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