Bill Gates, Bachchans relish Chennai caterer’s South Indian offering at Ambani pre-wedding bash

Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services ran the South Indian counter, with idlies and dosas, at the Anant Ambani-Radhika Merchant pre-wedding festivities

Celebrity couple Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities featured an extensive menu between March 1 and 3. Feeding guests at what is now being referred to as Jamnagar’s Met Gala, was Chennai’s own Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services. Their counter, among 35 helmed by world-renowned chefs, was busiest between midnight and 5 am, and saw Bill Gates lining up for vadas and Aishwarya Rai indulging in a rava dosa.

“We were roped in a few months ago and our team of 40 reached Jamnagar by February 29. Weeks prior to that, we had deployed a few of our chefs to serve the Ambani family members who were making arrangements over there. All raw material, equipment, and groceries were provided in a restaurant-style set up, and I had to only take idli rice and idiyappam flour from Chennai,” says N Shridhar of Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services (founded by his father late N Natarajan Iyer in 1962).

Tiffin to the fore

This association hence secured a bustling counter at the wedding. “We were requested to make only tiffin items and avoid any rice dishes. Idli and dosa were to be made available 24/7 on all three days. So we worked and cooked in three shifts to prepare fresh food.” As Shridhar was requested to keep his menu list crisp, he focused on a variety of dosas and idlis. They also made pongal, upma, kesari, sakkara pongal, and ashoka halwa.

Anant, the groom, visited almost all the food stalls as and when he had the time and when he visited South Indian by Shridhar (the name given at the venue) stopped by at several stalls including the one by Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services, requesting a pesarattu. “For Anant, his favorite is always pesarattu (An Andhra dish, a dosa made with green moong dal and rice, ginger, and cumin).

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I suggested that he eat it with ginger chutney, needless to say, that for Mukesh sir, I made his favorite sakkara pongal, payasam, and sweet potato chips. Nita Ambani ate the idli with coconut chutney and sambar without any souring agent as madam avoids food with tamarind, tomato, or lemon,” says Shridhar.

When the service staff came with orders, Shridhar would ask them out of curiosity whose order it was. “These boys would run to us excitedly if any celebrities they could identify orders South Indian. Salman Khan ordered rava dosa, Amitabh Bachchan ordered the ghee podi dosa, and later even medhu vada. Idlis were high in demand among most of the Hollywood celebrities. Aishwarya Rai relished Onion rava dosa, along with her daughter. We made an onion-tomato thokku for the dosas, which was appreciated,” he says.

The only challenge that Shridhar faced was when it came to a wet grinder. He says, “As we had to prepare a huge volume of idli and dosa batter, we were hoping for two huge grinders, but we ended up sharing one huge wet grinder with an Italian counter. We used the grinder in the evening and let the Italian chef take over at other times.”

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ): Bill Gates, Bachchans relish Chennai caterer’s South Indian offering at Ambani pre-wedding bash

1. Who catered at Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities? Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services, a Chennai-based catering service, ran the South Indian counter at the event.
2. What type of food was served at the pre-wedding festivities? The catering service provided a variety of South Indian tiffin items such as idlis, dosas, pongal, upma, kesari, sakkara pongal, and ashoka halwa.
3. Which celebrities were seen enjoying the South Indian delicacies? Bill Gates was spotted enjoying vadas, while Aishwarya Rai relished a rava dosa. Other celebrities like Salman Khan, Amitabh Bachchan, and various Hollywood stars were also seen indulging in the South Indian offerings.
4. What were some of the challenges faced by the catering service? One challenge faced by the catering service was sharing a wet grinder with another counter, which affected the preparation of idli and dosa batter due to the high volume of orders.
5. Did the catering service customize dishes for specific guests? Yes, the catering service customized dishes according to the preferences of certain guests. For example, Mukesh Ambani preferred sakkara pongal, payasam, and sweet potato chips, while Nita Ambani avoided food with tamarind, tomato, or lemon.
6. How many chefs were involved in catering for the event? The catering service deployed a team of 40 chefs for the pre-wedding festivities, with additional chefs sent earlier to assist the Ambani family in making arrangements.

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With such a star-studded guest list and a delectable menu featuring authentic South Indian cuisine, Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant’s pre-wedding festivities were truly a gastronomic extravaganza. Arusuvai Arasu Catering Services from Chennai left a lasting impression with its flavorful offerings, making it a memorable experience for all attendees.