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It’s India on a plate at the Lalit

September 27, 2017 04:52 pm | Updated 04:54 pm IST

From the Nannery to the high chai, The Lalit says Namaskar to London in a very Raj-era kind of way

“I have got itchy hands — just like my mother,” declares Keshav Suri, the son of Jyotsna Suri, chairperson and managing director of The Lalit group of hotels.

Suri is responsible for F&B and a few other things at the chain and is constantly tinkering around, introducing new things that will bring the young through the doors of the Lalit.

“Look at how Kitty Su changed the face of this hotel,” he says, talking about the flagship Delhi property in Connaught Place which was a boringly serious hotel frequented by lawyers and a business crowd. The nightclub transformed things as did novel concepts such as the Nannery at its Indian restaurant Baluchi. At the Nannery, the chefs rustle up an assortment of miniaturised versions of Indian breads – from rotis and kulchas to naans – rather theatrically. These are paired with wine and served to guests accompanied by the signature Dal Baluchi and a few chutneys. “I coined the term Nannery and now we have trademarked it,” grins Suri.

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Now Suri has taken The Nannery concept to Lalit’s new London property that opened this Republic Day, and where he has been focusing his creative energies on, supervising not just F&B but the designs and motifs as well as the service.

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Recreating the Raj

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Fresh off renovating the extremely challenging Great Eastern Hotel in Kolkata — it took them eight years to give a makeover to India’s oldest running hotel and transform it from a seedy haunt to a glorious hotel — the Suris jumped headlong into another difficult project. In fact, if you look at their projects — Bekal in Kerala and Mangar in the Aravalli hills — they really seem to relish taking on herculean tasks.

What else can explain their bid bid for the 180 year old school, the St Olave’s Grammar School in the historical Tower Bridge area of London. “It was a grade two listed building, and the history of the building is as old as our Kolkata property,” says Keshav, describing the transformation into a boutique luxury hotel. In many ways, the hotel is a tribute to the group’s founder Lalit Suri, who died in London.

While at the Great Eastern in Kolkata the effort has been to keep the Victorian/Edwardian ethos intact with the Wilson pub and the grand piano, at the London property, the theme harks back to the Raj. “From outside, the building looks quintessentially British, but inside mother wanted things made in India,” says Suri.

From the the peacock and elephant motif tapestries to the blue cobalt Hyderabadi chandeliers to the jaali work wooden screens everything was shipped from India. “It was so tough to transport one ton of chandeliers but we got it,” he says. The throws on the beds of the 70-room property are all in very Indian orangey red shades.

At the same time, care has been taken to keep all the school elements of the building intact. So the rooms are called Classrooms, there is a Headmaster’s bar, and a Teacher’s lounge. But it’s when he talks of the Nannery at London that Suri’s eyes light up. “We are serving brand India on a plate,” he says. “We want to push Indian wines in London and they are loving it,” he says. The very British institution of high tea has been turned into a high chai experience, featuring a variety of Indian teas served with samosas and Bombay bhel.

Pop-up Nightclubs

Back in India, Suri is expanding the Kitty Su brand. “It’s the seventh year of operations of Kitty Su and I have never been stronger,” he declares. Out of the 13 Lalit properties, now three (Delhi, Bombay and Chandigarh) have got the party going destination built around fashion, music and champagne. But it’s also travelling to other places as Suri is testing out the markets in Bengaluru and Kolkata with Kitty Su pop ups that are monthly affairs. “In Bengaluru, I am doing it in Oko, the Pan Asian restaurant’s outdoor area. I call it Kitty Ko there,” he grins.

Brimming with bold ideas — he has introduced an LGBT night at Kitty Su for instance, this flamboyant young hotelier is certainly shaking things up at the The Lali.

(Chitra Narayanan is an editorial consultant with Business Line who writes on consumer behaviour but keeps an interested gaze at the travel and hospitality sector)

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