This 3 day food carnival brings together homes chefs and gastronomes at Bandra

Bohri thaal by Riot of Flavours. Pics Courtesy/Instagram

They might not run fancy restaurants, boast of flashy marketing strategies or wear starched white coats, but home chefs sure know how to whip up a delicious feast. In Mumbai, as in several other metros, an underground community of home chefs is growing stronger, often going beyond the tried-and-tasted. Amid the pause and play of lockdown restrictions, Leeann Dsouza and Divya Rani, who were shuttling between Bengaluru and Mumbai, discovered a range of such local tastemakers, offering everything from elaborate cheese grazing boards to house-cured meats and East Indian meals. Realising that the only way to access this community, and their eclectic treats, was through word-of-mouth recommendations, they decided to join forces to set up an app - The Nommers - that shines a light on home chefs of Mumbai and Bengaluru.

A previous pop-up by the platform

"They offer home food that's healthy and as good as restaurant quality. The idea is to create a community of home chefs and connect them to diners who want to try something new," explains Dsouza. Nommaste, their upcoming home-cuisine and beverage community festival, is an extension of their mission to empower home chefs. "We want home cuisine to stand out. Nommaste was born to give these home chefs a platform to showcase their skills to a larger network of diners, who can come taste their food, interact with them and hopefully, come back and order from them again," shares Rani. The three-day carnival in Bandra will bring together over 40 live food stalls by local tastemakers, 10 food and lifestyle products counters run by home entrepreneurs, apart from bars, games and music. Check out The Guide's top three picks:

A Christmas-themed cheese platter by Pams Recipe Ritual

1 Feast away: From claypot dishes by Bhutu's Kitchen, artisanal cheese platters by Pams Recipe Ritual, pastrami sandwiches by Del'z Kitchen and pies and quiches by House of Jamiama to a seafood bar by F&H Seafood, smoked meats and cheese by Smoke by the Sea, artisanal ice-creams by The Blue Gourmet and Caro, and Bohri thaal by Riot of Flavours - there's much to tuck into. Pickle-lovers, stock up on varieties that include Rajasthani versions by Budhram Rajasthani pickles as
well as East Indian versions by Cozinha.

Bhutu's Kitchen will showcase claypot delicacies

2 Tune in: In sync with their focus on local, the festival's musical line-up includes homegrown artistes such as Mousumi Datta, Mohit Mukhi, Second Sight, Swadesi Movement, along with a queer curation by the Gaysi Family, which includes Jayson Arland, Ruhdabeh and Jhalli.

3 Drink up: Pair the assortment of bites with custom-made cocktails, ice cold shots, niche spirits and wine with home-made cheese, barbecue and bourbon, tacos and tequila, and more at bars run by popular alcohol and alco-bev labels.

Divya Rani and Leeann Dsouza

On: January 13 to 15; 5 pm to 12 am
At: D'Monte Park Recreation Club, D'Monte Park Road, Bandra West
Log on to: @the.nommers or insider.in
Cost: Rs 299 onwards