'Etihad Chef’s Corner', a gastronomic event held on July 16 aimed to promote VNY 2020 through the modern presentation of exclusive local fusion food and fine local wine. The event was attended by foreign diplomats, the upper echelon of the Etihad Airways, shareholders and stakeholders of the travel and trade industry, dignitaries from corporate houses and media.
The programme kicked off with a welcome speech from Pawana Shrestha, Country Manager of Etihad Airways in Nepal. She briefed on the event and introduced the Chief guests in attendance, His Excellency Manjeev Singh Puri, Indian Ambassador to Nepal and Mohan Krishna Sapkota, Secretary at Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation.
Dougie Douglas, Etihad Airways Area Manager for Nepal, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka was called on stage to say a few words. In his speech, he said, “I'm a man who takes delight in food and hope you all find tonight's food to be delightful. Tonight is about food and food is part of the journey so let's enjoy our journey together.”
The event proceeded with a few words from the CEO of NTB, Deepak Raj Joshi on how food is an integral part of a country. He said, "We are planning to do more of these events that showcase Nepali food with the aim to promote VNY 2020."
Thomas A. Gugler, President of World Chef’s Association was called to say a few words. He said, “Good food is nourishment, good food is excitement and good food is a reference to the country. Today we are serving modern presentation to the food that goes back to the roots of this country.”
Secretary Mohan Krishna Sapkota was called on stage to present the Chefs: Thomas A. Gugler, Sanjay Thakur, Deep Adhikari and Sanjeev Ranjan with Dhaka Topi as a Token of Appreciation.
Guinness World Recorder holder, Chef Sanjay Thakur talked about the canapés prepared for the night’s event. He said, “We have incorporated local produce into our dishes tonight. By practising this on a daily basis in hotels and restaurants, we aim to achieve sustainability."
All the guests were led by Chef Sanjay, to the pre-function area to enjoy canapés and local wine. He explained about the dishes being served and how it was prepared.
The guests were again asked to enter the hall to resume the formal programme. Jean Louis Ripoche, General Manager Kathmandu Marriott Hotel was called on stage to say a few words. He said, “We would like to do more of these gastronomic events to discover and try new things.”
On a lighter note, the programme announced their lucky draw winner, Binamra Dhakal, Managing Director of Sastra Creations who won business class tickets to Abu Dhabi.
CEO of NTB, Deepak Raj Joshi presented a token of appreciation to the chefs. Etihad Airways also recognised the efforts of Kathmandu Marriott Hotel, Nepal Tourism Board, Yatra as magazine partner, Pataleban Vineyard Resort and Pernod Ricard as beverage partner and Silver Mountain School of Hotel Management.
The guests networked and mingled with delicious food and fine wine in their hands. The event was a treat for people who like experimenting with food and trying something different.