Contemporary Mediterranean Restaurant by restaurateurs Kashif Farooq and Prashant Ojha opens soon in Delhi at Hotel Ashok, Diplomatic Enclave
Co-branded with celebrity Italian chef Aldo Zilli, marking his Asian foray.
Zerruco by Zilli is set to open its doors this winter at The Ashok Hotel, New Delhi. The brainchild of Kashif Farooq and Prashant Ojha, the promoters of Urban Pind and Urban Cafes, it is backed by the strategic advisory support of Manish Kumar Baheyti of HAUTE Services Pvt. Ltd. Zerruco is their combined vision to bring forth a distinct international culinary experience for the gourmets of the capital and they are joined in this venture by Prashant Aggarwal and Munish Kher.
The restaurant is co-branded with celebrity Chef Aldo Zilli, to bring to India his signature selection of Contemporary Mediterranean Cuisine. The menu for the restaurant is designed by Aldo and he brings to the table, recipes from some of his famous restaurants such as Zilli Fish, Zilli Green and the over 12 books he has authored, with some of them being bestsellers.
Says Manish, Principal Consultant , HAUTE Services Pvt. Ltd “Delhi has a discerning palate which encouraged us to look oversees to engage a known name to bring forth a truly international experience here. The Zerruco Menu has a separate vegetarian section influenced by the fact that Zilli found a majority of his patrons at Zilli Green in London were the well heeled Indians with a penchant for Italian vegetarian food ”.
ZERRUCO BY ZILLI. Opening November end at Hotel Ashok, New Delhi.
PROMOTER PROFILE
In early 2005 young entrepreneurs Kashif Farooq and Prashant Ojha joined hands to launch one of the city’s most successful bars – Urban Pind. Over the last 7 years Kashif and Prashant have taken brand Urban from strength to strength. The success of their ventures is attributed to their diversity of skills and strengths. A zest for the hospitality industry and a strong social network gave them the inspiration to bring forth their next venture – Zerruco by Zilli.
Manish Kumar Baheyti is a veteran of the hospitality industry in operations and marketing. In a hotel career spanning 18 years, he has worked for 14 years with the Oberoi Group with almost a decade in hotel operations. As General Manager of the Trident Hilton Bhubaneswar in the year 2005, he has been responsible for turning around the hotel and posting the highest profit in 23 years. He has also been the Director of Marketing of Hyatt Regency a decade ago. In 2008, he established HAUTE Services Pvt Ltd with his wife Sonali – a boutique consultancy with hospitality and art advisory as its main verticals.
ALDO ZILLI PROFILE
An award winning celebrity chef and restaurateur, who specialized in seafood and Italian cuisine. He has written many cookery books and two autobiographies. “Fish Cook Book” showcases many of his most famous fresh seafood recipes. “Zilli Light” concentrates on healthy Italian recipes and offers tips for eating well with delicious food at the same time. His vegetarian book “Fresh & Green” is a book inspired by new healthier lifestyle.
Regularly seen on TV as a presenter for many shows, Zilli was one of 9 children born in the small Italian seaside town of Alba Adriatica in the region of Abruzzo. With a passion to please, charm and good humor, Zilli transformed the way London restaurants were run – where the famous and the infamous came to eat his food and became his friends.
As irrepressible and mischievous as ever, apart from his cook books, Aldo Zilli has a heartwarming hilarious story to share which he captures in his autobiography, “My Italian Country Childhood” : A Chef’s journey from the hills of Abruzzo to the heart of SOHO.
