Chef Sweety Singh Sweety Da Swad at MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport

Butter-slicked memories, slow-simmered emotions, and the unmistakable aromatic smell of desi ghee rising straight from the heart of Punjab, Chef Sweety Singh doesn’t merely cook food; he cooks nostalgia. Each dish is a heartfelt story, steeped in the comfort, warmth, and timeless magic of dadi aur mummy ke haath ka khana, where every bite feels like home, love, and a lovingly guarded family secret.

At a special pop-up from February 20- March 1, 2026 at MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport, Chef Sweety’s specially curated Sweety Da Swad is a soulful thali of delicious food, shaped by family rituals, Partition-era resilience, and a lifelong romance with honest Punjabi cooking. Each dish carries the imprint of instinct rather than instruction… where masalas are blended by memory, gravies are crafted individually, and swad takes precedence over showmanship.

From crisp Dilli 6 Aloo Tikki to indulgent Makhanwalla Kukkad, Chef Sweety’s culinary philosophy is rooted in the warmth of ‘dadi aur mummy ke haath ka khana‘… food that comforts before it impresses, nourishes before it dazzles.

His pop-up Punjabi spread at MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport redefines indulgence through restraint, authenticity through refinement, and luxury through emotion. Here, Punjabi food sheds its “heavy” stereotype to reveal a lighter, more soulful avatar… rich in flavour, honest in intent, and deeply personal in spirit.

Here, in an exclusive interview, Chef Sweety Singh talks to Sumita Chakraborty, Founder & Editor-in-Chief, TheGlitz, about his pop-up at MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport, memory, masalas, and why the truest swad always comes from the heart.

Over To Chef Sweety Singh

Sweety Da Swad feels deeply personal. How did it start? What memories of Punjab kitchens, flavours, or family rituals most strongly inspired this menu?

Sweety Da Swad began from a very personal place — my family’s Partition journey and my father’s deep love for food. After moving from Punjab to Delhi, he earned his living through cooking, and even when diabetes caused him to lose his eyesight, his passion never faded. He could identify any dish just by its aroma.

Growing up around that inspired my own love for this profession. For me, Punjabi food is simply dadi aur mummy ke haath ka khana — comforting, honest, and full of warmth. Those memories and flavours are what shaped the menu at Sweety Da Swad, and what I try to bring to every dish I cook.

Punjabi food is often associated with indulgence. How did you balance authenticity with refinement while curating dishes for a premium hotel setting like Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport’s MoMo Café?
Punjabi food is often labelled indulgent, but for me, true authenticity lies in how thoughtfully it’s made. Traditional Punjabi cooking uses desi ghee and hand-blended masalas, added not by measurement but by instinct and understanding of the dish.

At Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport’s MoMo Café, my approach was to keep that soul intact while refining the experience. Every gravy is crafted differently — there are no shortcuts and no “one-gravy-fits-all” approach. Each base is prepared with desi ghee, freshly ground masalas, and ingredients that stay true to Punjabi flavours.

From Dilli 6 Aloo Tikki to Tandoori Bharwan Gucchi, how do you decide which traditional dishes deserve a contemporary twist and which should remain untouched?

I choose dishes based on the emotional and cultural weight they carry. Classics like Dilli 6 Aloo Tikki or Tandoori Bharwan Gucchi deserve to be showcased because they represent the flavours of Delhi and Punjab. The wide buffet at MoMo Café lets me bring these roots to the forefront, sometimes in their pure traditional form, and sometimes with a subtle contemporary touch, depending on what best honours the dish.

Many of your dishes celebrate bold ingredients like mandi garlic, kalmi spinach, and organic white makhan. How important is ingredient sourcing in telling the true story of Punjabi cuisine today?

Ingredient sourcing is deeply personal to me because these are the same ingredients we grew up eating every day in Punjab. Mandi garlic, kalmi spinach, organic white makhan—these flavours are part of my childhood, my home, and my family. They bring an honesty to the food that simply can’t be replicated with substitutes.

Even the masalas I use come from my father’s recipes. They’re a piece of him, a reminder of where I come from, and they keep every dish rooted in real Punjabi tradition. For me, using authentic ingredients isn’t just about taste… it’s about telling the true story of our cuisine with every plate.

Punjabi dining is as much about emotion as it is about flavour. What feeling do you hope guests carry with them after experiencing Sweety Da Swad nostalgia, comfort, or discovery?

Punjabi dining is all about emotion, and that’s exactly what I want guests to feel at Sweety Da Swad. As Punjabis, we’re large‑hearted and cook straight from the heart—we don’t overthink it, we just give everything we have.

Flavour varies from person to person, but swad comes from honesty. I focus on making food that’s comforting yet light: no preservatives, only raw and natural ingredients, desi ghee, my own blended masalas, and gravies prepared individually rather than from one base. People often assume Punjabi food is heavy or causes acidity, but I want to change that perception.
The feeling I want guests to take back is a blend of nostalgia and comfort—with a pleasant surprise that Punjabi food can be soulful without being overwhelming.

The menu works beautifully across both dinner and brunch formats. How does your approach change when designing a Punjabi spread for a leisurely brunch versus a high-energy dinner service?

Punjabi food feels at home at any time of the day because it carries comfort and familiarity. At MoMo Café, the focus is always on the guest and on delivering real swad through honest cooking — with desi ghee, freshly prepared masalas, and ingredients that stay true to tradition.

Whether it’s a relaxed brunch or a lively dinner, the intention remains to serve food that brings warmth, nostalgia, and satisfaction, with flavours built from scratch so every dish feels rich yet easy to enjoy.

Looking ahead, how do you see regional Indian comfort food evolving in modern hospitality spaces, and where does Punjabi cuisine fit into that future narrative?

Having spent over three decades cooking Punjabi food at festivals and hotels, I’ve seen regional Indian comfort cuisine move toward simplicity, honesty, and stronger regional identity. For me, the future is about staying true to roots—using raw ingredients, desi ghee, and hand‑blended masalas instead of modern shortcuts like kaju paste or khoya. Punjabi cuisine fits naturally into this evolution because it’s diverse, comforting, and has something for everyone. As long as the cooking stays authentic and from the heart, Punjabi food will continue to thrive in modern hospitality spaces and remain a guest favourite for its warmth, familiarity, and straightforward flavours.

TheGlitz Verdict

Chef Sweety Singh cooks from the heart… and it shows. His food is unapologetically Punjabi, rich with nostalgia, warmth, and depth, yet polished enough for a luxury dining canvas. Every dish feels personal, soulful, and rooted in tradition, proving that when technique meets emotion, comfort food can be quietly spectacular.

Sweety Da Swad at MoMo Café, Courtyard by Marriott Mumbai International Airport

20th February to 1st March 2026: Dinner 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM

22nd February & 1st March, 2026: Brunch 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM