Why You Must Flock To Gourmet Food Festival 'World On A Plate'

We all had those childhood days when making a tasty sandwich felt like a professional accomplishment. Sadly, the weight of our wallets didn’t necessarily catch up to our gastronomical dreams—gourmet food as an adult always seems inaccessible. However, at Gold Rush’s World On A Plate (WOAP) festival, you can live your fantasies without compromising on budget. The country’s most premium gourmet festival is returning for its 5th edition, for the first time in the nation’s capital. Delhiites can not only enjoy delicious snacks at the venue but also attend masterclasses by some of the world’s best chefs, including the legendary Marco Pierre White.

The event is a platform to interact with some of the biggest names in the culinary industry and grab insider tips for gourmet food preparations. Marco Pierre White will present two master classes over the weekend at the festival—expect life experiences, tales of his kitchen years, and celebrity chef gossip. Additionally, you can delve into cooking techniques and trends showcased by well-known chefs like Ranveer Brar, Vinesh Johny, Sujan Sarkar, Abhishek Gupta and more of the like. 

At the event, you also have a chance to try the best of the city—pop-ups by sixteen of Delhi’s finest restaurants, including Kimono Club, Rooh, Plats, and Savya Rasa will offer their culinary creations at an affordable price.

With white tents sprawled across the venue and a background of soft music, the festival is  pleasing to the eyes, while remaining dedicated to its culinary roots. As the CEO of Gold Rush, Kiran Soans, says: “This festival is only about food. The chefs of Delhi, this is your festival.”  

If you visit on Sunday, you could be an audience member at the Restaurant Of The Year Awards, one of the most coveted in the country. The dishes will be judged by Pierre White live on the main stage at the Philips Taste Theatre. While speaking to OT about what he looks for in a dish, Pierre White said “Generosity, technical ability, and flavour. See, I’m not blinded by something pretty. Let’s move that. Let’s look at the heart of the dish.” The awards also have categories under People’s Choice. You can vote for your favourite restaurant on their official website. 

While the front of the festival flaunts fun and fame, it is also mindful of social welfare. World On A Plate, in association with HUG foundation, feeds meals to 1,00,000 underprivileged children every year. But according to Pierre White, more has to be done. Speaking of the social cause and his connection to it, he said “When I drove here, I couldn’t close my eyes and look away because what I saw was very sad. And the way to deal with the situation is to create opportunity and jobs. By creating a job, you are also educating and allowing them to earn money. It’s not as easy as just giving food. It’s comforting but there’s a bigger play here.”

While speaking of his adventures in the country, the restaurateur also added that India is the only country where he has not had one bad meal, and that he wishes to see Kashmir next. And when it comes to the event, he says one should ’come for the show’. “It is a jigsaw made of a lot of pieces. It gives people the opportunity to taste from different restaurants. So you get an insight”, he adds.   

World On A Plate will be hosted at DLF Avenue, Saket in New Delhi, from February 15 to 16, 2020.