There are only a few places that are able to stand true to their name and Brooklyn Central is one of them, where you get into the New York vibe. One of the most loved places in Chandigarh, it offers a wide range of cuisines and an interesting interior design to be enjoyed with friends and family. Brooklyn Central comes across as a bustling eatery full of happy diners at all times of the day. Their menu is much like New York, a melting pot of different cultures. The menu has Gourmet Burgers, The Double Cheese Burger with its juicy lamb patty, which is a crowd favorite and so is the Moroccan Burger with tahini.
Mrs. Annu Bains has been in the Food Industry for a long time. Hence, on learning that Elante Mall was coming up and offering a space in the Courtyard, she decided to open Brooklyn Central in 2013. With its vast glass expanse with a view of the courtyard greens and the outdoor patio sitting it offers a unique dining experience.
The Inspiration
“American food was synonymous with fast food when we opted to start Brooklyn.
But we wanted to do Gourmet American cuisine with more emphasis on comfort food. We also wanted to do large portions which were very much evocative of the Food culture in America.”
– Mrs. Bains
Gourmet American is made fresh, using high-quality ingredients. The inspiration to open this venture came from traveling to America. They have also kept a lot of healthy options and took dishes from Vietnam, Mexico, and Italy. The interior design is done by the owner herself, who happens to be a well-known Interior Designer by profession. The design is inspired by The York Loft style look with its bare walls and metal conduits that Crisscross the walls and ceiling. The subway art and the metal pendant lights add to that vibe. Mrs. Bains says that it is trendy, cool, and laid back.
How to make it successful
Giving a lot of importance to details, Mrs. Bains ensures that the plating of the food is done well and the taste and quality of the food are perfect.
According to Annu Bains, a lot of hard work goes into running a restaurant. The taste and quality of food play a huge role. The plating of the food has to be on point and in today’s time, eminently Instagrammable. They use top-quality ingredients and top cuts of meat and their bread, buns, and desserts are made in our in-house bakery. Hence, they claim to have proper control over the freshness and quality.
Furthermore, the team at Brooklyn Central aims to support local people and local artwork. One could also see a range of drawings done by kids who visit the restaurant with their families. Calling it the toughest business to be in and yet it being addictive, Mrs. Bains believes that you are as good as the last meal anyone has had. Despite all the challenges, she loves her work.
“I read this book called Setting the Table by Danny Meyer and a quote stayed with me, ‘write a great last chapter’. That’s what I tell my staff. Everyone walking out of that door should walk out happy.”
– Mrs. Annu Bains
Food and Menu
The most essential part of running a restaurant is deciding what goes on the menu. They decided on their menu with help of their Consultants to set the first draft. But the menu one sees now has changed and evolved over the years with customer feedback and the new emerging trends in the food industry. The menu can never remain static. Mrs. Bains and her family are all foodies and each one has contributed to the menu. Ganeev Singh, son of Mrs. Annu Bains, has done his Masters in Hospitality and played a huge role in all aspects of menu engineering. The menu also has to reflect the world trends in food. The menu has to be constantly evolving and new dishes have to replace old ones to a certain ratio only. The crowd favorites always have to have pride of place in the menu.
“We follow world trends in food. It is really important,”
says Mrs. Annu Bains.
Trends that become popular, like the black burgers and freak shakes were first introduced in the city at Brooklyn Central. The proud founder states that running a restaurant is not a hit and trial method. It requires a lot of research in terms of trends and new ingredients.
Brooklyn Central also offers a seasonal menu; one can find their winter specials this month. The desserts are one of the most loved things on the menu and can also be found to be specific to the seasonal fruits. The menu also featured an array of shakes and smoothies as well as fresh juices. The hero was the wood-fired oven where apart from pizzas we finished a lot of our dishes with the smoked flavor of the wood fire.
A New Outlet
After successfully running the Elante Mall outlet for five years, Brooklyn Central opened another outlet in Sector 10, Chandigarh. The owner feels that despite a lot of people wanting them to open their venture at other places, finding a space with a lot of character is not easy.
“Lots of customers wanted us to open Brooklyn in a central sector. I loved the vibe of the Coal Depot Complex and we opened there in 2015. The menu was more concise and some new dishes were added keeping in mind the customer preferences and seasonal favourites like our Carrot cake with Salted Caramel Sauce.”
– Annu Bains
The Pandemic
To sustain the business, Brooklyn Central reduced the items on the menu and concentrated more on delivery. They are now almost back to their full menu and ensuring a safe dining experience. The owner herself is very particular about cleanliness and ensures that the premises are fumigated every night. It can also be noted that the washroom is cleaned after every use, and a person is specifically stationed for this work. They also believe in employee welfare in these tough times.
The road ahead!
Mrs. Bains intends to expand Brooklyn Central in the future and wants to work towards a sustainable environment.
“We are looking at future expansions at the right time. We are also looking at franchising with the right partner who shares our business ethos and I am also looking at more sustainable design in the future by using recycled materials.”
– Annu Bains
Their company in collaboration with their sister concern has planted more than 500 trees in Punjab and they intend to continue with it. They are currently working towards attaining medicinal herbs and plants to conduct giveaways for their customers. She wants to encourage people to work towards the same.
On their menu, one can find their winter specials, including Chicken Highbrow and various meals in a bowl. The Big Daddy Burrito Bowl is legendary and most ordered when at Brooklyn. Their Sangrias are very popular along with their mulled wine, which is their winter special. No American eatery is complete without its grills and steaks. Brooklyn has a live Steak section to woo its customers which are also available to be enjoyed!
