30 November 2022, MUMBAI: There are two things that the world hungers for: food and entertainment. When you get the best of both in one place, you are in seventh heaven. This is what happened to guests at the inauguration of Maati Nature Restaurant by Maati Nature Resort, which opened with a celebration of Marathi Athav Divas by Swamiraj Prakashan. Renowned Marathi poets, Ashok Naigoankar and Mahesh Keluskar regaled the guests with hilarious anecdotes and soul-stirring poems at the inaugural of the eco-friendly restaurant in Kankavli.
The inaugural, on a cold evening, warmed up with a love poem in Malvani by the glocal poet, Keluskar, who hails from Sindhudurg and has performed across the globe. Naigoankar Kaka, who at 75 is still 18 in his heart, made amusing observations about how women can be ruthless, if they choose to be so, by comparing their behaviour in the kitchen vis-à-vis men. Giving the example of curry leaves, he quips that while women think nothing of separating the leaves from the twig in one go and putting them in steaming oil, men will be gentler, peel them leaf by leaf, and include it gently into the dish during the cooking process. He quipped, “Have you seen them grating coconut? It’s like they are grating your heart out.” His quirky observations generated laughter among both women and men.
The restaurant was launched following the engaging jugalbandi of Naigoankar Kaka and Keluskar. Everyone present at the inaugural event got to enjoy authentic local Malvani food cooked on chulha (wooden fire) under the open sky.
Stating that the resort group’s policy is ‘Atithi Devo Bhav’, Sakshi Sawant, the owner of the resort, said, “As a theme-based restaurant, Maati Nature showcases an innovative menu and vibrant and quirky décor. It has also made room for ‘live barbeque sessions’ where guests can customize and make tandoors as per their taste. Foodies can also get to explore and satiate their tastebuds with iconic Konkan dishes – from Malvani chicken to kombdi vade, fish fry, prawn curries, and solkadi.”
The owner added, “Apart from the scrumptious local food, our restaurant also offers indoor and outdoor games as well as several selfie points for social media engagements. The enriching experiences out here will leave you with memories for a lifetime.”
Prominent doctors, lawyers, teachers, businessmen and politicians were spotted at the inaugural event of Maati Nature. They left quite impressed with the food and services at the unique eco-friendly and earthy resort and restaurant.