Foodie honours flavours from across India

The Times Now Foodie Awards 2012, the awards that honour restaurants and roadside eateries from across the country, took place in Mumbai on Saturday night.
Good food was the star at the Times Now Foodie Awards 2012 in Mumbai, and representing it wholesomely was Kunal Vijaykar, the host for the evening and also the official Foodie, who travelled the length and breadth of the country with his co-jurors – Rashmi Uday Singh, food critic and author, Karen Anand, food and wine specialist, and chef Manjit Gill, Corporate Executive Chef, ITC Group, to award the best of the best from five-star fine dining to roadside dhabas.
The evening started off on an unusual ‘note’ of tenor and altos, as a musical skit tantalised everyone’s taste buds with desserts, exotic breads and Greek greens! Joining Kunal for the evening as the co-host was Tisca Chopra.
The evening saw people from different parts of the country and different segments of the food and beverage industry take their awards – there were suave restaurateurs like chefs Rahul Akerkar and Farrokh Khambatta, the legendary chef Imtiaz Qureshi, and earnest small-towners like Siddharth Latkar of Opal in Kolhapur, and Baroda’s Raju Omelette Centre.
Zeba Kohli, Kalpana Lajmi, Shaina NC, Kabir Bedi, Raageshwari and, Lalitha Lajmi were among those who gave away the awards. Cyrus Broacha, Dolly Thakore and Mandira Bedi were also present.
The Times Now Foodie Awards 2012
Category Winner Jury Award
Best Vegetarian Restaurant
Swati Snacks
Best Debut Restaurant
Neel, Mumbai
Best Non-veg Restaurant
Fry’s Village, Kochi Mubeen’s, Lucknow
Best Coastal Food
Martins Corner, Goa Raju’s Malvani Corner, Mumbai
Best Indian Fine Dine
Indian Accent, Delhi Ziya, Oberoi, Mumbai
Best Bakery and Pattisserie
Desiree, Mumbai
Best Local Cuisine
Opal, Kolhapur
Best Roadside Dhaba
Raju Omelette, Baroda
Best International Cuisine
Amadeus, Mumbai and Thalassa, Goa
Legend Award
Chef Imtiaz Qureshi
Lifetime Achievement Award
Gaylord, Mumbai