Anoothi Vishal is one of India’s best known and most credible commentators on food and restaurants. She is an author, columnist and food historian, who has recently turned publisher too with this mag. Her books include Business On A Platter, a bible for budding restaurateurs, and Mrs LC’s Table, a well-loved classic on the cultural and culinary history of the Kayasth community. She has been a restaurant columnist for 25 years, writing for several prestigious publications and is a jury member for global and national restaurant awards. She works to create a nuanced and layered understanding of India’s complex culinary cultures and their links to the world through her writings and by creating dining experiences with narratives around food history and art that tell the story of Indian cuisines from Mauryan to the modern times.
Aditi Dugar is director & founder, Masque & Urban Gourmet India. A native of Mumbai, Aditi began her career in finance. In 2012, she pivoted to launch Sage and Saffron – the first end-to-end boutique catering company in Mumbai. In 2016, she set out to open Masque, a category-defining, fine-dining and the country’s first tasting menu-only restaurant that exclusively heroes Indian produce. Masque is now consistently ranked the best restaurant in the country, appearing on Food &Wine and Travel + Leisure’s inaugural, collaborative list of the World’s Best. It has been ranked Best Restaurant in India at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants awards for three consecutive years – the first Indian restaurant on the list operated by a woman restaurateur. In May, Masque made its debut on the world stage at the World’s 50 Best Restaurants’ 2024 long list. Under the banner of Urban Gourmet India, Dugar also owns and operates TwentySeven Bakehouse and TwentySeven Pizza & Bakes, she oversees the kitchen at Seesaw Café – a partnership with Reliance. She is also an advisor to ARAKU Café, a sustainable coffee chain.
Amit Khanna is Founding Partner at Nisaba. For The Food and Travel Almanac, he explores stories that live at the intersection of place, memory, and experience. His work reflects a thoughtful engagement with hospitality, community, and the evolving language of contemporary travel.
Chef Arun Kumar TR has had a fascinatingly varied career. He studied English Literature from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi University, then worked as a journalist and film critic for over eight years with the Times of India group. His interest in films led him to becoming a filmmaker and he produced and directed several television serials, documentaries, corporate films, even a feature film. But all through these years, his passion for cooking, mostly south Indian coastal food, remained a constant. He is now a full-fledged chef, having headed a reputed brand and run a catering company for the past 10 years. He has recently authored a book, Feast On A Leaf: The Onam Sadhya Cookbook.
Ashwin Ahmad is a senior journalist and academic with a focus on foreign affairs. Formerly the Opinion Editor at Mail Today and DNA, he is now a columnist in foreign affairs with the think-tank Gateway House and the Professor for International Affairs at IILM University, Gurugram. Away from understanding and explaining how the world works, the writer retains his love for the literary word with Hemmingway, Hugo and Hardy remaining among his favourite authors. His ideal day consists of critiquing Baudelaire’s essay ‘On Wine and Hashish’ while having a glass of wine in his hand.
Chef Dhruv Oberoi is the executive chef of Olive Bar & Kitchen New Delhi and The Grammar Room. From a childhood spark ignited by transforming masala chai into ice cream to training under the legendary Ferran and Albert Adria at El Bulli’s famed restaurants in Barcelona, chef Dhruv’s journey is one of passion, precision and creativity. His early stints saw him navigate the kitchens of New Delhi’s Ai and Sussegado, followed by global stints across Singapore and Spain. Now, helming Olive in Delhi, he is known for his respect for local, seasonal ingredients and cooking these with modern techniques. Whether it is reimagining amla with a fine dining twist, or presenting a double baked cheese souffle with jamun compote, his philosophy remains seeking simplicity and balance in every dish.
Dinesh Khanna has been working as a professional photographer for more than 30 years with an eclectic blend of commercial and personal work. For advertising and corporate clients, he has been shooting food, people and interiors and he also does visual documentation for NGOs and social organisations. His personal work has been published as acclaimed books like Bazaar and Living Faith. The latest books he has worked on are, Right of the Line – The President’s Bodyguard and Life in Rashtrapati Bhawan, which have been commissioned by the Rashtrapati Bhawan and Sahapedia. Dinesh is a Managing Trustee of Nazar Foundation, and one of the Co-founders of the Delhi Photo Festival and was also a Photography Curator for the Serendipity Arts Festival.
Chef Himanshu Saini is a celebrated chef renowned for pushing the boundaries of Indian cuisine. Known for his inventive approach and meticulous presentation, he has gained a reputation for redefining traditional Indian flavours with modern techniques. As the executive chef at Trèsind Studio, Chef Himanshu has attracted global attention for his innovative tasting menus, which bring a contemporary twist to regional Indian dishes. His journey began in India, where he trained under some of the country’s finest chefs, developing a profound respect for Indian culinary traditions. At Trèsind Studio, Chef Himanshu works to bridge traditional and modern cooking styles. This has earned prestigious accolades, including two Michelin stars, positioning him as an important figure in the global culinary scene and an ambassador for Indian gastronomy.
Jai Arjun Singh is an independent writer and critic. His books include The World of Hrishikesh Mukherjee, which won the MAMI Cinema Writing Award, Jaane bhi do Yaaro: Seriously Funny Since 1983, and The Popcorn Essayists. His columns and essays have appeared in dozens of publications, and are available on his culture blog Jabberwock. He has taught many online courses about cinema and literature, as well as a film-appreciation course at the Jindal Global University. He is currently working on an anthology of personal writings about cinema and life.
Chef Manish Mehrotra is a culinary mastermind redefining Indian cuisine. A recipient of numerous awards, Mehrotra’s innovative approach blends traditional flavours with global techniques. On a lighter note, he confesses a weakness for samosas and chaat, jokingly claiming he’d “die for them!” In his free time, he unwinds watching South Indian films, a guilty pleasure he thoroughly enjoys.
Mini Mathur is one of Indias’s Leading TV presenters, MTV VJ and an actor. Her career spans three decades of hosting genre defining shows. She holds a degree in English Literature, a Masters in Business and is now a certified Womens Health coach with a considerable following on social media for her advocacy of Womens health. An avid traveller, Mini finds her passion in cooking homestyle family recipes from across the world and brewing the perfect cup of tea.
Pranay Baidya returned to his roots in Bengal and established his eponymous label “Atelier Pranay Baidya”, armed with a degree in fashion design from the Design & Arts College of New Zealand, and prestigious posting as Creative Director at the New Zealand Wool Growers Marketing Ltd, The Calcutta-born designer crafts his fashion built on the vision of fusing old with the new, blending tradition with innovation while deeply embodying the cultural values of India and his own Bengali upbringing. The “Atelier Pranay Baidya” label supports ethical fashion in India, working with artisanal communities across India to embrace traditional craft techniques such as weaving, embroidery, printing and dyeing, to ensure benefits to improve the daily lives of local artisans and our environment.
Rahul Kumar completed an MBA and went on to earn his MFA from the USA on a Fulbright Scholarship. He is a Charles Wallace and Pro Helvetia fellow and is a recipient of the India Foundation for the Arts grant and the Junior Fellowship for Excellence in the Field of Visual Arts from the Government of India. His works are part of prestigious collections in India and abroad, including the Kiran Nadar Museum of Art. He has been conferred with Business World Art Excellence Award 2025 and will be a Rockefeller Bellagio resident later this year.
Vir Kotak is an entrepreneur, creator and adventurer based between Singapore, New Delhi and the Andaman Islands. When he isn’t running the logistics-tech company that he founded, Vir passionately engages with food (he has owned and run restaurants), beverages (he has run a brewery and cocktail bars), classic cars, and neo-vintage watches. Vir is a notable collector of contemporary South and South East Asian Art, and is a committed supporter of conservation of the ecology of the Andamans.