14 Leading Hospitality Brands come together for Chef’s Table Showdown 2.0 at Karma Lakelands
Gurugram : Karma Lakelands, the 270-acre eco-golf resort in Gurugram, successfully hosted the second edition of Chef’s Table Showdown 2.0 on 24 July 2026, bringing together 31 chefs and mixologists from 14 leading hospitality brands for a live culinary competition. Building on the success of its inaugural edition, which showcased the resort’s in-house culinary talent, this year’s event expanded into a large-scale inter-hotel showdown, where participants competed in a test of creativity, technical skill and innovation.
Hosted at Klub Karma within the resort, the invitational brought together culinary talent from some of the country’s most recognised hospitality brands, including JW Marriott New Delhi Aerocity, Karma Lakelands Golf Resort & Residences, The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi, Le Méridien Gurgaon Delhi NCR, DoubleTree by Hilton Gurgaon New Delhi NCR, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar, Pullman and Novotel New Delhi Aerocity, Crowne Plaza by IHG New Delhi Rohini, Holiday Inn Gurgaon NH8, The Suryaa New Delhi, Hilton Gurugram Baani City Centre, and Holiday Inn New Delhi Aerocity. The competition featured appetisers, main courses, desserts and beverages, showcasing diverse culinary styles, techniques and perspectives under one roof.
All raw ingredients for the competition were provided by Karma Lakelands, featuring premium produce, seasonal ingredients, farm-inspired elements and ingredients from partner brands, ensuring every participant competed with the same pantry. To add an unexpected creative twist, one special mystery ingredient, plum, was revealed only on the morning of the competition and was mandatory across all entries. Chefs and mixologists were challenged to incorporate the ingredient into their dishes and beverages in their own unique way, showcasing their creativity, adaptability and technical expertise.
Commenting on the second edition, Akash Saigal, General Manager, Karma Lakelands, said, “Hospitality is an industry built on ideas, yet there are not enough opportunities for culinary professionals to come together, compete and learn from one another in a meaningful way. With Chef’s Table Showdown 2.0, our aim is to create that shared platform, one where chefs and mixologists can step outside their everyday environments, challenge their own thinking and experience how the same ingredients can inspire entirely different creative expressions. As the industry continues to evolve, we believe this kind of exchange is essential to pushing standards forward and inspiring the next generation of hospitality talent.”
The competition featured vegetarian and non-vegetarian creations across appetisers, main courses and a dessert category, alongside alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Judging focused on culinary excellence, rewarding dishes and beverages that combined exceptional flavour, innovation, presentation and conscious use of ingredients.
The competition concluded with the announcement of seven winners and seven runners up across the culinary and beverage categories. In addition, four Members’ Choice awards were presented to participants whose creations were voted as audience favourites. Entries were evaluated by a distinguished jury comprising acclaimed chefs Julia Carmen Desa, Chef and Co-founder, Dos and Tres, Arjyo Banerjee, Chief Culinary Officer, Compass Group India and Sadaf Hussain, Consultant Chef and Author, who assessed each creation for its creativity, craftsmanship, technical execution and overall culinary excellence.
Beyond the live competition, the day also featured a panel discussion on The Future of Culinary Excellence moderated by Tenzing Wang, bringing together Chef Anurag Narsinghani, Director of Culinary, JW Marriott Aerocity, Dr. Shivani Mehra, Clinical & Certified Nutritionist, Akash Roy Saigal, General Manager, Karma Lakelands and Chef Susanna Di Cosimo, Founder, Pizzeria Da Susy for a conversation around the ideas, shifts and perspectives shaping the future of the hospitality industry.
Chef’s Table Showdown 2.0 was supported by a distinguished group of partners and sponsors, including Xclamation by Pernod Ricard, No Belly, Cashmir Vodka, Medusa, ODK, Ristoris, Shot in the Dark, Pant Project, King Koil, Feather Touch Crockery, FNS, Tribe Kombucha, Uniforms Unlimited, the Australian Macadamia Society, Elevans, Leahmana, Paris, Paris Martban, Pepsi and EVENTZ4U, whose contributions helped bring the event to life.
