Table for Two: Restaurateurs AD Singh (Olive, Monkey Bar, SodabottleOpenerWala, etc) and Riyaaz Amlani (Social, Smoke House Deli, BANNG, etc)
Starter: A throwback to the early days – Mocha mugs, Olive nights, and the quiet beginnings of a restaurant revolution
Main Course: Scaling with soul, shaping food culture, and why the best restaurants are more than what’s on the plate
Pairing: Local pride, Catering to Gen Z, Investor Pressures, and the Unexpected Cost of Being Cool
House Special: How to build spaces people return to, why India needs a robust nightlife scene, and what the future of dining might actually look like
From the Counter: Government red tape, nightlife nostalgia, and scaling with integrity
Dessert: Bizarre food inventions and cultural hot takes
This episode is nostalgic, punchy, and just the right amount of unfiltered. Pair it with the Coffee and Dark Chocolate Indie Katli Bars by Bombay Sweet Shop.
Host: Smitha Menon
We’re on YouTube, Spotify, and wherever food memories live. Drop in to say hello at smitha@smithamenon.co or contact@maed.in
This is a Maed in India production.
Creative Director: Mae Mariyam Thomas
Project Manager: Shaun Fanthome
Producer: Meghna Gulati
Animation: Alika Gupta
Video Editor: Kaval Chaudhary
Video Guidance: Jishnu Guha
Sound Mixing Engineer: Kartik Kulkarni
On-Location Sound Engineer: Nihar Temkar
Production Assistant: Natasha Vakil
Artwork: Jishnu Bandyopadhyay