Goya’s debut weekend in Hyderabad was cosy, dreamy and full of great food. The late July rains meant a steady drizzle outside the soft lit windows of the Freedom Tree Store in Jubilee Hills, where we hosted A Taste of Shillong.

Freedom Tree, a brand we love collaborating with, brought warmth, colour and playfulness, as they set up a long community table full of flowers, lights and signature ceramics. As guests gathered around, sitting elbow-to-elbow on a table that creaked under the weight of a spectacular spread, we realised once again why food and community are at the heart of what we do at Goya.

To complete the evening, Stranger & Sons sent over their fantastic team to serve up 4 cocktails to pair with every course of the meal. Part of Third Eye Distillery, Goa, Stranger & Sons Gin is made with handpicked local spices, and is an ode to the spice boxes found in Indian kitchens.

At the heart of the experience was a journey through the cuisine and ingredients of the hills of Meghalaya. A family-style Khasi meal, cooked by sisters Daphimanroi and Dakiwanri, celebrated the fresh and unique flavours of Shillong. Khasi food is minimalist, and cooked with an elegant restraint, allowing the true flavours of each ingredient to shine through. The meal included deeply-beloved ingredients of Khasi cuisine, like black sesame, wild mushrooms, tree tomato and more, while introducing diners to new flavours and dishes, cooked using seasonal, and wild ingredients.