Learn your pasta before you eat; Indian Accent’s new tasting menu

Hello,

After the US equity markets, US President Donald Trump’s tariffs have now come for the US bond market, and it is scaring a lot of people. 

While traditionally investors have turned to US debt as a safe haven during tumultuous times, things are changing now with China and Japan appearing to be selling Treasurys amid the heightened trade tensions.

According to CNBC, the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield advanced 9 basis points to 4.486%. This week alone, the 10-year yield has risen more than 50 basis points after ending last week around 4%, marking one of the biggest spikes on record.

So, how does the US bond market work? Here’s an explainer for you. 

Amidst this intensifying trade war, the dollar, already on course for its worst year since 2017, plunged to a decade-low against the Swiss franc and dropped to its weakest level against the euro in more than three years, Reuters reported.

Back home in India, UPI and WhatsApp were down for several users. With UPI, however, this is the third instance in less than a fortnight.

ICYMI: OpenAI’s ChatGPT becomes the world’s most downloaded app, leaving behind Instagram and TikTok!

Lastly, check out the countries with the highest concentration of AI talent globally. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Learn your pasta before you eat
• Inside Zoho’s marketing strategy
• Indian Accent’s new tasting menu

Here’s your trivia for today: Which countries share the island of Borneo with Indonesia?

Wine and Food

Learn your pasta before you eat

At CASA Pasta Bar, Delhi’s first pasta and jazz bar, helmed by Chef Sambhavi Joshi, guests can order from a range of handcrafted pastas—gigli, ziti, tortellini, pappardelle, and more. Apart from an extensive menu dedicated to pasta, CASA also aims to educate people about the different varieties available. 

“During my three-year tenure at Le Cirque, I truly fell in love with artisanal pasta, all varieties and flavours. Later, having spent a year studying the nuances of culinary management in Paris, and working alongside traditional Italian chefs, the desire to offer real pasta to the Indian palate grew,” says Joshi.

Love for pasta:

• At CASA, before you choose your order, a server brings a beautiful rattan box containing pastas of different shapes and sizes. “The pasta box… creates awareness about the different shapes of pasta beyond the commonly known penne, fusilli and spaghetti.”
• Nutrition is another aspect that Chef Joshi wants to incorporate in her offerings. Through artisanal pasta brand Casarecce, her first company, she has been trying to break the stereotype that pasta is unhealthy. 
• The menu at CASA offers a mix of traditional preparations and some modern interpretations. There are classic pasta preparations like carbonara, pomodoro and lamb ragu. Alongside, there’s charcoal fettuccine with a pan aglio e olio and a green goddess ravioli—a vegetable-forward pasta dish.

Entrepreneurship

Inside Zoho’s marketing strategy

From a tiny godown tucked away in Chennai’s Velachery to becoming a global SaaS powerhouse—Zoho's transformation is an entrepreneurial fairy tale. Behind its global success and unmistakable visual identity stands Raffic Aslam, former Creative Director at Zoho. 

Aslam recently joined the Prime Venture Partners Podcast, unraveling remarkable anecdotes and insightful lessons from his two-decade journey shaping Zoho’s identity. Here are some of the compelling insights from his story.

Key takeaways:

• Few know that Zoho’s vibrant, globally recognised logo was born in just 15 seconds. As Aslam recalls, the initial design was casually approved by founder Sridhar Vembu in a pantry encounter. 
• One powerful insight, Aslam shares, challenges how startups perceive branding. “Branding isn’t about spending millions on ad campaigns,” he emphasises. Instead, he defines branding as authentic storytelling, understanding one's core identity, and communicating unique convictions clearly to customers. 
• He advises startups to proudly embrace their cultural roots: “Your unique origin is an asset, not a limitation. Let it shape your narrative authentically.”

Wine and Food

Indian Accent’s new tasting menu

Since the first Indian Accent opened in 2009 at The Manor, New Delhi, it has changed the perception of Indian cuisine globally. Through its inventive approach, the ‘modern Indian restaurant’ was able to shatter stereotypes and spotlight indigenous dishes, going beyond the quintessential chicken tikka masala or tandoori food. 

Chef Shantanu Mehrotra may be a man of few words, but his achievements in the kitchen have so much to say. This time around, with his first tasting menu at The Lodhi, New Delhi, he has played with lesser-known ingredients while staying true to the restaurant’s ethos. 

India on a plate:

• At first glance, the seven-course menu appears to have a mix of chaats, small plates, and some signature dishes that have always been a part of the menu. However, when you sample the dishes, it makes one realise there's a world of edible stories waiting to be discovered. 
• Whether it's the small plates or the mains, Indian Accent ensures experimenting with flavours without being gimmicky. Chef Shantanu also points out that one can't present ‘mish-mash’ in the name of fusion food.
• “Falling into the trap of trends is easy, and so many restaurants do it. While you eat with your eyes first, and at many places, presentation is all that matters, but you can't bank on it. The taste will always matter. When you eat, you should be happy with the food. Your senses must feast,” Chef Shantanu says.

News & updates

• Deal: Argentina sealed a $20 billion, 48-month Extended Fund Facility deal with the IMF and, in a major policy move, dismantled key parts of its years-long currency controls and loosened its grip on the peso. The IMF will disburse $12 billion by next Tuesday, while another $2 billion will be available by June.
• Funding: Alphabet and Nvidia have joined prominent VC investors to back Safe Superintelligence, a startup co-founded by OpenAI's former chief scientist, Ilya Sutskever, which has quickly risen to become one of the most valuable AI startups months after its launch.
• Crypto: Binance executives last month discussed loosening government oversight of the company and asked US Treasury officials to remove a US monitor overseeing its compliance with anti-money-laundering laws, while exploring a business deal with President Donald Trump’s crypto venture, World Liberty Financial, the Wall Street Journal said.

Which countries share the island of Borneo with Indonesia?

Answer: Malaysia and Brunei.

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