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Business News > Mint Authors > Smitha Menon

Smitha Menon

Lounge Columnist

Smitha Menon is a food and travel journalist and the creator and host of Big Food Energy, a podcast highlighting innovative food businesses across India and the world. Smitha is India’s only 50 Best Taste hunter for the World's 50 Best Restaurants, bars & hotels. Previously, she served as Culinary Editor at Condé Nast Traveller India, where she established the F&B vertical there and launched acclaimed properties like India's Top Restaurant Awards.

ARTICLES BY SMITHA MENON

Jenga blocks at Kaspers, Mumbai. (Kaspers Mumbai)

What dining out looks like in 2026

4 min read . 27 Dec 2025

Tiramisu at LUPA Bengaluru; and (right) SUBKO.

Why everybody wants tiramisu and where to find the best tiramisu

5 min read . 28 Nov 2025

Avartana's signature French-pressed tomato 'rasam'.

As buzzy restaurants top eating-out lists, have luxury hotels fallen behind?

11 min read . 14 Nov 2025

Team Mokai, Mumbai.

Restaurants make microdramas to spotlight the people behind their food

4 min read . 26 Oct 2025

Several organisations work with the underprivileged to fight hunger and malnutrition. (istockphoto)

This festive season, spread the joy of food

4 min read . 28 Sept 2025

In the Pixar classic Ratatouille, Anton Ego is a harsh food critic.

What is the point of a restaurant review?

4 min read . 31 Aug 2025

A spread at the cutting-edge bar and restaurant Faro inside the Museum of Old and New Art.

Is Tasmania the best-kept culinary secret of Australia?

6 min read . 09 Aug 2025

Boilermaker in Goa; and (right) a cocktail from Soka Bengaluru.

The secret sauce of an award-winning bar

5 min read . 25 Jul 2025

Kids growing up in hospitality are cultivating a toolbox of skills. (istockphoto)

What parenthood brings to hospitality

4 min read . 29 Jun 2025

Izumi’s Monaka (left); and The Table’s Jersey Creme Caramel.

You're in for a sweet surprise with new-age dessert menus at restaurants

5 min read . 25 Apr 2025

Dig into your own lexicon of smells, tastes and experiences to describe wines. (Istockphoto)

When a wine tastes like an ‘old sari box’

5 min read . 29 Mar 2025

A traditional Marathi meal served as part of Great State & Black Swan’s Aurangabad trip. ( courtesy Nakul Bhosle)

Travel to find local, lesser-known food cultures in India

5 min read . 21 Feb 2025

People will seek dining experiences that don't intimidate or overwhelm. (Istockphoto)

Ins and outs of dining in 2025

5 min read . 25 Jan 2025

Food can unlock new cultures in meaningful ways. (Istockphoto)

Flavoured snow and the best meals of 2024

4 min read . 27 Dec 2024

Warmth and attention to detail are key to a restaurant’s service. (Istockphoto)

What is the secret sauce of a restaurant's success?

5 min read . 29 Nov 2024

Chef Manu Chandra. (Photo by Nishant Ratnakar)

When chefs don the entrepreneur's hat

10 min read . 01 Nov 2024

Private dining offers a blank slate, from menu to decor to format. (Istockphoto)

Diwali 2024: Fancy a private chef for your house party?

5 min read . 27 Oct 2024

There’s more to Vegas than casinos; and (right) chilli oil dimsum at Shang Artisan. (Photo courtesy: David Lusvardi, Unsplash (left); Smitha Menon)

The culinary delights of Las Vegas

5 min read . 28 Sept 2024

Krishna Phal at Avatara.

When art meets food on a plate

5 min read . 30 Aug 2024

Opt for a bunch of small plates to cater to various food preferences. (Istockphoto)

Master the art of ordering for a large table

5 min read . 28 Jul 2024