Andaz Delhi — a concept by Hyatt — has reopened the doors to its restaurant Soul Pantry. This unique destination specialises in delicious nutrition-dense flatbreads, wellness bowls, lactose-free, keto, gluten-free and artisanal produce, making it the ideal destination for all busy professionals looking to sustain a modern and positive lifestyle. Soul Pantry believes in thoughtful living, and the new menu offers refreshing ingredients such as avocado, pineapple, beetroot, alfalfa sprouts, pumpkin seeds, celery, cucumber and watercress. The restaurant is reopening with a strong all-women team led by Chef Shyantika Guha, who has previously worked at The Oberoi and The Park Hotel.
Here’s an interview with Chef Shyantika Guha, where she gives us an insight about Soul Pantry.
Tell us about Soul Pantry and how you conceptualized it?
It is about forgotten grains and soulful eating. This was the initial thought about the Soul Pantry back in 2019. We are still following that same path and evolving with it.
According to you what is the USP of Soul Pantry?
Flats Bread is all about the forgotten grains i.e, Barley, Finger millet, Amaranth, Buckwheat. Also, not to forget the all-women team.
From where do you source your ingredients and how do you test the quality of your ingredients?
At Andaz, we follow Farm to Fork strategy to provide the best possible ingredients to our guests. We believe that the best dish can be prepared with good quality ingredients only.
We procure our ingredients from FSSAI approved vendors in Delhi-NCR. Only Approved Vendors can supply ingredients to Soul Pantry. In order to be our approved vendor, you have to undergo regular Vendor Audits and have to comply with all the standards required by FSSAI. To ensure the best quality ingredients are supplied throughout the year we check raw material on different parameters described by FSSAI through Internal and External lab analysis.
Vendor analysis is done every quarter to keep a check on vendor performance. At Soul Pantry, you will find ingredients at their best.
Which is your favourite dish on the menu and why?
I love the quinoa salad, the freshness, and the homely Indi taste make me crave it more. Also, the house-made pickle cranberries we add to it are one of my favourite munchy in the kitchen.
What are the most popular items on the menu and why?
Burrata Salad, Pulled Chicken Gyro and Flatbread with caramelized onion, goat cheese, arugula, and melon seeds are winning hearts
What are the hygiene precautions you are taking while delivering food from Soul Pantry?
At Andaz, we are committed to delivering Safe Food that is tasty, appealing, and of the highest hygiene standards to all our esteemed guests & internal customers, and employees.
Being an ISO 22000:2018 certified Hotel, this enables us to deliver the best hygiene practices in the town. Our well-qualified chefs and service associates make sure everyone follows Good Handling Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices available as per FSSAI. Our associates are trained regularly on the grounds of Food Safety and Hygiene. Starting from personal hygiene, and hand washing, we follow all the instructions available before starting the operations. Standards as per FSSAI are followed while making food in the Soul pantry, First, we make sure the vendor supplies the best raw material/ingredients. Second, we make sure raw material is stored properly under specific temperatures to maintain the quality of the product. Third, Cooking is done at optimum temperature (i.e above 65 Degree C) to ensure all the microorganisms are killed and the final product is free from any type of contamination. Regular internal and external audits are done to ensure the efficiency of the system is maintained. Every product at Soul Pantry is checked on various microbiological parameters via internal and external labs regularly. There is a zero-tolerance policy in the Soul Pantry when it comes to Food Safety and Hygiene. We believe in “Be Safe Keep Safe and Serve Safe”
How important is the food presentation?
It is believed that if your food looks and smells good, 70% of the job is already done. Also, now the level of creativity doesn’t just stick to the method of cooking but also the appearance. Thus, making it the most important thing to me.
Is there a chef you admire the most? Who and why?
I look up to Chef Clare Smyth’s work and how she once stated, “I wanted to be marked with my destiny” makes me admire her the most.
