Kung Fu Panda, Andheri East
Indo Saigon Industrial Estate, Marol, Mumbai Phone No : 022 33487911
2030 hours, 23rd July 2014, Wednesday:
In the final analysis, it all boils down to an idea.
Its an idea that can change your life. An idea that can open up new vistas for you. An idea that can revolutionise the way you have been living so far. A complete paradigm shift.
This is how Kung Fu Panda came into existence. By a germ of an idea.
The interview takes place in the bustling with activity kitchen of the young entrepreneur, Ashish Modi. All of 30, he comes across as an enthusiastic, brimming with ideas, zesty persona. Its been only three months since they have opened up, and they are already talking to corporates for tie ups. After deliberating with his partner Saveen, who himself has worked with the Taj Group of restaurants for seven years, he came up with this idea of a food delivery model.
"Statistics show that the delivery market is growing by a much larger chunk than dine in - approximately 30 to 40 % per annum. You can see yourself, Mc Donalds never had a delivery concept earlier. Domino's, having more than 70 % market share in pizzas, is doing 95% of the orders as delivery. Delivery market is growing by leaps and bounds because of the online space coming up, convenience of the entire concept, drink - and - drive issue coming up and of course the price factor" - opines Ashish.
In the final analysis, it all boils down to an idea.
Its an idea that can change your life. An idea that can open up new vistas for you. An idea that can revolutionise the way you have been living so far. A complete paradigm shift.
This is how Kung Fu Panda came into existence. By a germ of an idea.
The interview takes place in the bustling with activity kitchen of the young entrepreneur, Ashish Modi. All of 30, he comes across as an enthusiastic, brimming with ideas, zesty persona. Its been only three months since they have opened up, and they are already talking to corporates for tie ups. After deliberating with his partner Saveen, who himself has worked with the Taj Group of restaurants for seven years, he came up with this idea of a food delivery model.
"Statistics show that the delivery market is growing by a much larger chunk than dine in - approximately 30 to 40 % per annum. You can see yourself, Mc Donalds never had a delivery concept earlier. Domino's, having more than 70 % market share in pizzas, is doing 95% of the orders as delivery. Delivery market is growing by leaps and bounds because of the online space coming up, convenience of the entire concept, drink - and - drive issue coming up and of course the price factor" - opines Ashish.
I was more interested in the modus operandi - the process right from the customer request till the actual delivery. And he surprised me here. "Its only when the order is punched, that the actual cooking starts. The vegetables are chopped, the main sauces are ready, but the fire bit comes into play only after the order is received by the kitchen. Nothing is precooked."
Extremely conscious of the delicate nature of the Chinese dishes - "as cornflour is used in Chinese cuisine, the gravy becomes rubbery after an extended period of time". To such an extent that any excess food left over is actually donated to an orphanage nearby, rather than kept preserved for reuse again, informs Rajesh Modi, the elder brother. They have strict adherence to the principle of Just-in-Time. Everything works with clock work precision, every process has a deadline and every timeline is religiously adhered to.
A glance at their menu reveals certain uncommon items. Burmese Khowsuey (A one-dish meal comprising noodles in a soup of curried vegetables - fried garlic, coriander, lemon juice, fried onions and chillies - in coconut milk), Pat Pow Choi (a mash up of zucchini, chinese cabbage, black mushrooms, bean sprouts, tofu, carrot, bell peppers), Nasi Goreng ( stir fried rice in small amount of cooking oil or margarine, typically spiced with kecap manis (sweet soy sauce), shallot, garlic, tamarind and chilli and accompanied by other ingredients, particularly egg, chicken and prawns), Chicken wrapped prawns (Piquant chicken and prawns wrapped in crisp Thai pastry), Chicken with Caramelised walnut, Yang Chow fried rice (Mixed chicken, lamb and prawns). Plus they also provide options to the patrons to design their own food - wok style. With such fancy imagination, they definitely have to give a serious run for the money to the giants in the vicinity. |
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I place an order for a Fish in Burnt Red Pepper sauce - Wok style and a bowl of Chicken Nankeing Rice. Fifteen minutes pat and the food is handed over to me. Back home, we find the food nicely packaged in attractive containers. With a bundle which contained a spoon, a fork, a pair of chopsticks a couple of sauces and also mint candies. The little one was impressed.
The fish was very rightly spicy, prepared in thick dry red sauce, with garlic crumbs enhancing the flavor. The quantity was good too. But the rice was out of this world. It was a base of Sichuan rice with a few string of noodles topped with gravy with exotic vegetables. Baby corn, zucchini, bell pepper, broccoli, the works. And a generous quantity of soft chicken cubes within. The entire family warmed up to it.
Verdict: I think they have got a winner on hand. With some patience, the right kind of marketing noises and the consistency in quality, the only way they are going to go is up. Kudos.
The ratings, they go like this:
The Food Quotient : Food Quality 4 / 5, Food Choices 4 / 5, Food Portion 4.5 / 5 Food Presentation : 3.5 / 5
The Other Determinants : Location 3 / 5, Cleanliness 4 / 5, Service 4 / 5
The Hygiene Factors : Ambiance ---, Space quotient ---, Delivery time 4.5 / 5
The Conclusives : Food Price 4 / 5, Honesty 5 / 5, Overall Experience 4 / 5, Will I call again 4 / 5
PS: Bouquets / brickbats on the review can be addressed to [email protected] or mentioned below.
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