- The Culinary Lounge presents two-day culinary showcase Kakatiya à la Française
- Exclusive preview introduces a larger mission to take Telangana’s culinary heritage to Europe
- Chef Michael Swamy uses Telangana ingredients and dishes and reimagined them using French techniques
- Director Alliance Francaise Hyderabad Maud Miquau, restaurateurs and chefs Shankar Krishnamurthy, Kavitha Mantha, artist Priyanka Aelay, Zishta Founder Meera Ramakrishnan attended the event
- Two day event on 26th and 27th include workshops and ticketed dinners curated by French Chef Michael Swamy, and culinary curator Mugdha Sudhir
- Zishta Experience Centre was launched
- Senior artist Laxman Aelay’s special showcase of Poolamma series will be
The Culinary Lounge, which has long worked as a culinary accelerator for Telangana’s food traditions, local ingredients, producers and culinary enterprises, is taking the next step in its mission to position Telangana cuisine on the global stage with “Kakatiya à la Française“, an immersive culinary and cultural initiative that begins in Hyderabad and looks toward Europe.
Kakatiya Flavours Reimagined à la Française
Conceived as the first chapter of the larger “Telangana to the World, Beginning with Europe” initiative, Kakatiya à la Française seeks to create a distinctive and exportable culinary identity for Telangana by interpreting its rich food heritage through the lens of French gastronomy and the French art de vivre with Chef Michael Swamy culinary storyteller, chef, photographer creating a French six course menu that uses Telangana food and ingredients.
The initiative draws inspiration from the growing cultural partnership between India and France and the centuries-old historical relationship between Hyderabad and France. It reimagines Telangana’s grains, indigenous produce, forest ingredients and culinary traditions in a contemporary format that can resonate with international audiences while remaining deeply rooted in the state’s cultural identity.
Speaking on the occasion, “The world knows Telangana’s IT. It’s time it knew our regional food. We’re taking a thousand-year-old kakatiya cuisine to the global stage , starting in France and we’re only getting started. Great regional cuisines don’t go global by accident , someone has to carry them there and we’re starting in France. This is the first chapter of taking our heritage to Europe and beyond.” shares Gopi Byluppala, Founder & CEO, The Culinary Lounge
These experiences serve as a working model for how Telangana’s culinary heritage can be interpreted for global audiences and eventually carried to France and wider Europe through cultural exchange, culinary diplomacy and experiential tourism, he adds.
Special Chief Secretary HMDA Jayesh Ranjan stressed on the importance of such culinary conversations. “Telangana’s heritage is one of our greatest strengths, and our cuisine is among its most powerful ambassadors. Initiatives like Kakatiya à la Française show how our food, art and culture can take their rightful place on the global stage and we welcome efforts that carry Telangana’s identity to the world while creating opportunity for our artisans, farmers and young entrepreneurs at home.”
From Hyderabad to Reims: Telangana Goes Global
The preview that was held at the venue was a sneak peek into The Culinary Lounge and Michael Swamy’s exploration of local cooking and ingredients. Chef Michael Swamy served Crackers, Chekkalu, Pindi Vadiyalu, Sago Poppadums and local savoury crisps on the cheese plate that along with the French cheeses had the figs and mangoes on the side, and dips included Red Pepper Walnut Chili Dip, mahua chilli jam. There was also fish fingers marinated in mustard inspired by Uppava and crumb fried, Smoked Gongura Chicken Pate, Mushroom Vol-au-Vent, Puff pastry cases filled with a mixed mushroom filling inspired by kobbari muttilu.
“It’s about bringing the flavour, I want to showcase it to a different palette, giving it to a more wider audience, and that is what I’m wanting to do,” shared Michael Swamy.
The preview marked the launch of the Zishta Experience Centre, highlighting traditional wisdom and indigenous culinary practices translated to copper, brass, tin and stone utensils. Senior artist Laxman Aelay will present a special showcase of Poolamma, bringing together visual art and cultural memory as part of the larger storytelling experience.
Over the next two days, the initiative will continue through a series of workshops and curated dining experiences.
Workshops on June 26th & 27th
On June 26, Chef Michael Swamy will conduct “Reading Light”, a food media workshop focusing on food styling and photography using the Canon EOS R50V, exploring the role of visual storytelling in contemporary food culture.
On June 27, “Edible Canvas” will bring together food and art as guests work with Chef Michael Swamy and artists to transform Telangana ingredients, sauces and herbs into edible artistic expressions.
Kakatiya Roots & Ramappa to Reims
The culinary experiences continue with two specially curated dinners. “Kakatiya Roots” on June 26 presents an immersive journey into the traditions of Siddipet, where local Telangana ingredients are interpreted through French culinary techniques by Chef Michael Swamy. On June 27, “Ramappa to Reims” brings together Adilabad culture and French culinary traditions for dinner by Chef Michael Swamy.
The Culinary Lounge envisions this as the beginning of a continuing journey that will take Telangana’s food stories, ingredients, chefs and cultural traditions to international audiences, creating new opportunities for tourism, heritage preservation, rural livelihoods and global recognition for the state’s culinary legacy.
About The Culinary Lounge
The Culinary Lounge is a Hyderabad-culinary experience centre and Lead for Telangana Culinary Accelerator.
The Culinary Lounge works towards revisiting and documenting Telugu cuisine and has travelled 30,000 km across Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The focus is on promoting Telangana’s food, heritage, indigenous ingredients, local producers and culinary talent through experiences, research and storytelling. Over the past year, it has increasingly championed hyperlocal Telangana cuisine, creating platforms that bring regional food traditions to wider national audiences.
Earlier this year, Gopi Byluppala, Founder, The Culinary Lounge was invited to the launch of India-France Year of Innovation 2026 in Mumbai by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. He has also participated in international conversations, including engagements in the Netherlands, exploring the role of regional cuisines in cultural exchange and tourism.
These experiences have shaped the latest initiative, “Telangana to the World, Beginning with Europe,” which seeks to position Telangana’s cuisine and ingredient heritage on global platforms through culinary diplomacy, cultural exchange and storytelling.
