Diwali head start at Sudima Auckland

As the first phase of the Hindu festive season ends with the last and final day of Navaratri on October 4, the spirit of Diwali will commence in South Auckland’s Mangere.

Sudima Auckland Airport, a quality property of international standard, will host its annual Indian Food Festival, the inaugural of which will be with a gala dinner (October 4).

It began as an experiment as Chief Executive Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala, his wife and fellow Director Laxmi, Executive Chef and Food & Beverage Manager Rakesh Chandra planned to bring the best of Indian cuisine to a culturally diverse clientele.

“This is a new concept at Sudima. We are not sure if it would work – varying cuisine of India, from North to South and East to West. We have to keep a fine balance between high quality of food and service and affordable price. After all, when families go out to ear, both factors matter,” she said.

Laxmi need not have worried, for from the first day of the Festival, Sudima became the nightly destination for hundreds of diners not only from the four corners of Auckland but also from neighbouring cities.

Regional delicacies

This year’s Festival, being held from October 4 to 12 will feature the cuisine from various Indian States, each with its own style and taste.

Mr Chandra said that the opening event is being promoted as ‘Gala Dinner and Dance Night,’ with entry tickets costing $65 per person.

“Guests will receive a welcome drink and have a choice of dishes that are popular in Punjab, Rajasthan, Goa, Hyderabad, Gujarat, Bengal, Kashmir and the Southern States. As well as dancing, there will be music played by DJ Dan. The nightly buffet will also feature special Indian desserts,” he said.

“The Festival provides the wider New Zealand community an opportunity to experience the diverse culinary delights from various regions of India. In this way, people enjoy some of India’s finest food that are hard to-cook and hard to find in New Zealand. Guests enjoy quality food that they have not experienced earlier,” Mrs Jhunjhnuwala said.