What is the story about?
Asha Bhosle is no more. The legendary playback singer passed away on Sunday, April 12, in Mumbai, breathing her last at the Breach Candy Hospital. The news
was confirmed by Dr. Pratit Samdani who attributed her death to multi-organ failure, caused by extreme exhaustion and a chest infection. Bhosle will forever be known as the voice of Bollywood, her loss, being extensively mourned by the industry. But there was also another expansive side to her persona - that of a restauranteur. The late singer took her love for food and feeding people global with her chain of eponymous restaurants across the globe - Asha's Restaurant. The name was as simple as her persona, but the profile of these restaurants reflect her larger-than-life vision.
How the Asha's Franchise Came to Be
Bhosle's childhood was a colourful one. She was part of a travelling family theatre company, something which informed her varied palette and culinary inclinations. While the Dubai pin code is the most well-known of the franchise, Asha's boasts of 14 locations across 5 countries and 2 continents - a perfect testament to her genius with flavours. Besides Dubai's Wafi City, Asha's has a home in Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Birmingham, Kuwait and Qatar. Asha's' menu is a personal collection of the singing legend's much-loved recipes which she grew to love over the years. The influences span from roadside eateries to royal kitchens with a heavy hand of inspiration from North West Indian flavours.Her Memoir on a Plate
The only rule of thumb at Asha's, is that of indulgence, albeit with a rustic nostalgia to it. A peek into the menu's top picks, as listed on the restaurant's official website, are a velvety dal makhni, armoatic murgh malai kebabs, spicy Keralan chili garlic prawns and a saffron-infused lamb kesar biryani. The Muscat gosht gets a special place of mention, inspired from her travels to Oman.Moving on to beverages, an in-house international mixologist serves up innovative sips which honour the magic of Indian ingredients such as cardamom, clove, rose jam, Assam and Darjeeling tea and jaggery.
As per a Gulf News report, in the wake of Bhosle's death, Asha's has temporarily closed its doors as a mark of honour to its founder, who clearly will live on in memory, for more reasons than one.
