.5 crore: a 1,184-square-foot house costing almost ₹ 30,000 per square feet. Even a permanently outraged news anchor would think twice before basing his outrage on this estimate. Bertie looked up recent Government data that showed that the average value of property transactions in Mumbai in recent months was just over ₹ 1.5 crore, and that too after the recent surge in the luxury end of the market. To be sure, not for a minute is Bertie arguing that Mumbai real estate is affordable, but 109 years is taking it a bit too far. Bertie is thinking whether he should send a long voice note to his friends explaining all this, or should he resort to his time-tested strategy of a one-liner. After some deliberation, Bertie did the predictable. He typed: 'It's the builder-neta nexus, man' (with the usual hands thrown up in the air emoji). Bertie is a Mumbai-based fund manager whose compliance department wishes him to cough twice before speaking and then decide not to say it after all.
Time of India
19-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Reviving roots: How Saudi chefs are redefining heritage cuisine
Haneeth is a popular dish in Saudi Food driven by landscapes and hyperlocal ingredients A golden, crisp sphere arrives at the table, visually unassuming until the first bite. The shell shatters to reveal a warm, tender centre. It evokes arancini, but this isn't Italian. The grains are broken durum wheat and smoked rice; the coating,crumbs—bread steeped in a stew of vegetables and meat, carrying layers of flavour. Deep-fried and served in a single mouthful, it's a riff on, a traditional, three-layered Saudi feast. At Takya in Riyadh, a restaurant dedicated to preserving ancestral recipes, heritage comes reimagined as haute are many more like Takya. Saudi Arabia's culinary scene is evolving as swiftly as its tourism vision. Once known for its modest kasbah-style eateries, the dining landscape of Riyadh and Jeddah now hosts global fine-dining icons, such as Yauatcha, Nobu, and Roka. A wave of restaurants across the country is now looking inward, using regional ingredients and culinary heritage to reimagine traditional flavours through a contemporary shift is part of a larger transformation. Since 2016, the Middle Eastern country has been steadily pivoting from a fuel-focused economy to one powered by tourism, in alignment with its ambitious Vision 2030 agenda. Massive investments are driving this change, including three giga projects: the multi-billion-dollar Red Sea Project, the futuristic smart city of Neom, and the restoration of cultural heritage hubs like Diriyah and plays a key role in this vision—not just as a trade ally but also as a key tourism market. In 2023, Saudi Arabia welcomed around 1.5 million Indian visitors, a 50% jump from the previous year. The country is strengthening flight connectivity and easing visa access, as it aims to attract 7.5 million Indian tourists annually by 2030.'Saudi Arabia is deeply rooted in tradition, but at the same time, the country is rapidly evolving. In a way, the culinary scene reflects that,' says executive chef Daniele Polito of The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, one of the five resorts that are currently operational as part of the Takya, the menu spans the kingdom. From the north, there's red—broken durum wheat simmered in tomatoes and local spices. From the east, a lamb shank slow-cooked with, a red wild rice indigenous to the region, cooked with date molasses and crispy onions. From the west,, a creamy rice dish made with milk, broth, and chicken. From the central region,—a warm whole-wheat bread pudding made withdates and ghee. And from the south,, slow-cooked lamb chops smoked with herbs and served over rice.'Saudi Arabia's landscapes are incredibly diverse, and every region is known for different ingredients. The east is known for its seafood due to its proximity to the Gulf, whereas the west, a pilgrimage hub, has culinary influences from travellers around the world. We wanted to capture the diversity of the food from the region,' says Hadeel Al Motawa, Co-founder of religious and trade travel have long been integral to Saudi culture, leisure travel within the country has gained popularity post-2016. 'Before, most people knew the food in their own region,' says Al Motawa, who has journeyed across the country to gather recipes for Riyadh, chefs in Saudi's emerging tourism destinations are tapping into age-old methods of cooking. At Nesma, the Arabic restaurant with Turkish influences at The St. Regis Red Sea, chief Polito channels the cooking methods of nomadic Bedouin tribes, who slow-cooked meat underground to retain moisture and flavour. His version—lamb shank cooked sous vide until fall-off-the-bone tender—is served atop aromaticrice, studded with toasted the coast in the Alnesai Desert, at the Six Senses Red Southern Dunes, a taste of traditional Saudi dishes begins right from breakfast, with dishes like, lamb stir-fried in Arabic spices, and, goat liver sautéed with tomatoes. At the hotel's Arabic restaurant, Bariya,is elevated with duck instead of chicken, and dates are celebrated in playful as boats for quinoa salads with lemon and tahini, while, a dish of chicken and rice with nuts, gets its umaminess from a home-madedate syrup. 'A lot of the pulp goes to waste while making date syrup, so we use it in jams and chutneys that end up in dishes like hummus,' explains executive chef Nelson the desert oasis of AlUla, the local bounty finds pride of place on plates. At Banyan Tree AlUla's all-day restaurant Harrat, unripedates—yellow-hued with a honey-like sweetness—are used to glaze meats and in dressings. At Tamas, the restaurant at Our Habitas AlUla, global dishes are created with hyperlocal ingredients: salads with cactus greens, moringa flowers, kumquats, and beef paired with cactus chimichurri.'Though a desert, AlUla is incredibly fertile,' says executive chef Gerardo Corona Alarcón. 'We use local mandarins, mingans, and blood oranges in salads, moringa in drinks, and cactus in our spice rubs. The landscape drives the menu.'As tourism grows and Saudi Arabia continues to evolve, chefs are racing to keep their culinary heritage alive. 'It's not about changing tradition,' says chef Polito. 'We want to educate tourists and future generations with a spark of innovation and intrigue. The ingredients, stories, and history remain intact, but the lens is new.'
Economic Times
19-06-2025
- Business
- Economic Times
Reviving roots: How Saudi chefs are redefining heritage cuisine
Mathlouta is a traditional Saudi Arabian dish A golden, crisp sphere arrives at the table, visually unassuming until the first bite. The shell shatters to reveal a warm, tender centre. It evokes arancini, but this isn't Italian. The grains are broken durum wheat and smoked rice; the coating, grsan crumbs—bread steeped in a stew of vegetables and meat, carrying layers of flavour. Deep-fried and served in a single mouthful, it's a riff on mathlouta, a traditional, three-layered Saudi feast. At Takya in Riyadh, a restaurant dedicated to preserving ancestral recipes, heritage comes reimagined as haute are many more like Takya. Saudi Arabia's culinary scene is evolving as swiftly as its tourism vision. Once known for its modest kasbah-style eateries, the dining landscape of Riyadh and Jeddah now hosts global fine-dining icons, such as Yauatcha, Nobu, and Roka. A wave of restaurants across the country is now looking inward, using regional ingredients and culinary heritage to reimagine traditional flavours through a contemporary shift is part of a larger transformation. Since 2016, the Middle Eastern country has been steadily pivoting from a fuel-focused economy to one powered by tourism, in alignment with its ambitious Vision 2030 agenda. Massive investments are driving this change, including three giga projects: the multi-billion-dollar Red Sea Project, the futuristic smart city of Neom, and the restoration of cultural heritage hubs like Diriyah and plays a key role in this vision—not just as a trade ally but also as a key tourism market. In 2023, Saudi Arabia welcomed around 1.5 million Indian visitors, a 50% jump from the previous year. The country is strengthening flight connectivity and easing visa access, as it aims to attract 7.5 million Indian tourists annually by 2030.'Saudi Arabia is deeply rooted in tradition, but at the same time, the country is rapidly evolving. In a way, the culinary scene reflects that,' says executive chef Daniele Polito of The St. Regis Red Sea Resort, one of the five resorts that are currently operational as part of the project. At Takya, the menu spans the kingdom. From the north, there's red jareesh—broken durum wheat simmered in tomatoes and local spices. From the east, a lamb shank slow-cooked with hassawi, a red wild rice indigenous to the region, cooked with date molasses and crispy onions. From the west, saleeg, a creamy rice dish made with milk, broth, and chicken. From the central region, hanini—a warm whole-wheat bread pudding made with Sukari dates and ghee. And from the south, haneeth, slow-cooked lamb chops smoked with herbs and served over rice.'Saudi Arabia's landscapes are incredibly diverse, and every region is known for different ingredients. The east is known for its seafood due to its proximity to the Gulf, whereas the west, a pilgrimage hub, has culinary influences from travellers around the world. We wanted to capture the diversity of the food from the region,' says Hadeel Al Motawa, Co-founder of religious and trade travel have long been integral to Saudi culture, leisure travel within the country has gained popularity post-2016. 'Before, most people knew the food in their own region,' says Al Motawa, who has journeyed across the country to gather recipes for Takya. Beyond Riyadh, chefs in Saudi's emerging tourism destinations are tapping into age-old methods of cooking. At Nesma, the Arabic restaurant with Turkish influences at The St. Regis Red Sea, chief Polito channels the cooking methods of nomadic Bedouin tribes, who slow-cooked meat underground to retain moisture and flavour. His version—lamb shank cooked sous vide until fall-off-the-bone tender—is served atop aromatic ouzi rice, studded with toasted nuts. Across the coast in the Alnesai Desert, at the Six Senses Red Southern Dunes, a taste of traditional Saudi dishes begins right from breakfast, with dishes like mugalgal, lamb stir-fried in Arabic spices, and kebda, goat liver sautéed with tomatoes. At the hotel's Arabic restaurant, Bariya, saleeg is elevated with duck instead of chicken, and dates are celebrated in playful ways. Medjool comes as boats for quinoa salads with lemon and tahini, while mandi, a dish of chicken and rice with nuts, gets its umaminess from a home-made Sukari date syrup. 'A lot of the pulp goes to waste while making date syrup, so we use it in jams and chutneys that end up in dishes like hummus,' explains executive chef Nelson Amorim. In the desert oasis of AlUla, the local bounty finds pride of place on plates. At Banyan Tree AlUla's all-day restaurant Harrat, unripe Sukari dates—yellow-hued with a honey-like sweetness—are used to glaze meats and in dressings. At Tamas, the restaurant at Our Habitas AlUla, global dishes are created with hyperlocal ingredients: salads with cactus greens, moringa flowers, kumquats, and beef paired with cactus chimichurri. 'Though a desert, AlUla is incredibly fertile,' says executive chef Gerardo Corona Alarcón. 'We use local mandarins, mingans, and blood oranges in salads, moringa in drinks, and cactus in our spice rubs. The landscape drives the menu.'As tourism grows and Saudi Arabia continues to evolve, chefs are racing to keep their culinary heritage alive. 'It's not about changing tradition,' says chef Polito. 'We want to educate tourists and future generations with a spark of innovation and intrigue. The ingredients, stories, and history remain intact, but the lens is new.'
Zawya
29-01-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Silver Hill Duck celebrates its entry into the KSA market with a special showcase soirée in Riyadh
Riyadh: Silver Hill Duck, a fully integrated premium duck producer, celebrated its entry into the Saudi Arabian Market with a special showcase event to mark Chinese New Year. Hosted on 26 January the exclusive, cocktail-style soirée saw media, influencers, as well as chefs and other key opinion leaders in the food industry sample a range of delicious dishes made with Silver Hill Duck's exceptional produce. Held at Yauatcha restaurant in Riyadh, the Chinese New Year-inspired decorations matched perfectly with the carefully curated menu that demonstrated the quality synonymous with Silver Hill Duck products, featuring popular classic dishes like Peking duck and duck crispy rolls as well as contemporary interpretations of Chinese regional cuisine. Following its success in Europe and Asia – including Singapore, Hong Kong, and Macau – Silver Hill Duck is looking to bring the same quality, consistency, and culinary standard to Saudi Arabia. Micheál Briody the Managing Director of Silver Hill Duck, said of the event: 'First, I would like to express my thanks to the team at Yauatcha for hosting Silver Hill Duck on the occasion of Chinese New Year, and to all the VIP guests who made time to attend the exclusive showcase. 'We are delighted to be launching in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – a fast-growing market in which we see huge potential and opportunity. The response from the wide range of industry figures and media in attendance was really encouraging, and we are sure that Saudi Arabia will prove to be a principal growth destination for us as we continue to expand our presence in the MENA region. 'The country's food scene has expanded massively in the past few years, and we're sure that Silver Hill Duck's world-class products – famed for their succulence, tenderness and flavour – will be a perfect match for the global ambitions of Saudi's creative and talented food industry professionals.' Founded in 1962, Silver Hill Duck owns and operates every stage of the duck production process from farm to table, and has become a favoured production partner to chefs, organisations and culinary leaders across Asia. For more information, please visit: About Silver Hill Duck Founded in 1962, Silver Hill Duck is a fully integrated premium Duck Producer. All aspects of our duck production are owned and controlled by Silver Hill Duck, from breeding, egg production, hatching and selection, to processing, cooking and packaging. Our distinctive hybrid duck is the secret to our success and is a breed that is exclusive to Silver Hill Duck. It has been continually developed over the years, to produce a duck that is full of flavour, succulent, tender and consistent in its quality. Media contacts: Maysan Abdulmajeed Maysanabdulmajeed@
