Bangalore: VRO Hospitality, India’s fast-growing F&B group, announces the appointment of Chef Ishant Khanna as the Corporate Chef for one of its flagship brands Badmaash, which set a new benchmark in an exhilarating taste of Indian cuisine matched with international standards of service and style. An industry veteran of 16 years, Ishant joins from the Oberoi Centre of Learning & Development, where he was a Kitchen Faculty. Prior to this, he was associated with JW Marriott, Olive & Thyme Hospitality LLP, Four Seasons Hotels and Oberoi Hotels & Resorts.
Badmaash, accompanied with the culinary expertise of Chef Ishant, is all set to be the place for the most deliciously curated palates chaperoned with an exquisite ambience. Chef Ishant has been a pioneer in the hospitality industry for 16 years and has experimented and curated signature dishes through time. He started his career as a kitchen trainee with Oberoi Hotels and Resorts in the year 2007 after having to complete his education in Kitchen Management from The Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development, which is one of the best Hospitality Management Institute in Asia.
During his tenure with Oberoi Hotels, he has received training under many Master Chefs from different regional cuisines (Himachali, Kashmiri, Awadhi, Hyderabadi and Rajasthani) to increase his repertoire of regional Indian food. He has also served as a Culinary Exemplary at The Oberoi, New Delhi – “Coast to Coast” and “Rivayat”, “Rajasthani Food Festival” and “Four Hands Punjabi Food Festival” at JW Marriott, Bengaluru.
Badmaash is an iconic brand from VRO Hospitality and is famous for taking food connoisseurs on a culinary journey across the Indian states. Currently, there are four outlets of Badmaash – 2 in Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Goa, with three more in the pipeline (two in Bengaluru and one in Mumbai).
Badmaash’s menu is carefully curated and inspired by diverse cuisine and culture. It is a perfect marriage between traditional taste and progressive cuisine approach. The menu offers an array of Indian dishes, and in its many little bites such as Birds Eye Chilli & Avocado Bhel, Xacuti Chicken Tikka & Raw Mango Salad, Spice Soya Keema Appam and Spiced Figs Kofta Curry curated from home grown ingredients representing every part of the country.
About VRO Hospitality
One of the fastest-growing hospitality companies based out of Bengaluru, VRO hospitality owns some upscale bars and restaurants in Bengaluru and Mumbai. Barely out of their college, two friends, Dawn Thomas and Safdhar Adoor, started an event management agency Rices Obliquity that was rocking the party scene in Bengaluru. Later experienced restaurateur Sharath Rice joined Dawn and Safdhar as the trio launched VRO Hospitality in May 2018. In the last three years, VRO Hospitality has launched some of the most popular brands, like Badmaash Lounge, Hangover, Mirage, Nevermind, One Night in Bangkok, and Tycoons, that offers its patrons a diverse culinary experience. Besides physical restaurants, VRO Hospitality also runs popular cloud kitchens – Burgers and Beyond, Holy Doh Pizzas and Smashed and Whacky Chang. The founders of another venture SteppinOut, an online event and experience curating platform, were acquired by Times Internet Limited in early 2021. Recently in a fresh round of funding (Series A), VRO Hospitality raised $3 million to expand its portfolio across India. VRO Hospitality plans to add 16 new projects in Bengaluru, Goa, Mumbai, Kochi, and Chennai as it embarks on a journey to become a pan-India brand.
