SAN FRANCISCO – January 27, 2016 – The MINA Test Kitchen, the first-ever test kitchen for MINA Group that launched last summer, will unveil The Company, its third pop-up restaurant concept, on March 1, 2016. The Company will showcase Indian cuisine by special guest Chef Vikrant Bhasin, who is collaborating with James Beard Award-winning Chef Michael Mina and MINA Group’s renowned Wine Director Raj Parr to bring together their shared love of Indian food, East Indies inspired cocktails, and wine in a relaxed yet upbeat setting.

Chef Bhasin comes to The MINA Test Kitchen for a three-month residency from his home in Honolulu, Hawaii. He first met Mina and Parr while working as a sous chef at MICHAEL MINA Restaurant in San Francisco in 2008, and has led the kitchens and dining experiences at Marriott/Sodexo Management Services, Yahoo! and the Kaiser Medical Center in Honolulu, as well as serving on the culinary faculty at Cambridge Center for Adult Education.

“I’m personally thrilled and honored to welcome Vikrant back to San Francisco, and am very excited about what he’s planning for The Company, which has been a longtime dream concept of ours,” said Chef Mina.  “This is a concept that Raj and I worked on years ago, and are excited to see it come to MINA Test Kitchen.”

Inspired by Chef Bhasin’s Indian heritage, The Company’s multi-course menu will feature dishes such as: Pakora Chaat, Cauliflower, Onion, English Peas; Spiced Crab Salad with Anardana over Papad; Kakori Kebab, Black Cardamom, Mint, Coconut, Tamarind; Kashmiri Kofta, Sonoma Lamb Simmered in Yogurt, Cloves, Ginger, Red Chilis, Stinging Nettles; and Mango Saffron Kulfi for dessert, along with an array of sides and additions such as Raita, Chutneys and Roti. Many of the dishes will be reminiscent of Northern India, although the menu draws its inspiration from throughout the country. Guests will choose whether they prefer seven, nine or 11 dishes, all served family-style. Tickets are $49 for seven courses (plus $29 optional beverage pairing); $59 for nine courses ($35 beverage pairing); and $69 for 11 courses ($40 beverage pairing).

In addition to a wine menu curated by Parr, with a focus on Syrahs and Rieslings, The Company will also offer handcrafted cocktails using fresh and local products, as well as the unique ingredients of the East Indies.

The Company begins Tuesday, March 1, and will be hosted Wednesday through Saturday nights. The Company is named for the shorthand reference to the English East India Company, which was formed at the start of the 1600s to pursue trade with the East Indies, and ultimately rose to account for half of the world’s trade and ruled the beginnings of the British empire in India.

The Company follows on the heels of the successful Little Italy Italian pop-up by Chef Adam Sobel, which will have its final service on Valentine’s Day, Sunday, Feb. 14.  The special Little Italy Valentine’s Day menu, available exclusively to guests for the evening of Feb. 14 only, includes antipasti of Freshly Pulled Mozzarella, Black Truffles, Toasted Walnuts, Green Apple and 25-year-old Balsamico ($20 supplemental); “Bella Note” Spaghetti Alla Chitarra with Ricotta Meatballs, Parmigiano Reggiano, Pomodor Sauce; Bistecca Alla Diane, Porcini, Celery Root Fonduta, Black Truffle ($20 supplemental); Blood Orange Sorbetti, Cannolis and Chocolate Budino. A poet from The Poetry Store will be on site to write complimentary poetry for guests, as well. Tickets are $65 per person, exclusive of tax and gratuity.

The MINA Test Kitchen is located at 2120 Greenwich Street, at Fillmore Street, in San Francisco. The Mina Group took ownership of the 1,600-square-foot, cozy, inviting and fun space in 2015, which is the group’s first venture in the Cow Hollow neighborhood. The first pop-up to launch in The MINA Test Kitchen was Middle’terranea, which ran from July through October 2015, followed by Little Italy.

Tickets to The MINA Test Kitchen pop-ups are available by visiting minatestkitchen.com. The space is also available for private events Sunday through Tuesday. For information about booking a private event, please email events@minagroup.net or call 415-310-8371. To learn more about The MINA Test Kitchen, purchasing tickets and enter for a chance to come to exclusive sneak preview neighborhood nights visit www.minatestkitchen.com.

ABOUT MINA GROUP
Mina Group Inc. is a San Francisco-based restaurant management company specializing in creating and operating upscale, innovative restaurant concepts.  Mina Group is led by Chef/Owner Michael Mina whose accolades include James Beard Foundation “Who’s Who of Food and Beverage” inductee in 2013, Bon Appétit Chef of the Year, Food Arts Silver Spoon Award Winner, San Francisco Magazine Chef of the Year, and International Food and Beverage Forum’s Restaurateur of the Year.  Operating since 2002, Mina Group currently manages 27 concepts including MICHAEL MINA in San Francisco (Esquire Magazine’s Restaurant of the Year 2011); BOURBON STEAK and CLOCK BAR at The Westin St. Francis on Union Square in San Francisco; RN74 at Millennium Tower in San Francisco and RN74 at the Joshua Green Building in Seattle; PABU and THE RAMEN BAR at 101 California in San Francisco; BOURBON STEAK, BOURBON PUB and Michael Mina’s Tailgate at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara; STRIPSTEAK at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas; MICHAEL MINA Bellagio at Bellagio in Las Vegas; BARDOT BRASSERIE at Aria Resort & Casino in Las Vegas; MICHAEL MINA 74 and STRIPSTEAK at Fontainebleau Miami Beach; Locale Market and FarmTable Kitchen at Sundial St. Petersburg in Florida; and THE HANDLE BAR in Jackson Hole.  For a complete list of restaurants please visit http://michaelmina.net.

Mina is also the founder of The Michael Mina Wine Club. The wines are sourced from many of the same producers featured on wine lists in a number of the Michael Mina restaurants and offers two tiers of membership: Wines of Consequence and Hidden Gems. Both tiers include six bottles per shipment delivered every three months. For more information please visit www.minawineclub.com

Follow Michael Mina on Facebook at Michael Mina, twitter @ChefMichaelMina and Instagram at ChefMichaelMina.