CHEF MANU CHANDRA
FOUNDER PARTNER – MANU CHANDRA ENTERPRISES
Manu Chandra is the Founder Partner at Manu Chandra Enterprises, a Bengaluru based hospitality company in partnership with long-time colleague and hospitality professional Chetan Rampal. Manu Chandra Enterprises has under it among other companies, Single Thread Catering, a bespoke and experiential catering solutions company and Savaa Ser – the restaurant arm.
In the heart of Bengaluru’s iconic MG Road, is LUPA, (opened in February 2023, this is the first stand-alone restaurant from Savaa Ser Pvt Ltd.), weaving together classic European flavours with contemporary flair. Rooted in the exploration of age-old artistry combined with modern ingenuity, LUPA is a tribute to the finest of European cuisine crafted with progressive thought combined with global and local inspiration. Served in a warm, open and meticulously detailed space that is stunning and comforting at the same time, LUPA is designed to be a truly one-of-its-kind dining experience.
Prior to this, Chef Chandra was Chef Partner of the Olive Group of Restaurants and the brainchild behind award-winning restaurant brands such as Toast & Tonic, Monkey Bar, The Fatty Bao, Olive Beach and Cantan. He exited the partnership with the Olive group after a 17-year stint in Sept 2021, to start afresh.
One of India’s most well-respected Chefs, Manu brought many firsts to India’s F&B culture. He is credited for opening the first gastropub, bringing the open faced bao and trendy Asian dining and its many interpretations to the forefront, the revival of India’s romance with Gin, and celebrating India’s biodiversity by championing Indian produce in progressive ways. Not only a trendsetter, but he has also been a champion of ‘homegrown’ in many ways.
Manu’s passion for food surfaced at a young age thanks largely to a multicultural foodie family. Food, the cooking of it, the discussions, and history around it, and most importantly the celebration and sharing of it, were so integral to his family’s normal functioning, that it was hardly a surprise when he opted to turn his passion into his career, uncharacteristic to a scholarly household as it may have seemed.
His formative education in a free progressive school, Mirambika, taught him to develop a completely original perspective on everything, by rewarding innovation and original thinking, which he further honed at the Mother’s International School, New Delhi. He went on to study History at the coveted St. Stephen’s College, where his academic interests continue to collide with his love for food. Whilst in the first year of college he wrote, designed and helped photograph a book on fusion cuisine along with friends Ishaan Tankha and Priyanka Dasgupta – while also apprenticing at the famous Dum Pukht and working part-time at Café Turtle, when Khan market was a sleepy little market.
The need to gain a structured culinary education then took Manu to the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) Hyde Park, New York. Whilst enrolled there he was fortunate enough to apprentice with some of the City’s most celebrated kitchens at the time, including Restaurant Daniel, Le Bernardin, Gramercy Tavern, Café Centro, Jean Georges, and Town and opened the famed Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Manhattan. Many of which have gone on to attain institutional statuses. Armed with top honors from CIA and a prestigious Sea Food Masters Award for the National Recipe Competition 2002, he traveled to Norway to work with the Michelin-starred Chef Eyvind Hellstrom at Bagatelle, well before Nordic cuisine was even acknowledged globally.
In 2004, Manu returned to India, where he joined the relatively young Olive group as their youngest ever head chef to open their Bangalore outpost, Olive Beach. In 2006, he was featured on India Today’s list of Young Achievers, and in 2007, he was selected as one of the top 10 Best Young Chefs in the Country by Taste and Travel Magazine. Business Times, Hindustan Times and Food & Nightlife also rated Manu as one of India’s 10 best chefs, and he has been awarded the Golden Star Award for the Most Admired Chef in India 2011, and as recently as 2021 he was in the top 10 chefs in India by Culinary Culture, a venture by Vir Sanghhvi recognizing India’s 30 top chefs. Manu has received accolades and appreciation from around the world as one of the most promising and talented chefs in India, including the New York Times and Time Magazine.
He was also featured on the Elle Magazine Hot List, selected by GQ India Magazine as one of the 50 Most Influential Young Indians three years in a row (2015, 2016, and 2017), and was selected by Fortune India Magazine’s ‘40 under 40, Class of 2016’ – an exclusive list of India’s finest young business leaders. Manu was also featured in Italian wine publication AmarOne, a book featuring 10 Chefs from around the world. Awarded Chef of the Year at the Times Food & Nightlife Awards in 2017, Manu has written extensively on food and food trends for a cross section of publications including Forbes, Mint Lounge, BBC Good Food, The Week, India Today, The Hindu, Indian Express, Yahoo.com and The Times of India among several others.
Manu’s cooking styles have kept evolving with time, though the fundamental premise remains the same. Focus on freshness, and constantly innovate. This has not only become evident from the nearly two decades of cooking in numerous kitchens across the globe, but also in the approach to the extremely successful brands he’s established and successfully run. From embracing biodiversity in practice as well as preaching its gospel in his writings to numerous publications, to embracing terroir and pushing the concept that food is evolutionary and must therefore keep evolving. He has always believed in nurturing and grooming his deputies to be the next in line to carry this mantle, and many have gone on to become celebrated chefs in their own rights.
Manu is also involved with an initiative called The Social Kitchen which aims to bring families back to the kitchen or table to interact and talk using new kitchen design as former brand ambassador of the German brand Nolte. He’s also the founding curator and was on the advisory board for the Serendipity Arts Festival; India’s largest, inclusive arts fest, which had culinary arts as a discipline for the first time.
Besides his own companies, Manu is, in his individual capacity, an investor and partner in Chota Hazari Spirits, a company focused on small-batch spirits which are all about provenance and taste. A gin from the company is expected to hit the shelves in 2023. He is also a strategic investor and partner in a plant protein company with a meat-alternate line Shaka Harry. The product has a distinct advantage with access to proprietary taste and flavour solutions with their partnership with chef. He is also Founder-Partner of Bengaluru-based urban artisanal cheese brand, Begum Victoria. Begum Victoria was borne purely out of a passion for cheese and the desire to fill the void of offering great tasting cheese made in India which is not necessarily imported.
Manu is the curator for Diageo’s Craft Council, which is looking at incubating craft spirits with a distinctively Indian profile in their larger portfolio, by facilitating skill and talent by leveraging their vast experience and knowledge in the field. He is also a mentor for World Class, the world’s largest cocktail competition, also a Diageo IP.
Manu was seen at the 75th anniversary edition of the Festival de Cannes 2022 in the south of France, cooking the inaugural dinner for Indian luminaries, including the Union Minister, as well as running a unique catering offering with Single Thread at the official India Pavilion at Cannes – where much of his years of culinary thoughts came together as a comprehensive offering. Most recently, he was also invited to curate a series of cocktail receptions for one of India’s most prominent IT companies at the World Economic Forum at Davos in 2023.
Giving up years of hard work and equity are never easy, at a time when most careers peak and people tend to settle down. But Manu decided to part ways to forge an entirely new path that would challenge conventions yet again. In his goodbye note is the essence of his thought process through the lines of T.S. Eliot.
“What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.”
LUPA
Progressive thought, Global inspiration, Untamed imagination
Bengaluru, India, 2023: In the heart of Bengaluru’s iconic MG Road, blooms a fresh new world of food and drink. Weaving together classic European flavours with contemporary flair, an impressive repertoire of wines and inventive cocktails, Lupa (the first restaurant from Savaa Ser Pvt Ltd.), is the brainchild of critically acclaimed, chef-restaurateur Manu Chandra and hospitality veteran Chetan Rampal. Named after the mythological La Lupa, Italian for ‘the she-wolf’, who raised Romulus and Remus, the founders of the modern city of Rome, Lupa, unabashedly imbibes her untameable spirit. Rooted in the exploration of age-old artistry combined with modern ingenuity, Lupa is a tribute to the finest of European cuisine crafted with progressive thought combined with global and local inspiration. Served in a warm, open, comfortable, and meticulously detailed space that is stunning and comforting at the same time, Lupa is designed to be a truly one-of-its-kind dining experience.
The Space A timeless space nestled amidst Bengaluru’s urban chaos unravels as you walk through its gates, seamlessly juxtaposing pre-modern opulence with old world charm, layered in passionate detail waiting to be discovered. A beautiful interplay of a welcoming outdoor area, coupled with a rousing high-ceiling indoor dining area, the restaurant and bar seats two hundred and twenty covers. Meandering through, you find a two layered semi-private outdoor deck housing an interactive kitchen, pizzeria, and live grill reminiscent of a laid back, comfortable Tuscan country home. Descending from the outside deck through a narrow winding staircase is the country’s first and a one-of-its-kind below-ground Wine Cellar. The stone-clad cellar sits twelve feet below ground level, that has the capacity to hold a curated list of almost two thousand bottles of wine with an exclusive tasting zone, available only by prior appointment.
The inside dining area is a mix of subtle splendour, which is both comfortable and stylish. From the furnishings to the light fixtures to the dynamic seating that allows for entertaining and celebrating or just enjoying a quiet meal on a weekday evening, Lupa is perfect for any occasion. The indoor space is complete with two signature open pantries – a mini Gelato Lab and a Salumeria cum Small Plates Bar serving decadent and fresh offerings, that have been carefully crafted, using a myriad of techniques and craftsmanship to bring to customers a wholly fresh experience in taste as well as concept.
The raised bar, perched at one corner of the restaurant, opens to an outside bar deck providing ample opportunity for guests to experience an exciting beverage program and interact with talented mixologists. The pure brass counter-top, the stained veneer and the vintage mirror bar facade mixed with soft, art-deco lighting and warm-hued furnishings on comfortable, cushioned swivel bar stools, add an aura of distinct charm to the space.
The best vantage point of the restaurant is the private dining area on a mezzanine floor above the central dining room, flanked by two grand staircases. Seating twelve people on a large oval marble table atop beautifully handcrafted chequered stone flooring with gentle light washing the space and diners in softly textured hues, this truly makes a spectacular addition to the aura of Lupa. The interiors are designed by Bangalore-based architecture firm WDA led by Jatin Hukkeri and the branding identity has been conceptualised by the creative studio Holy Duck.
With a careful orchestration of sensory cues, one can experience the utter charm of dining amongst a rhythmic beat of guests, scents, clinking of cutlery, tipples, and conversations. The trickling of water from a few hand carved marble fountains against carefully curated ambient music, an intricate interplay of textures and furnishings enliven Lupa, adding a sense of unflinching grandiose to the fine-dining landscape of the country.
The Food
Lupa’s origin is rooted in the exploration of combining age-old artistry with modern ingenuity. Foraged from across the globe, the essence of Lupa transcends recurrent culinary boundaries replacing it with visceral imagination. While the menu is firmly rooted in a trans-European style it also celebrates sustainability, biodiversity, and a dynamic range of carefully honed culinary skills. With each seasonal menu, its deeply rooted innovative culture leaves much to be discovered with each visit. The menu is crafted for different occasions and guests looking for a supremely exclusive experience. The idea of dining at Lupa is an engaging affair, a culmination of multiple sensory experiences with epicurean innovations at its helm. Led by Culinary Director, Chef Prashanth Puttaswamy, who brings his expertise developed over twenty years, the cuisine at Lupa honours European flavours but with a keen eye on inventiveness and innovation. The offering includes Burratina – Creamy Burratina with Stracciatella on a vibrant, roasted & smoked pumpkin purée; haricot beans, charred corn and pickled carrots, sage chips, and a melon seed gremolata; Salmon Crudo – Norwegian prime sashimi grade Salmon loin, with a creamy yuzu, tobiko and crispy creamy garlic sauce. Order the Lupa Crab Cakes – a delicious spicy mix of lump and claw crab meat, flavoured with cayenne, jalapeño, mustard, and lemon zest, crusted in crunchy Kataifi pastry & seared. served on a mustard and horseradish remoulade with carrot kasundhi mayo. Another must try is the Butter Roasted Scallops- sweet Atlantic U20 scallops, pan roasted in butter and served on a smoked corn purée, pearl couscous, snow peas, puffed ragi flakes and a black garlic sauce.
Other notable dishes include the Roasted Bone Marrow with a citrus pepper paste, smoked house-made pastrami crumble, sourdough toast and herb salad; Crispy Lamb & Hummus comprising braised lamb and lentils stuffed in caramel spiced onion petals; topped with spicy lamb floss, served with pine nuts on a bed of creamy hummus and a side of Israeli pretzels. Also recommended is the Roasted Butternut Squash Gnudi, a vegetarian offering made with fresh buffalo milk ricotta and butternut squash gnudi, pan-seared and served on a creamy pumpkin Romesco sauce, with celery leaf and pine nut pesto, fried sage leaves, and toasted pepitas. A unique, fresh, vegetarian pasta dish on offer is the Cream Cheese And Caramelised Onion Agnolotti served on slow-roasted wild mushrooms, thyme and pepper, pecorino romano and long pepper sauce with fresh sage and arugula.
Lupa’s menu is a showcase of European fare that has been creatively reinterpreted. The talented team of chefs serves up reimagined dishes that include – Lamb Shoulder Barbacoa- spice rubbed and banana leaf wrapped whole kid lamb shoulder, very slow roasted in smoked chilli broth, spicy apricot chutney, and sumac-onions; served with a side of saffron flat bread. While the menu changes with the seasons, some dishes you might enjoy here include Lobster Risotto With Orzo – with pearl onions, lobster bisque and arugula cooked with creamy orzo and lobster morsels; finished with a garlic lobster butter and chilli crisp and Duck – pan-roasted confit duck leg, whole wheat pearl couscous, duck spiced croquette, roasted vegetables, and a red wine gastrique sauce. LUPA also delights in serving locally grown and raised ingredients in its contemporary take on Mediterranean fare. A Taste Of Bengaluru- filter coffee crémeux, Mysore Pak anglaise, cryo foxnut, raspberry, chocolate and chironji crumble; Tiramisu – served table-side with a shot of espresso and biscotti. Also on the menu is the 24 Layer Chocolate – thin moist layer of chocolate cake, served with vanilla bean gelato and pine nut praline, is a must order. A selection of fruit and chocolate-based Gelato is also on offer.
Sitting below the indoor private dining room, are the two unique and exciting pantries to experience. The first is a mini Gelato Lab, another first in India, making the hugely delicious style of Gelati called Stracciatella. Adjacent to the Gelato Lab is a Salumeria cum Small Plates Bar serving freshly sliced hams, cured meats, Salumis, Pâtés, Terrines, pickled vegetables, and fresh cheeses made especially for LUPA, along with a host of exciting small bites that encompass a range of Mediterranean flavours and cuisines as well as a wide selection of seafood. Besides these pantries, LUPA’s kitchen too has been designed to deliver consistent excellence time and time again.
The Bar
But the experience at Lupa is not just limited to contemporary European food indulgences! If you want to experience meticulous, masterful cocktails in a stirring atmosphere, Lupa’s bar is the perfect destination for drinks aficionados. The cocktail program is just as exemplary as the food – celebrating craft and demonstrating expertise in navigating complex flavour profiles including our own indigenous ingredients, science and a touch of dramatic flair saved for the glasses. The bar program caters to a wide array of palates, and includes Lupa Originals created by our own bar team with emphasis on home-made liqueurs, infusions, cordials and bitters, Renaissance Classics that blend history and Innovation into a single, unforgettable sip, Contemporary Blends that are avant- garde concocts from across the world, Switch Cocktails that are truly glamorous and perfect party drinks, G&Ts – a timeless classic with many different Lupa twists and Clarified & Fat-washed cocktails that are smooth with mellow lingering flavours. A program of international bartender residencies, and pop-ups continually keep its bar one of the best counters to be at. The program will also fold in Chef Chandra’s affiliations with leading spirits companies.
The Macario (The Blessing) is crafted with roasted & charred jalapeño-infused 51% Agave Tequila, salted grapefruit juice, fresh lime, & simple syrup, it’s our in-house take on the classic Paloma, with a spicy kick that sets it apart. Sip & savour the fiery zest of this Lupa Original. The House – a captivating blend of white rum, clarified oat milk, Totapuri mango, coriander & cardamom cordial, all brightened with fresh lime. This cocktail weaves local ingredients into a complex and intriguing harmony that’s sure to pique your curiosity. Another intriguing Lupa Original is the Lupita – a herbal, boozy and a fresh spin on classic ingredients, made with Pandan-infused white rum, fresh lime juice, simple syrup & wild spices tincture, making it a must try drink. De Flora draws inspiration from Assamese tribes’ rice beers, particularly Bora Saul – the rich flavoured Assamese sticky rice. De Flora features Hoegaarden Belgian Original Gin, toasted jasmine rice and ginger syrup with a touch of orange bitters. A unique starch from jasmine rice, paired with gin, pays homage to the Bihu festivities and the cherished traditions of bora saul beers. Try the Market Gimlet – perfect for every palate, this easy-going, technique-driven delight is sure to elevate your cocktail experience. This is a zesty combination of Hoegaarden Belgian Original Gin, oleo saccharum-assorted citrus peel & leaves with fresh lime. Azzuro, a one-of-a-kind cocktail, is made from hand-picked blue pea flowers infused with Stolichnaya vodka, vetiver tincture, citric acid, and tonic water. This unique creation boasts an earthy and dry profile, thanks to the absence of sugar & fresh lime juice.
Contemporary Blends include Paloma – a zesty and refreshing blend of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice, tequila, fresh lime juice, and a Lupa twist of jalapeno-infused agave topped with a sea-salt cloud. IL Cocco (My Darling)- concocted with vodka, muddled fresh apple, and rose, Vermouth, fresh lime juice and simple syrup, Gina Shakerato – with freshly pulled espresso, Kahlua and vodka shaken to a refreshing, frothy consistency. Perfect for coffee and cocktail lovers alike! The selection of clarified and fat-washed cocktails include Indian Summer – with coconut milk and fat washed gin, home-made curry leaf and triple sec cordial, Bacon Old Fashioned – a strong, aromatic cocktail with bacon fat-washed whiskey and bitters and Trinidadian – coconut wash Rum Old Fashioned with dark rum with orange peel. House special shrub infused Sangrias include Firenze White with fresh fruits, Clementine infused shrub, brandy and Chardonnay and Summer Sun comprising grapefruit and mixed fruits, rose infused shrub, brandy, and Cabernet Sauvignon. A selection of G&Ts available include Chittagong Zest – gin with house-made Gondhoraj and elderflower shrub and tonic water; Villa Rossa – gin with house-made rose, rhubarb and ginger shrub and Clementine & Lavender with its signature shrub.
LUPA’s bar program uses interesting ingredients paired with world-class spirits making for a perfectly executed cocktail list that you wish to sample frequently. But innovation and craft do not stop only at the bar, research and creativity have been applied into creating a non-alcoholic beverage offering too, complimented by an excellent coffee and tea program.
The whiff of a just stirred Negroni or a perfectly pulled espresso, the music, the lights, the coolness of stone balanced against the warmth of terracotta all make Lupa in equal measure a place where our guests can enjoy an indulgent evening, comfortable and satiated. With a warm and energetic vibe, our inviting bar is a great place for the finest crafted cocktails accompanied with an extensive and highly curated wine offering by leading wine experts and sommeliers. The selection of wines and spirits range from the finest international labels to Indian brands, offering something for everyone.
Behind the Scenes
The Kitchen: at Lupa is a two-tiered space in line with the quality of the restaurant it services, with a European style hot line on the lower level and ancillary production kitchens on a level above looking down into the main cooking line, allowing Chefs to keep a firm handle and eye on everything. Much like the restaurant’s interiors, the kitchen too has been built with a strong sense of flow, light, and overall aesthetics. Equipped with both traditional and state-of-the-art equipment, the kitchen at Lupa is geared to fulfil its goal of culinary excellence consistently.
Our Team
Over the last decade and a half, the team behind Lupa led by critically acclaimed Chef Manu Chandra and hospitality expert Chetan Rampal have created, conceptualised, and run brands that were not only unique in their concept and offering but have gone on to become benchmarks for the hospitality industry. LUPA is a confluence of not only the many years of learning and evolving of a remarkably talented, driven, and loyal team, but also a product of a deep-rooted understanding of a well-travelled and curious audience. It is a restaurant that aspires to be more than just a brick-and-mortar space.
Lupa is … An esoteric ode to history, a glaring reimagination of the present, and a foreword to the future; juxtaposing itself in the adventurous and ever-learning dining landscape of India. A confluence of all things unwitnessed yet unwittingly familiar, Lupa is designed to fit not into any singular silo.
Timing
Open daily /Mon to Saturday: Lunch: 12 noon- 3:30 pm / Dinner: 7:00 pm onwards
Friday
Switch: A night of entertainment & inventive cocktails with a new set of artists performing live 9 pm onwards. Sun: Lupino Sunday Brunch 12 noon- 4 pm
For Reservations
+91 87923 84999 / +91 87923 85999/ Email: reservations.Lupa@savaaser.com
Lunch
Average meal for 2 without alcohol: ₹ 2000; with alcohol: ₹ 3500
Dinner
Average meal for 2 without alcohol: ₹ 3000; with alcohol: ₹ 4500
The Company
LUPA is the first restaurant and bar owned by Savaa Ser Pvt Ltd. the restaurant arm of Manu Chandra Enterprises. Inspired by the old and presented in the new, restaurants by Savaa Ser will offer elevated and contemporary dining experiences in different new-age formats.
An experiential company that aims at redefining the traditional practices of hospitality businesses, Manu Chandra Ventures co-founded by the critically acclaimed Chef Manu Chandra & hospitality expert Chetan Rampal, takes a multidisciplinary approach by building a unique portfolio of brands and companies. Founded as the parent company, it currently houses the following brands under its umbrella: Savaa Ser – the restaurant arm, Single Thread the bespoke catering company that brings a refreshed paradigm to the concept of catering in an uninterrupted, thoughtful, and complete sequence. Holy Duck – a new-age creative studio that serves as a fully immersive branding, design, strategy, digital and video + content production collaborator. And Duality Concepts – a management and consulting company – brings together the dichotomy between ideation and execution for hospitality businesses with its in-depth expertise in concept, design, F&B, and operations.
LUPA
Ground Floor, Spencer’s Towers,
No. 86, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bengaluru- 560001
For Reservations, call: +91 87923 84999 / +91 87923 85999
Find us on @thelupagram