Guwahati: 'Mamazaki', a food-based start-up founded by Masterchef contestant Farha Naaz, has been making waves with its focus on bringing Northeast's authentic cuisines to the masses.
Recently, the budding start-up started menu consultations and pop-ups for food enthusiasts. “Restaurants and cafes reach out to us as they want us to curate their menu,” Naaz told Business North East. Starting from Rs.10,000, the special dishes of Mamazaki starts from Rs.25,000 to Rs.30,000.
"We train the kitchen staff of our clients, regarding sourcing of materials, standardization, among other things", Naaz told BNE. “Our service relates to menu engineering and menu consulting." In the Northeast, there are only a couple of menu curators, according to Naaz.
The ingredient-driven start-up has, to date, been approached by no less than 5 clients in Assam. Recently, Mamazaki became a part of a World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) project. The group was also invited to the Northeast Green Summit as a food partner.
Naaz, who holds a bachelor's degree in Agricultural Engineering from Assam University said she initially bootstrapped the start-up herself. "The initial investment was Rs. 1.5 lakhs. At present, revenue is around Rs 4.5 lakh per month", she said.
Their other specialty is the pop-up dining experience which seeks to redefine eating out, according to Naaz. “ This is not a regular restaurant that one comes to for dining. We curate events and experiences in different places in different locations”.
“People come with sheer love for food. The experience may be accompanied by nature, different entertainment or activities," she said. "Mostly we tie up with different venues or set up their place. Their events have been held at Hotel Palacio, a local cafe Thea, among other places. "We want to change the food scene of India. Many people think that Northeast food is not palatable. However, I am trying to change the perception by fusing both modern and traditional."
Naaz did pop ups outside northeast as well. The recent one held in New Delhi with a 5 course north eastern fine dine menu.
Naaz, during a freewheeling interview with this platform, revealed that she found inspiration in Japanese auteur Hayao Miyazaki's work and her mother's cooking, leading her to establish Mamazaki, a culinary venture that combines traditional and contemporary cooking methods to offer global cuisines. Mamazaki focuses on ingredients from Northeast India in a fine dining setting and has partnered with various ventures to create unique culinary experiences.
The venture has expanded its services to include menu consultancy for food and beverage establishments, staff training, and curated menus. Mamazaki also fulfills customized bulk orders for parties and events.
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