In The Spotlight: The Naga Belly Story
From a small home kitchen to your table, here is a look at the recognition that motivates us to keep sharing the authentic flavours of Nagaland.
The award for Best Restaurant from The Big Forkers Mumbai 2024. This achievement is a reflection of my team's hard work and the incredible support from our customers.
A feature in Condé Nast Traveller with the headline "What's inside Naga Belly?". The article beautifully captured the essence of our fermented, fiery, and foraged foods.
Our feature in The Hindu, which described our small restaurant as a place that feels like a living room where we cook and feed you with genuine warmth. This is exactly the feeling I hope to create.
On stage receiving The Big Forkers 2024 award. A moment of pure gratitude and a testament to everyone who has been a part of our journey.
A quote from the Condé Nast Traveller review describing the experience of eating our juicy pork with red chutney and the fiery kick of Raja Mircha.
An excerpt from The Hindu article that tells our story: how we started from a home kitchen and source ingredients from our hometown to ensure the flavors are as close to home as possible.
A close-up of the metal plaque for The Big Forkers award. We are truly grateful for this honor.
Two of our team members celebrating with the award. This is for our entire Naga Belly family.
Our team posing with others at The Big Forkers award ceremony. A proud night for Naga cuisine.
Another shot from the stage as we receive our award. We are deeply honored.
About In The Spotlight
We started as a tiny home kitchen in Andheri during the pandemic, and honestly, we were terrified that the strong, honest aromas of our fermented ingredients would not find an audience. Seeing our work featured in publications like Condé Nast Traveller and The Hindu has been deeply humbling. This collection is not about us, it is about the community that gave our recipes a chance and turned a risky project into a home for Naga cuisine in Mumbai.
When we first started, we were genuinely embarrassed to cook our traditional meals in front of others because of the pungent smell of the Axone and bamboo shoots. We thought we might be judged for it. It turns out, we underestimated the curiosity of the people here.
Getting named the Best Restaurant by The Big Forkers in 2024 was a moment of pure gratitude for our team. It validated our decision to stick to our roots, sourcing everything from firewood-smoked pork to fresh Raja Mircha directly from our farmers in Nagaland.
Every article and award listed here serves as a reminder of why we do what we do. It is never about being fancy, and we are certainly not a fine-dining establishment. We are a three-table restaurant that aims to feel like a living room. Whether you are coming in for a bowl of smoked pork with bamboo shoot or just to understand the culture behind our fermented rice drinks, we hope you feel the same warmth we felt when we decided to share our home with you.
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