G20 Summit in Delhi: Foreign dignitaries to see 'mix of Indian and Western cuisines', 'millets as an ingredient'

With only ten days left for the G20 Summit, hotels across New Delhi are gearing up to welcome the distinguished delegates and provide them with the highest quality of service. Many hotels have been planning for the event for months as foreign dignitaries will stay in the national capital for two days, PTI reported on Thursday.

“We have been planning it for months to come, right from getting the hotel decked up and right from the food and beverages, we are really on our A game,” Food and Beverage Director of hotel Le Meridien, Vineet Vadhera told PTI.

“We have devised a menu which we are running through the whole month till September 12 where we take dishes from all parts of India. Down south, far east, from Northern India and we are doing this in all our restaurants,” he added.

The foreign dignitaries will be living in various hotels across the city like Le Meridien, ITC Maurya, Taj Palace and Hotel Claridges among others.

Hotels are also trying to showcase the culture of India through the food they serve to the distinguished guests. As the world is celebrating the ‘International Year of Millets’, the restaurants of Taj Palace are going to mix millets in various recipes which will be served to the dignitaries residing in the hotel.

“For the dignitaries which are going to stay at our hotel, we have made a menu which is a mix of their culture and Indian cuisine. And as our Prime Minister Modi has asked to emphasise on the use of millets, so we have used millets in lots of dishes,” said the Master Pâtissier of the Taj Palace hotel, Chef Surendra Negi to ANI.

The heads of 20 member countries of G20 will visit New Delhi for the annual two-day summit on September 9-10. The authorities are leaving no stone unturned while preparing for the two-day global event.

The government has already announced a number of restrictions which will be in place from the midnight of September 7 and 8 till the morning of September 11. Public holidays have been declared in the national capital for three days, i.e, September 8 to 10. All markets, banks, financial institutions, commercial establishments will be closed.

Government and private offices as well as educational institutions will also remain closed for the three days.

Several meetings have been done to improve the security for the summit as more than 50 teams of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) will be deployed which amount to around 1,000 personnel. Authorities have also prepared 300 bullet proof vehicles.

Over 50 ambulances with sufficient medical staff will be stationed at the main venue and hotels where the delegates will reside. Ram Manohar Lohia hospital and All India Institute of Medical Sciences are also being prepared in case of an emergency.

A state-of-the-art medical facility with Intensive Care Unit (ICU) services has also been setup within the premises of Bharat Mandapam, main venue of G20 Summit. Chosen health officers from various public hospitals will be deployed there.