Kahaani, Delhi’s cultural festival celebrating India’s heritage, held the preview dinner for its second edition, Kahaani: Foods of India, on 28 October at Olive Kitchen and Bar. Presented by Indophile, an interdisciplinary cultural and creative venture dedicated to celebrating India’s heritage, the evening offered guests an early glimpse into the festival’s chef-led, story-first approach to regional Indian cuisine.
The preview dinner featured cuisines and experiential offerings by chefs and food practitioners including Chef Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar and Shalini Krishan from Edible Archives, Dr. Manisha Oraon from the Open Farm (Jharkhand) and The Drunken Pig group from Coorg, along with Chef Dhruv Oberoi from Olive. Each brought a personal perspective shaped by their region, community and culinary journey, translating it into a selection of unique dishes and experiences that went far beyond the plate.
The evening drew a large gathering of HNIs, influencers and journalists, who experienced the food and the stories behind it first-hand.
Guru Maa, whose vision inspired the creation of Indophile, said, “India’s beauty lies in its plurality, and Kahaani brings its lesser-known culinary treasures into the light.” Speaking about the evening, Aishwarya Jha, co-founder of Indophile, said, “Every dish at the preview dinner carried a story, and that is exactly what Kahaani: Foods of India is built to celebrate.”
Sara Abdullah, co-founder of Indophile, added, “Seeing guests connect with these chefs and their food was a wonderful preview of what November will bring.”
A glimpse of what’s ahead.
The full-fledged festival will take place from 13 to 15 November 2026 at Travancore Palace, New Delhi. It will bring together chefs from across the country to explore the relationship between food, geography, history, community and cultural memory, through regional cuisines, indigenous ingredients and culinary storytelling. The festival will also feature cultural performances, handicrafts and historical installations.
More details on the festival, including the chef line-up, programme and experiences, will be announced soon.
