"Cuisines Representing Culture is going to be The Biggest Trend"

Known and celebrated for his unique gesture towards food and often called as one of the sexiest chefs in India, Lucknow born Chef Ranveer Brar is known for achieving a cult celebrity status in the culinary world. Starting at an early age from the by lanes of Lucknow, he has introduced some of the best food recipes in Indian restaurants. Talking to Restaurant India he unfolds some culinary tales. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

How do you see restaurants working more on delivering experiences?

When understanding food and food experiences one needs to go back and see from where it has originated. From being a need; dining out has reached a stage from where it has become more than just the need to fill the stomach. Also, the language of the restaurant has got refined over the years to be able to genuinely say something not just with food. Earlier, if you had a concept it probably translated into the food most of the time. If you have gone to an Indian restaurant you would have got Indian food and Indian kind of ambience. However, today it is about how those concepts are translated into the finer aspects; whether how a person speaks to you, or the menu comes to you. There is more cohesiveness of concept in today’s restaurant which allows us to experience the concept overall and the benchmark for the experience has increased.

Chefs are always known for creating an overwhelming experience. How do you think chefs acts as a bridge between creating a recipe and depicting the culinary stories?

A chef’s job earlier was cooking but over the time it has become expressing. What you cook today is important but more than that people want to know what the story behind the food is. Why have you cooked this and that’s where a chef becomes the real bridge because nobody can tell the story better than the guy who has cooked it and that’s the reason there is a sudden rise of the chef fraternity. People today are interested in that bridge of the story and the reason behind the creation of the particular food. And, that’s how most chefs are doing it.

What changes and trends you are witnessing in Indian restaurant space?

People are moving into the restaurant business. In general more and more people venturing in the business and opening an Indian restaurant in particular will be the biggest trend. Frozen foods are out of our life; whether you are a frozen food retail chain or a person who promotes it. Fresh, fast and casual are some of the word that will dominate the Indian food scene. Secondly, culturally relevant food; food that represents a certain culture and not just the region as each region can have many cultures is going to dominate the Indian food scene. Thirdly, responsibility is the key that we are going to see in the Indian dining scene. We are becoming responsible towards farmers, ecosystem and environment. Company that delivers responsibility along with delivering food will have high chance of excelling.