--- title: "In The Spotlight: Naga Belly's Award-Winning Naga Cuisine" description: "Discover the story behind Naga Belly, the award-winning restaurant bringing authentic Naga cuisine to Mumbai. Read about our journey and press features." canonical: https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/in-the-spotlight last_updated: 2026-02-23 --- # In The Spotlight: The Naga Belly Story Tribe Verified · Awarded Best Restaurant by Big Forkers 2024 By [Naga Belly](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly) · Events at our Andheri West restaurant & catering across Mumbai MMR · ₹1,200 Per Person (estimate) Part of [Catering & Special Events](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events). [View full gallery](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/gallery) 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. ## Photos and videos - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/1fbdfedf-d83c-4dbf-9b3a-84e2f5a5f38a) - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/baf8a019-d336-4b26-8b06-2250813a9255) - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/bf7c2de9-3164-44c2-b6b0-2b18080f5886) - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/697fbc90-ce9b-44fe-99a0-37d181a040aa) - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/286186b5-1aab-45be-9396-d3eaa361e28d) - ![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.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/5f59dfa9-da7c-463f-b0f2-c041fb8e3db9) - ![A close-up of the metal plaque for The Big Forkers award. We are truly grateful for this honor.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/599dd23a-4a43-4174-949c-22a29c079e48) - ![Two of our team members celebrating with the award. This is for our entire Naga Belly family.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/8c6710d9-46a5-4cc7-9053-5daa53ee984b) - ![Our team posing with others at The Big Forkers award ceremony. A proud night for Naga cuisine.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/dff93c10-5516-4c4f-ad17-d1fb828df583) - ![Another shot from the stage as we receive our award. We are deeply honored.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/fe2b8bf2-ccdd-45cd-84f9-5af4cd1dce68) - ![The Condé Nast Traveller article detailing our origins as a cloud kitchen started by childhood friends during the pandemic.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/5d7dc56e-e427-4167-8a5f-e73dd43da11f) - ![The review in Condé Nast Traveller noting our "no-frills spot" where the "food speaks for itself with bold, yet honest flavours."](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/eb5cf688-d662-4b58-8e07-0d5c48811396) - ![The article's mention of our Axone Chicken Wings, providing context on the ingredient and its cultural significance.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/0a9ea10b-05a9-42d9-bc2e-3bcd2738f9d8) - ![More from our story in The Hindu, explaining how our home kitchen grew into a small restaurant in Mumbai.](https://assets.mytribe.in/insecure/raw:1/plain/s3://mytribe-assets-production/546387d0-61b9-4566-a4bb-27ad7b2723f5) ## 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. ## About Naga Belly We are Aren and Juliet, childhood friends from Dimapur who decided to bring the flavours of our home to Mumbai. What began as a tiny kitchen project has grown into this space because you loved the food as much as we do. [See all of Naga Belly's services](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly) ## More from Catering & Special Events by Naga Belly - [Featured](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/featured) - [Our Signature Pork Dishes](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/our-signature-pork-dishes) - [A Taste of Tradition: Thalis & Full Meals](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/a-taste-of-tradition-thalis-full-meals) - [Chicken, Fish & More](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/chicken-fish-more) - [From the Hills of Nagaland: Our Ingredients](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/from-the-hills-of-nagaland-our-ingredients) - [Handcrafted Drinks & Ferments](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/handcrafted-drinks-ferments) - [Celebrations with Naga Belly](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/celebrations-with-naga-belly) - [Our Community & Friends](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/our-community-friends) - [Vegetarian & Lighter Fare](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/catering-special-events/vegetarian-lighter-fare) ## More services by Naga Belly - [Naga Cuisine Restaurant](https://mytribe.in/naga_belly/naga-cuisine-restaurant) ## Similar work from other experts - [In the Spotlight: Features and Collaborations](https://mytribe.in/everyaroma/culinary-workshops-food-tours/in-the-spotlight-features-collaborations) by Every Aroma · Culinary Workshops & Food Tours · Home workshops in Santacruz East & food tours across Mumbai - [A Cozy Slice of Northeast India in Versova](https://mytribe.in/thetasteofnortheast/dine-in-live-music/the-vibe-our-cozy-corner-in-mumbai) by The Taste of Northeast · Dine-In & Live Music · Visit our restaurant in Andheri West, Mumbai - [From Jama Masjid to Mumbai: The Story of Delhi Zaika](https://mytribe.in/delhizaikaofficial/mughlai-north-indian-restaurant/our-story-recognition) by Delhi Zaika · Mughlai & North Indian Restaurant · 4 Restaurant locations in Mumbai; Delivers across Mumbai - [Our Story: Bringing North Eastern Roots to Juhu](https://mytribe.in/singju.in/himalayan-pan-asian-specialties/our-story-vibe) by Singju · Himalayan & Pan-Asian Specialties · Dine-in at Juhu Tara Road or order delivery across Mumbai - [Behind the scenes with our kitchen](https://mytribe.in/naironfireindia/kerala-cuisine-catering/meet-the-chef-our-friends) by NairOnFire · Kerala Cuisine Catering · Catering services across Mumbai Metropolitan Area - [36 Years of Culinary Legacy and Recognition](https://mytribe.in/annapurnacaterers.in/specialty-catering-services/our-legacy-recognition) by Annapurna Caterers · Specialty Catering Services · Caters across Mumbai Metropolitan Area; Venue available at Andheri East ## Book To book Naga Belly, message mytribe on WhatsApp: [Chat on WhatsApp](https://wa.me/916360004054?text=Hi%2C%20I%20saw%20your%20'In%20The%20Spotlight'%20page%20and%20would%20love%20to%20visit%20Naga%20Belly.%20Are%20you%20open%20for%20a%20booking%20this%20weekend%3F)