Master Chef, Sadab Qureshi Opens Doors to The Royal Flavours of Awadh

Born and raised in Shimla, Shipra Khanna is a well-known Indian celebrity chef, restaurateur, author, and television personality. Her most notable achievement was winning the second season of MasterChef India (2012).

Following her victory in the second season of MasterChef India, Shipra went on to appear in numerous other television cooking shows both in India and internationally as a celebrity chef on Food Food. She opened her first restaurant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat named "H.O.T - House of Taste" in 2013 and in 2017, she opened her first restaurant in New Delhi, India named The Darzi Bar & Kitchen. She has also been awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Leadership Award to take Indian cuisine across the Globe at the British Parliament, London by the NRI Society of London and has taught Culinary Art at Le Cordon Bleu. In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, Celebrity Chef Shipra Khanna talks about her journey:

When did you find your call in cooking? How did you start your journey?

I started cooking when I was 9 years old. My father never allowed me to go to kitchen as he was protective of me. When nobody was there at home, I tried my hands on cooking. Since, I come from a Punjabi family, there are some feasts or the other and I saw my granny cooking that kept me going. I always want to create new recipes which nobody has done yet.

What was your biggest learning from Masterchef that you still carry?

I work best under stress and I am very resilient so I can say that I can do wonders even under the pressure.

You already own few restaurants; do you have any plans for expansion?

There are many restaurants which I have opened up or associated with. There are few which will be coming up soon.

When are you launching your upcoming book and what is it about?

This year, I have launched my ninth book which is ‘Sinfully Yours.’ I am working on my tenth cook book which is about ‘Healthy Food’ and I will reveal more about it closer to the launch. 

Since you travel a lot, what is the difference you saw in Indian Culinary industry and foreign culinary industry?

In Indian Culinary, we have lot of cuisines which comes from ages. But, in international, it’s more about creativity and innovation and new techniques. It’s more of culturally dominating cuisine than fresh innovation.

What’s the current trend in the food industry?

Healthy food is on the spin right now. Everybody is talking about vegan or healthy fusion recipes or plant based etc. 

Can you comment on ‘How chefs are becoming food influencer’?

Chefs in restaurants and chefs presenting food in camera are very different. Even students are not waiting to complete their culinary school. They are starting on their own and they are not waiting for jobs. Hospitality industry is very much saturated. We need new people all the time. Only few get the right opportunity to begin with. If somebody is not getting much in the industry, then they tend to become influencer and if your art is appreciated then why not.

How much do you believe in sustainability?

I am a Health Ambassador to ISW which is a wing to Health Ministry and 2023 was about millets. So, I was promoting millets and millet is actually a crop that helps in sustainability as it doesn’t need extra sun or extra rain. Eating millets is also like contributing to sustainability like reducing waste and being mindful about the trash, avoiding plastic, etc. There are so many ways with one can look at it.

What is one piece of advice you would give future chefs?

A good chef is always resilient and believes in hard work and commitment towards the work. If you have all these things in you, then you will be a great chef.

What are the three important kitchen tools you cannot miss?

Chopping Board, Knife and Tweezers.
 

From opening the popular restaurant ‘Goila Butter Chicken’ in various cities, writing the food travelogue - India on my Platter, launching metaverse and blockchain to leaving everyone in awe of interesting food videos on social media accounts, Saransh Goila has partnered with India’s leading creator-led live entertainment commerce platform Roposo to launch a co-created cookware brand ‘Delishaas’. With a product line of trendy, quirky, and high-quality cookware essentials, Delishaas celebrates the love of cooking. Millions of consumers will discover Delishaas live on Roposo, and on the Glance Lock Screen platform. “I believe we live in a world where anything that you do has the potential to become a brand, and I am really excited. I never thought Delishaas would turn into a brand, it just started as a quote or a ‘takiya-kalam’ of mine, but people have caught on to it and I think it is a word that people could associate with as it reminds them of food and fun,” shared Goila who is very happy to launch his cookware brand. Excerpts from the interview:

So, like we know, and you just mentioned that Delishaas is your go to word. So, what is Delishaas to you and how do you relate with it?

I am a fun cook; I am somebody who loves to cook in the kitchen, but it is not just about recipes. It is about having fun, sometimes you’ll find me dancing while cooking and listening to great music. Food is a lot more to me – it is about relationships, interacting with my audience, it is about social media where I spend so much time educating people about my recipes and cooking delicious meals at home. I feel that is where Delishaas is born from, it was wordplay of delicious, and that is how it came to life. I thought if I had to give it a life and make it a brand, considering it is all about cooking at home and making cooking at home more fun…a cookware brand is where it fits the best and it is a great start. However, I do believe that Delishaas is not just a cookware brand, it is going to be about the fun, the interaction, and the fact that we are going to enjoy while cooking.

Tell us about your association with Roposo. And why did you choose Roposo to launch Delishaas?

I saw Roposo doing a lot of exciting stuff with other creators, they started KRA with BeYouNick. They worked with celebrities like Rana Daggubati as well as Ekta Kapoor who started their respective brands through Roposo and the Glance Collective that they have formed. All the chefs at one point have the thought if they should have a cookware range of their own and I think it’s like a check box. I have been meddling with this idea for years, but I was looking for a right partner because to create a successful brand you need the right kind of team to work with.

In today’s day and age, somebody who understands digital platforms and live commerce industry is the right partner to look for, which is how I connected with Roposo. The fact that Roposo co-creates differentiated brands and their belief in the identity of a creator, is something I particularly like about them. They have given me an open hand to design this differently, it is not just a cookware range but more like and experience.

The products will be available on our website Delishaas, as well as on Roposo and Glance lock screen. Eventually, it will be available across markets and other platforms.

What are the range of products that you have in the Delishaas cookware?

So, there are currently 5 products in the range – two of them are from the Tri-ply stainless steel category while the other three are Aluminium non-stick pots and pans with the Greblon technology. They are both APEO and PFOA free. We are doing both ranges as we believe that there are two types of customers – some who only like to cook in stainless steel equipment, while there are some delicate dishes like eggs and fish that you need to cook in Greblon. The Greblon range will be available in yellow and blue colours, with an exterior of a classic Indian kadhai.

Any plan catering to the HoReCa segment? Also, to showcase a product that is used in the kitchen, I’d say hotels and restaurants will be the right target, so any plans to extend there?

I think it will be a natural extension, eventually. Currently, we would like to target our immediate consumer through my platform and Roposo. Later, we will target the HoReCa segment as well, because even restaurants and fine dine places are looking for a good cookware range too. However, we are still very new in this segment, and it might take us a couple of months to get there.

How do you plan to differentiate from the other available brands in the market that are being promoted by other top chefs?

Yes, there is a surge of cookware brands in the market, but I do believe there is a lot of scope in this segment, particularly from a design perspective. I do feel like the millennial consumer, people who are in the ages of 18-40 are looking for products that make their kitchen more fun. We want people to have a cooking experience which is easier, mess-free with products that are durable and trustworthy. When you spend Rs.2000 or 2500 on a product, you want it to last long. We want to create a niche and I want the products to stand out. The products and even the packaging will feel very fresh, I feel very confident to say that you’ll not see this design tonality on any other cookware range in India.

What is the price range of the Delishaas products?

The price point for the cookware range is between 2-3k depending on the range that you go for. There are two ranges – first is a tri-ply stainless steel and the second is Greblon aluminium non-stick range. You can choose from either, and the price will also be dependent on the size of pots or pans that you choose. They are all easy to clean, durable, scratch resistant and we’ve made sure that there is not a lot of spillages.

You are setting the culinary footprints in the country with one initiative at a time. How would you describe your journey so far?

It feels like a lot, I am lucky to have this opportunity. I think partnerships and collaborations are a key method to work around opportunities. I have fabulous partners, even for GBC I have the right partners. For Delishaas, I have Roposo which is helping me grow. I feel the more you share and partner with people, the sooner you can bring your ideas to life. I am not hesitant to share my ideas or thought or even my recipes. For instance, my Butter Chicken recipe is out there on the internet.

What is your expansion plan with Goila Butter Chicken?

I think for that we are fairly positioned to grow Pan – India and currently we are at about 25 stores between Mumbai, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. We are going at a steady pace with about 4-5 stores every month.

A number of co-created brands have been launched by Roposo over the last year through Glance Collective - a joint venture between Roposo’s parent company - Glance, and talent management firm, Collective Artists Network. These brands include ‘EK’ with Ektaa Kapoor in the home, wellness & ethnic-wear category, a limited-edition streetwear brand ‘KRA’ with BeYouNick (aka Nikunj Lotia), and DCRAF with Rana Daggubati in the men’s grooming market. Know what Mansi Jain, Senior VP & GM, Roposo has to share:

Why did Roposo choose Saransh Goila? 

Our co-created original labels and products are carefully curated to reflect the ethos and identity of the celebrity or creator and become an extension of who they are, and Saransh is one of the most popular contemporary chefs, who is followed by many for his fun-loving personality as well as his cooking style. We feel Delishaas resonates with his personality, and we are happy partnering with a talented, popular, and fun-loving person like him who fits with our brand’s philosophy i.e., entertainment-first. 

How is Roposo planning to market the brand and help enhance the distribution? 

Saransh has always had a fun, playful style to his cooking, and his content resonates with consumers because he makes it about the joy in the process of cooking, more than anything else. Delishaas embodies this side of his personality and elevates cooking from something that’s just a functional necessity to an experience by itself. Our products and the brands messaging are consistent with this idea. Everything about Delishaas, from their designs to their pop colours, is curated to transform cookware essentials into a modern, fun and healthy companion in the kitchen. These products will be distributed through Roposo and Glance. Besides this, it will be available on www.delishaas.com, and on various other marketplaces in the near future. The launch SKUs include 5 products. The Non-stick Aluminum range made from Greblon technology has a Fry Pan, Kadhai and a Dutch Oven and is available in two colours – blue and yellow, while the tri-ply range has a Fry Pan and a Kadhai in stainless steel. 

Running an Indian restaurant in global land is not everyone’s cup of tea. From reinventing menus, working on ingredients that are locally available to creating an experience and food that resonate with the mother land is challenging. But we have seen some great chefs who are doing a fabulous job with Indian cuisine in global land. Though, the pandemic has brought a huge shift and challenge to all sort of the restaurant business whether it was running a restaurant in India or any other part of the world. There’s no denying that the experience of running a restaurant anywhere is one of wonders. Customers are universally quite similar no matter where you go and what situation you are in- all they want is a lifetime kind of experience and a delicious meal to be cherished.

Innovation is the new ball game

If you love, dream and eat food, you surely have been following all the top Indian chefs across social platforms. In the last one year we have seen chefs like Atul Kochhar, Vineet Bhatia, Ranveer Brar, Rishim Sachdev and Dayashankar Sharma to name a few innovating their food, menu to stay afloat during the pandemic. From working on menus and ingredients that are locally available to entering into a model that they have never tried or ventured before.

Also Read: Why It’s Essential to Keep Brand DNA when Going through Innovation

“Similarly, we had to rely more on beans, turnips, carrots because UK doesn’t grow good green vegetables like India. And, I started relying on these roots for my vegetarian menus and it sprung another way of innovation and we have started looking at different ways of improvising things,” added Kochhar whose restaurant Kanishka that was opened just before the lockdown won best restaurant award in London during the pandemic because for chefs like him creativity can’t be stopped and we should always work on local ingredients, intervening the culture that we want to represent in our food.

Adding to the same, Chef Dayashankar Sharma of Heritage Dulwich, London pointed, “Delivery was a huge part of the start for the restaurant as no people were allowed to eat inside. For us, this has been an innovative year; we have created unique dishes with outstanding flavours without losing the traditional Indian taste. As for what the innovations are like? You would have to try and find out for yourself.”

Fine dining is about experience

With pandemic we have seen many fine dine restaurants turning their kitchen into a cloud-kitchen but as we are ready to re-open in different parts of the world, it is a big question on how would chefs and restaurateur manage to create the same kind of experience they create when someone is dining at their restaurant.

Fine dining restaurants will remain fine dining. It also depends on the size of the restaurant, how big is the kitchen? If you want to run the fine dining restaurant and also operate the dark kitchen at the same time, experts believed that it is a challenge. “I opened Vaasu in the middle of the pandemic. It is a 42 seater restaurant and I can only make 4 people available in the kitchen. During the lockdown we were doing takeaway but now I am open. I am planning to take no takeaway orders anymore as delivery can’t be taken from the same kitchen,” added Kochhar who believed that by this way we will risk the product, not give value for money to the client sitting in the dining room who is expecting a quality food to come out.

May Interest: Know What it Takes to Run a Global Restaurant from Global Leader Shiva Kumaar

Hence, we can say that it might look easy to set up a dark kitchen and operate a fine-dining restaurant at the same time but always remember that people are coming to a fine dine restaurant for food, ambience and overall experience and delivery might spoil all the experience.

In an interview with Chef Ananya Banerjee, owner of studio,The LAB (Lifestyles by Ananya Banerjee), Dadar, she spoke about the regional cuisines which are not getting their due attention, how home chefs pay an important role in spreading regional food and how she likes to use usual ingredients in an unusual manner.

Edited Excerpts

What culinary trends you are observing?

Sustainable cooking is a concept that's gaining attraction in everyone's mind. From how is food grown, to how it's been cooked, people are getting more aware regarding how farming practices are impacting the environment and in turn our health. They're also realizing that sustainable cooking practices, choosing locally grown produce and being mindful of the way you cook, is not only a way of showing respect for the food but also contributes greatly to better health and lesser monetary and food related wastage. 

There is also a growing interest in regional and micro regional cooking.  People are looking to learn more about food from different parts of India. The current trend of Pop-Ups celebrates this diversity, while at the same time it teaches people about the history behind a region's traditional cuisine. 

India is rich in culture and cuisines. What are the cuisines across India that are not being visited? Why?

There are so many regional cuisines in India that have eluded the spotlight! It's a pleasure to see how people have started to explore them. Take the traditional cuisine of Odisha, spicy and interestingly unique or for that matter, the savory delights of Telangana cuisine. These cuisines are not well known. On the other hand, cuisines from Kerala and Gujarat are well known.

There are certain regional dishes from Gujarat and Kerala, that are distinct from what they are normally are associated with. For example, Gujarat's Kathiawadi  region has a cuisine that's spicy with a wood-fire taste and Kerala's Moppla community have a cuisine that draws influence from the various foreign visitors the nation has had over its history.

Also, the cuisine from north eastern state is not recognized. The reason behind this are the reclusiveness of some of the communities, media popularization of a certain cuisine in a region overshadowing others, difficulty in obtaining certain ingredients, families that are custodians to rare recipes dying out, to name a few.

Why is it important to give a platform to home chefs?

If you go to a restaurant you'll often get a trending dish or a nice representation of the type of cuisine it specializes in. And that's great! But I believe, if you want to savor an authentic representation of a cuisine or truly unique interpretations of a dish, your best bet is a Home Chef. Aside from offering dishes that's been in the family for generations and being perfected over said generations, Home Chefs are also willing to take risks when it comes to what dishes they wish to offer. They also tend to cater to a generally fixed number of diners, allowing for careful attention and freshness to every single dish. So yes, I believe it's important to give home chefs a platform for the way they make efforts to introduce people the little known variations of any cuisine.

Indian food is typically considered as spicy food. Do you agree with this? Why?

There is a difference between “spicy” and” hot”. Most of the time, these two terminologies get overlapped and confused.  I think that it's a shame to categorize Indian cuisine as merely hot. While it's true that we often use many spices in our dishes, it is also a fact that we have many regions, all with their own distinct food identities. For example, Kolhapuri or Hyderabadi cuisine may be considered spicy, dishes in the South of India have a delightful sourness or coconut taste to them. Additionally, dishes in Gujarat can be sweet and tangy, whereas dishes in the Northeastern states can be mild and very fresh. So saying that Indian cuisine is just spicy is a disservice to our rich culinary traditions.

What are the innovative dishes you are currently working on?

Currently, I am trying to create modern Bengali cuisine. The taste is authentic and traditional with a very modern presentation.  

Any new ingredients you used in any of your dishes which are quite unusual as against the mainstream ingredients that are used for it?

There aren't any ingredients that I use in my dishes which can be considered unusual. What I like to do is use the usual ingredients, in an unusual way. I'm a big believer of the farm-to-table concept, i.e. using locally grown ingredients. I find that with locally grown ingredients, people have already found a variety of ways to use them traditionally. I love to reintroduce them to my guests, who have never known such dishes existed or adding my own twist to them.

Are you coming up with any new book or project?

With the growing and interesting Pan-Indian cuisine, I'm looking to draw interest to the healthy and unique dishes of Odisha. The cuisine of that part of India has remained little unexplored, which is a shame, as they have dishes that you would kick yourself for not having tried before.

Chef Pallavi is the author of a renowned book The Bhojpuri Kitchen, which celebrates the region's age-old favourite recipes. The chef was also seen on TV show Amma Superstar which was aired on channel Living Foodz. She has been featured in Kissan Tiffin Time Table on India Food Network's YouTube channel. She has also worked with industry's kitchen star Sanjeev Kapoor's YouTube channel. She has lived in Muscat for a certain period during which she worked as a food columnist for the Times Of Oman while also being featured on their YouTube channel.

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef Pallavi Nigam Sahay speaks about her cookbook and food pairing with tea. 

Your contribution to the F&B industry?  

I had a great love for cooking since childhood. I used to lurk around kitchen whole day during Diwali or Holi or someone’s birthday or on days when any kind of special meal being prepared, to watch my mom and my chachis preparing food. I started trying out dishes from the age of 12, my first attempt was trying to prepare Pulao for my cousins, actually me and my cousins were the only ones in the house so it was kind of taking advantage of everyone’s absence. We were in the joint family and my Dadi used to keep all the precious Whole spices in a small room in the house called “kothri” it was a storage room for grains and pulses and pickles etc. we were not allowed in the room. But that day, in order to prepare pulao the way mom does, I took the liberty of going inside that room and taking out the whole spices. I’m glad I did it because pulao came out really well and everyone loved it. Since then there were many trials similar to that. I started cooking more frequently after my wedding, mostly Indian, mainly Bihari dishes after learning from my Saasu ma. At the same time, I was working as research analyst in an Insurance firm, it was my first year and I did not like it a bit. Sitting on those morning meetings I used to think to prepare something special for dinner. I was getting frustrated and finally one day with my family’s support I quit.

Then I decided to pursue my love for cooking. So I went to Italy to pursue a culinary Diploma, after completing the course I worked in a trattoria there as professional training was part of the course. After coming back from Italy, I joined Hyatt for training. Meanwhile, Kunal, my husband, got a job offer in Muscat so we shifted. I started writing a recipe Column for Times of Oman. Then we started doing recipe videos for Times of Oman YouTube channel. That did very well. Enquiries started coming and I also started conducting culinary classes, both at home and at forums. Then we decided to do YouTube videos in India, so I approached Sanjeev Kapoor Khazana channel for YouTube videos, after doing many videos we did a proper show named “working women’s kitchen”.

I got an offer from India Food network to be part of their renowned show named “Kissan Tiffin Time Table” meanwhile I was also working on my book. Book got published by Westland in November and on one very beautiful December morning I woke up and saw the email from Living Foodz. They had contacted for the show. This is how it all happened! 

The heavy influence of social media trends on food culture or social media influences on dietary patterns.

Over the past few years, we have also witnessed a rapid rise in health-conscious consumers which in turn has resulted in the rise of healthy food restaurants, salad bars and juice bars across large and small cities. I believe this trend is here to stay and restaurants and brands which are focused on such themes are likely to witness good growth in the foreseeable future.

Rising trend of alcohol consumption in the country with rise in middle-class disposable income. Local wineries and breweries and pubs serving appropriate cuisine are in hot demand among the tier-1 and tier-2 cities in the country. As a culinary consultant, many times I have been asked to design menus that suit the palate of such new generation pub hopping crowds which not only suits their palate but also appeals to them visually. 

What is the contribution of a good menu in the restaurant business? How new techniques in food help a restaurant grow? 

It is the soul of the restaurant. 

Restaurant food quality control is a major issue as India sees a rapid rise of joints. Better hygiene and proper storage and transfer facilities of raw materials help to ensure that quality is well supervised and controlled. In fact, some MNCs and large corporate have also lately talked about how technologies like blockchain can help them to better track and monitor the quality of their poultry supplies. All these also, of course, help to have better control of the entire supply chain, therefore, resulting in lower wastage and in-time delivery to avoid any spoilage. 

Who makes the world’s best teas? What sets them apart from other tea makers?

Tea artisans dwelling in remote villages of North-East, with whom I had the opportunity to meet during my research for tea book, makes the world’s best tea. There few ethnic minorities who had been handcrafting tea for two hundred years now. It’s the presence of human touch in every step makes it so special. Since the tea leaves are completely handcrafted and don’t go through the warmth and friction of any machines, the flavours are far better developed and medicinal properties also stay intact. 

For a first-time tea taster, what tea would you recommend they try, and why? 

What foods pair best with a cup of tea? 

What do you do to stay abreast about the new trends in the culinary world? 

Chef Raji, a passionate cook, started her gastronomic journey learning traditional Indian dishes and some baking at her home. To gain a certified mastery over the subject, at the age of 36, Chef Raji enrolled herself at a reputed Culinary Academy in Mumbai. There she gained CTH (Confederation of Tourism & Hospitality) Level 2 certification. Later, an urge to expand her horizons furthermore she went to Blue Elephant Cooking School in Thailand to learn the art and science of Asian cooking. 

Chef Raji's Kombucha is her designated speciality drink. Made out of scoby, which is the live culture for bacteria and yeast, it transforms Kombucha from a sweet tea into a tangy, fizzy beverage. This healthy drink is increasingly creating a niche for itself in India's foodie culture. She is also well-known for making incredibly delicious cocktail food servings (tapas) like pan ke ladoo, stuffed bread vada (a five-minute recipe!), tempered spinach dumplings, tarte tatin, ceviche, different kind of tarts, cakes, cookies, desserts and a lot more! 

She has created a small Greek-themed kitchen garden space of her own in her studio where she grows herbs and spices such as thyme, oregano, clementines, basil, chillies, etc. and uses these fresh ingredients in her cooking. 

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef Raji speaks about her take on cooking fusion food.

Chef Raji's Culinary Journey

My culinary journey started at 36, with an Expertise in Goan cuisine. But I was always keen to learn different cuisines, and that enticed me to take admission in different culinary schools around the world. I have been trained under Palate Culinary Academy (Mumbai), Blue Elephant Cookery School (Thailand), Ballymaloe Cookery School (Ireland) and am looking to enhance my skills even further.

Three interesting findings in the culinary journey so far

- We are all are trying to get back to our roots today - authentic food is back in trend.

- Grow yourself, cook and eat.

- There is a lot of acceptance of different cuisines and cultures.

The Key to Designing a Perfect Menu

For me honestly, designing a menu is very personal; it needs to have your personal presence, your creativity, your own curation, and your integrated favourite flavours on the table. A perfect menu is connected to the cuisine, the culture and the location. 

Take on Fusion Cooking

I love to do fusion cooking, but I also love to retain the flavours. While you deconstruct the recipe, don't deconstruct the flavour; that's the trick!

Element of Uniqueness in Food Menu

Just serve real food!

Tips to Impress Guests

When I have family and friends at home, my homemade caramel custard is a must for dessert. But yes I always try to serve something new but keep one recipe from the previous party which was on the top of all.

New-age Food Trends     

With the changing of dimensions, I believe a lot of sustainably grown food will be welcomed with love. The millennials are very much aware of the benefits of healthy food so the farm-to-table concept will also be growing more. I can see a brighter future for food. It would also be like cooking from the past, means a lot of authentic, age-old recipes will come to life.

Trends in the Culinary World

I make sure once in a year I enrolled myself to learn some new skill or cuisine. But if one can't enrol into one of these, it doesn't mean you can't cook. With media support through YouTube, Instagram or by reading books, I constantly upgrade my skills. You need to be updated with the news in the food industry.

Chef Anahita N. Dhondy comes from a family of Parsis settled in Delhi. Since childhood, her world has revolved around food. She takes inspiration from her mother, who has been cooking and catering Parsi food and baking cakes. Anahita started helping in the kitchen since she was 10 years old and knew from a young age that she would wear the chef’s hat as a grown up. 

She pursued her culinary dream by enrolling into IHM-Aurangabad which she passed with honours in Culinary Arts. She trained at Taj properties, the BBC at JW Marriott and went on to acquire a Grande Diplome from Le Cordon Bleu, London.

An expert at French pastries and cuisine, 27-year-old Anahita joined SodaBottleOpenerWala as Chef Manager four years ago, when she was 23. She cooks Parsi food from the heart and calls SodaBottleOpenerWala her second home where the spices mixes are supplied by her mother and the recipes she uses in the kitchen belong to her grandmother. She hopes to constantly make dining at SodaBottleOpenerWala an experience that will leave a happy imprint as she lives to make others eat the best.

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef Anahita Dhondy gives expert tips on how to make diners remember the cuisines and revisit the restaurant.

Focus on Flavour

As a chef, I contribute through my cooking. I focus on flavour and how a dish tastes. It’s the key for me that cuisine should not only look good but taste good too; this makes the diners remember the cuisine and revisit the restaurant. I don't think there is any one contribution but lots of little bits that we keep doing. It’s about learning, sharing and cooking with the chef community to make food more recognized and better in the world.

Personally, my culinary journey started at home with mum, from little decorations and garnishes to starters and main course and even cake, I learnt so much with her.

I studied at IHM-Aurangabad and at Le Cordon Bleu in London. When I got back SodaBottleOpenerWala was planned by A.D. Singh and his team. Since then it's been a journey of rekindling my love for Parsi food, and constantly reviving new dishes and adding them to the menu. There is so much that I've learnt over the years, so much I've discovered and grown to love.

Currently, I've been popularizing lost grains and working with the Chef Manifesto and the UN Global Goals - SDG 2 - Zero Hunger for which I've been representing India on a global platform. 

Also Read: Why A Good Menu Is Crucial for Your Business

3 key things learnt as a Chef Manager

- Keep a balance between the kitchen and the service team is crucial.

- Take care of your guest needs and take feedback.

- Constantly innovate.

Key challenges faced as a young woman chef

The kitchens are not used to seeing a female and, thus, it’s difficult for the staff to familiarise and work with a female chef. It’s not easy to get things done if your team doesn't respect and respond to you, so it’s imperative for you to keep a strong grounding and stand to face any issues that might come your way. At the end of the day, there is no difference between men and women, the work is the same. 

SodaBottleOpenerwala Gurugram Clientele

We are an Irani cafe and bar, we cater to everyone! We've got people who come with families; some are on dates, client meeting with CEOs and even an intern who might be sitting on the next table. From grandparents, who love their Lagan nu custard, to young adults who love the Finding Freny (a cocktail); everyone loves it.

Footfall at SodaBottleOpenerwala Gurugram

About 500 people per day.

Five aspects of cooking every chef need to know

Cutting and chopping, basic masala preparations, taking care of ingredients and equipment, sautéing, roasting and baking.

The big move in Pankaj Bhadouria’s life came with a small step when she decided to leave her successful teaching career spanning over 16 years and enter the first televised cookery reality show – MasterChef India. Pankaj Bhadouria, currently, hosts the second season of ‘3 Course with Pankaj’ on LF Channel. Besides, she has authored and co-authored many cookbooks.

In an interview with Restaurant India, Chef and Restaurateur Pankaj Bhadouria says, 'new techniques in food always add freshness."

‘There is a greater acceptance of restaurants with bars in Tier II cities’

An interesting trend I have noticed in recent times is a clear need for investment in technology. Today’s consumers expect online ordering, mobile apps and convenient takeout and delivery options. Hence, restaurants need to keep pace.

Secondly, each of us has a clear, defined audience we cater to. Consumers, especially millennial and younger, with a decent pocket, are not fans of the chains; they’re looking for distinctive experiences, even if they are available in tiny, stand-alone outlets. In the coming years, we can expect continued growth among fast-casual restaurants, with a greater emphasis placed on real ingredients and clean labels. Our consumers are definitely more aware and awakened!

Also Read: Breaking Barriers: 15 Inspiring Indian Women Entrepreneurs In Food And Beverage Industry

I have also noted a greater acceptance of restaurants with bars in Tier II cities as well. Drinking in restaurants is becoming far more acceptable and adult beverage programs have become increasingly refined and high quality. 

About Café by Default and its Expansion Plans

Café by Default is a Restro-Bar where we’ve aspired to bring the World Cuisine in one place. But while designing the menu, I had to keep in mind my city and its palate as well. The menu turns out to be global yet has a very comfortable feel; it appeals to all age groups. From Wood Fired Pizza to Durban Bunny Chow, the Balinese Soto Ayam Soup to the Italian Minestrone Soup, Vietnamese GoiCuon to PeriPeriTikkas, my Biji’s recipe of Dal Makhani, Risotto to Parcel Biryani, Fish & Chips to Prawns 65: our food is happy, fun yet slightly quirky!

The beverages, too, stand to outsmart on the menu. The thick shakes, Brain Freezers, Mocktails, Cocktails̶a, We have a lot of inspiring drinks on offer.

To me, how the food appears on your table is very important and I have had a lot of platters and servers customised for my need.

As far as the expansion plans are concerned, we are looking forward to taking Café by Default to cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Delhi.

Tramp Tree Café is the mid-segment outlet that we plan to introduce to Tier II cities. The menu here is slightly more familiar and yet equally well presented.

The Contribution of a Good Menu in Restaurant Business

A restaurant is as good as its menu!

Isn’t food the reason why people go to a restaurant in the first place? The dining experience and sometimes the necessity to eat out also count but at the end of the day, it is the food that matters most. A good clean menu is what people look for. A speciality restaurant needs to live up to what it claims to offer; a fast casual shouldn’t have too many options to confuse, a well laid out buffet limits the responsibility of choice and a taster’s menu offers the element of surprise and discovery and completely eliminates the responsibility of choice.

New techniques in food, be it in preparation, presentation or packaging, always add freshness in the approach to food in restaurants.

In Pics: 6 Young Women Foodpreneurs Changing The Way India Has Dreamt Food

The Element of Uniqueness in Food Menu

Consumers seek value for money, be it in the quantity, quality or uniqueness of the experience. Any menu designed should take these factors into account. Creativity on plate attracts but it is the taste that defines. What makes a menu unique is innovation yet acceptability to the palate of its consumers.

Impressing the Diners when it Comes to Food

All you need to do to impress your diner is - be honest with your food. Freshness and integrity in food are very important because it reflects the flavours and taste of food. Present it well, make it a treat for the eyes just as it is for the taste buds and you have a winner there!

Must Read: Make Your Diners Order More With These Best Menu Design Hacks

Take on Changing Consumer Tastes and Preferences

If there is one thing that is constant in this world, it changes! The industry has experienced a great change in how people look at and approach food. The food industry is always trying to keep pace with it. I would also like to say the food is and shall always remain a source of comfort and joy. There are things which have never changed and will not change ever for we are connected to them deeply.

Our consumers’ palate is not shrinking but increasing. It is happy to have what it did and happier to all that we can offer them something new.

Secret Recipe to Success

There is only one recipe to success and that is a well-blended combination of honesty, integrity, hard work and foresight!

Five Tips and Tricks on Spice Mixes

- Freshness first! A freshly blended mix of spices tastes best.

- Never store spices near heat or light, you kill them!

- Refrigerate them in airtight, sealed containers to retain flavours for longer.

- Quality speaks for itself. The best ingredients make the best food and spices are the soul of good food. So always use the best quality spices.

- Identify your brand of spices and stick to it! A change in the brand can cause a major change in the flavour of your food.

Take on Modern Indian Food

Modern Indian food plays with traditional Indian flavours in a new avatar! Sometimes it is the presentation of food that takes a new look, sometimes it is the cooking technique that sees a change. But the flavours essentially remain the same. Many brilliant chefs are working hard to change the perception of Indian food. The modern Indian food is presenting our food in a new light before the world, one that is more acceptable to the world palate.

Chef and Restaurateur Romy Gill of Romy’s Kitchen was born and brought up in West Bengal; “In a very small town Burnpur Steel Plant of IISCO township,” as she says. The food is she serves at Romy’s Kitchen tells a lot about her journey on how she grew up eating in a Punjabi family and Bengal.

In tête-à-tête with Restaurant India, Head Chef and Owner of Romy's Kitchen, Romy Gill shares about her struggles and how did she overcome the challenges as a woman restaurateur in the UK.

About Romy Gill's Culinary Journey

On the train journey from Burnpur to Punjab, my mom used to make food to be carried; we didn’t fly during those times. I relish those memories, the food I grew up eating. I moved to the UK at the age of 22; I was excited. But after a week, I started missing my family and friends and even food that I grew up eating. My husband saw a kind of stress and anxiety I had. I am very much British but I am an Indian. I have two traditions, but I always look back to my roots where I grew up.

Also Read: “Women Entrepreneurs Are Not Taken Seriously”

How Romy’s Kitchen was Born

I started my journey from my kitchen and, hence, the name Romy’s Kitchen. Previously, I started with catering and doing the sources and stuff from my kitchen.

Opening in a small town Thornbury in England was my decision because I wanted to be with my daughters as they were very young then. So when I had the courage and found the right place to open the restaurant, I went ahead. When I found the right place, the planners didn’t give me planning. It took three and a half years, and it took nine months to finish it actually.

Being a woman and a brown person and being someone who has never worked in the industry, banks would not give me loans. There were three different things that came against me but we fought. Even, I sold the jewellery which my parents had gifted me. Not many husbands would support neither many women would take the risk but for me, I believed and still believe life had amazing opportunities. When one door is closed the other gets opened. You should never be afraid of asking people for support. You never know what they are going to say. Opening a restaurant gave me a lot of opportunities.

Bestsellers at Romy’s Kitchen

My favourite ingredient is panchphoran and tamarind. We poach the Octopus, marinate with tamarind and cook with panchphoran. It is one of the bestsellers at our restaurant. 

Romy Gill on Getting an MBE

Whatever comes to you is according to your ability. It was my selfishness that I worked on myself. I wanted to be selfish within me. Back then I never knew what an MBE was and I never thought about it. When I got a letter from the Queen that I am receiving an MBE, my daughters were more excited. It happened because of the efforts of my team. Without a team you are nothing.  The experience of a first Indian woman to open a restaurant in Britain and the first Indian woman chef to get an MBE proves anyone can do it if they have passion and supportive people.

Secret Recipe to Entrepreneurial Success

I don’t want to be anybody else. I want to be me. I think about my customers and how the food will taste. I make my staff taste the food before it goes to the customers’ tables. All my staff is British, because it’s where I am, in a very small town. I want to train people who want to work with me. I am not one of those people who would just crusade for a women-only staff. 

What I am today is because of my husband and daughters. He is my backbone and helps me with everything. You had to have a person who really believes in you and my husband did. Besides, I am also a very strong-minded person. I don’t care what anyone else says. I do what I want, but not negatively.

Key Learning

It’s not about my food is better than yours. I love working with male chefs because they never say I am better than you. They might say among themselves but they really respect you as a chef. I find hard working with women as they have that tendency to say ‘I am better than you’, though not all women say so. Most of the times women don’t help each other; they are the worst enemies of each other.

Take on Modern Indian Food

My food is very traditional. If I am doing an Octopus or a Crab dish, it doesn’t mean that I am forgetting my roots. It’s just creating something. Indian spices are wonderful. We are so lucky to be in the country. Young generation should understand. Like one should eat flaxseed (alsi) only for two months and in winter. You should never take it in summer. Understand the spices and ingredients before you use them.

Click To Read More Stories on Women Entrepreneurs

With over two decades of experience in the culinary business and her natural gift for teaching she has catapulted Palate Culinary Studio from a small mom-and-pop shop to a state of the art international cooking school where she trains budding chefs, amateurs, professionals and food enthusiasts alike, all within 4 years’ time! Excerpts from the interview:

Brief us about your journey.

Honestly, I feel I began my culinary journey at the tender age of 11. I used to keenly observe my aunts cook delicious food. I literally used to be that curious kid who used to trouble each and every lady in our society till she won't let me cook/bake with her.  I am also a Le Cordon Bleu-trained chef. I started off late but right now I am extremely content with my two baby ventures including Palate Culinary Studio and Palate Culinary Academy which is also the first ever CTH Center of the country along with a UK-Certified Vegetarian Culinary Course. It is also a one-stop shop for all your culinary dreams. We provide UK-Certified Programs, One-day workshops, Culinary Demonstrations and literally anything under the sun that you can call a culinary experience. I wrote my first Cookbook a year ago and I am currently the Executive Editor at BBC Good Food India. I am constantly working on new ideas and new projects for television channels like FoodFood and leading Magazines like BBC Good Food India for which I am a columnist, Better Homes and Gardens and Femina among others.

What are the recent trends in the F&B sector you are noticing?

In recent times, I love how sustainable and healthy eating habits are trending in the industry. People are excessively becoming conscious about their eating habits and their consequences. It is extremely important as people are now realizing the truth behind, 'You are what you eat.' I also feel that in the past couple of years, people have become more accepting and open to experimenting as customers. Recent trends in the market like keto-friendly food, gluten-free food, vegan food or for that matter usage of hemp seed oil are revolutionary in nature. It is incredibly humbling to be able to witness these massive trends and be a part of them.

About your academy, what do you aim out of your students?

The key idea behind my academy was to bridge the gap between the east and the west. Having trained abroad, I came to realize how difficult it is to adapt what you learn there in the comfort of your own kitchen back in India. I also began realizing the unabridged passion I felt for teaching. This made me realize that there is no better way to change this situation than to provide a Glocal platform for budding chefs and entrepreneurs to pursue their passion (age no-bar). We believe in hands-on training that is extensive in nature. We ensure that each and every student gets a first-hand exposure into the offerings of the culinary world including its digitalization.  This includes customized consultations for each and every student in a manner that post the completion of their program; we help them bridge the gap between their vision and the offerings of the industry, hence making us a one-of-a-kind entrepreneurial centre. 

Being a celebrity chef, how do you think that TV has revolutionized the whole culinary platform?

TV definitely plays a significant role in increasing the mass appeal of the culinary industry.  Reality shows have made the culinary world increasingly approachable. From a time where it wasn't a profession known to the masses to becoming the most sought after career option, it's amazing how the whole culinary platform has evolved.  Culinary shows have taught us, changed us and changed with us. To add up to the same, digital platforms have largely revolutionized the way we perceive food.  With Food videos being the go-to viral content of the current age, I highly feel there's no turning back.

Tell us your future plans.

Well, there are a lot of interesting projects that I am experimenting with and working on to make cooking and baking universal in nature. I love the fact that digital world has broken barriers across the globe. I am constantly trying to make the best of it. I want to create a niche platform for people of all ages in cooking and baking. Palate Culinary Studio and Academy does this by bringing in a plethora of local as well as international chefs from different parts of the industry to come forward and share their unique set of skills. Well yes, hopefully expanding my academy into a university is on top of the list!

Gary Mehigan always wanted to be either an engineer or a Policeman, but neither seemed to fit quite right. It was then that his father suggested him to talk to his Grandfather who was a chef, and everything seemed to fall into place. He has worked with some of the best known restaurants in the world including the The Boathouse, which he sold that last year. Read what he has to say on his food journey:

When did you think of becoming an entrepreneur from a chef?

I have been in Australia for some years, had worked with 5 star hotels for a few years, and the opportunity came up to go into business with Chef Raymond Capaldi, and the timing just seemed right. I felt like the time was right for me, and The Boathouse, so I took a leap of faith.

What were the challenges faced?

It’s a massive learning curve, going from running a kitchen to running a whole business. It was no longer just managing staff, food costs and creating menus; I was suddenly working with architects, accountants, marketing people, events office, and all the details that come with running your own business.

Tell us about your brand portfolio?

Well, it’s a number of things… My television roles, my books, guest appearances and brand ambassadorships. Right now we are developing a product range, I have just completed my first series of Podcast, called “A Plate to Call home”, which is available on Itunes internationally, and I have really enjoyed that medium. So I don’t have a traditional portfolio of restaurants or stores, but lots of different activities that take my creativity and endorsement.

Tell us about one of that wow! moment in your journey which you still remember.

There have been many, but from a food perspective, opening my first restaurant would have been one of those, but then realizing I was part of a trio hosting the biggest show on Australian television, was a surreal experience.

Gary, you have travelled around the world, worked with the best. How do you see food travelling from one region to the other?

Food breaks down boundaries and brings people together. It has been an important part of Australia’s identity, with many immigrants arriving from all over world since WWII. Greeks, Italians, Indians, various Asian communities, and now Middle Eastern, we have a wonderful melting pot of food. So I think food most definitely travels as our world becomes one big food experience.

Your contribution on Masterchef Australia is huge. How these shows actually help people to enter into the food biz?

Masterchef Australia was a game changer. Unlike any other reality show, our Food Production team, sincerely are in search of the next best home cook in Australia, and that shows, by how the success of so many of our previous contestants and where they are now. The success list is endless and inspiring.

What are few kitchen techniques which you always follow while cooking?

I am a clean freak and encourage those who have worked for me and the contestants on the show to work cleanly. It helps ensure you have a clear mind when the pressure is on. 

Tell us about your new show ‘Masters of Taste’ on Fox. What are we going to taste about the food biz in this show?

I have the best job in the world. I get to travel around India, meet inspiring people doing amazing things in the food space in India, from the fine dining of Indian Accent to the humble & honest home cooking of the Danda Food Project. I then share some of my inspirations with the viewer that I hope they will try at home.

You have spent quite a few times in India. What trends do you see in the country?

FOOD! I am not a typical tourist who wants to do tours or see cathedrals or museums, but I am the ultimate food tourist. I will plan holidays based on food experiences I want to discover. Chocolate factories in Italy, cheese in France, street food in India.

What’s most exciting part of being in the industry?

The fact that everyone wants to talk about food. So many wonderful memories are usually attached to food for many people, so there is always a great food memory or story to tell or hear.

5 quick tips for new chefs and restaurateur who want to make it big in the industry.

Take your time, understand it’s a tough industry with long hours, and not everyone becomes a TV presenter. Sometimes the simplest ideas are the best. Talk to other people in the industry. And do your research. 

What’s the plan going forward?

To find some work/life balance, travel as much as I can, and take my dogs for a walk as often as I can.

Who would have ever though that the chirpy chef from The Rasoi show (a very popular TV show on Colors Gujarati) will one day end up being one of the biggest food entrepreneurs of India. Taking inspiration from simple things in life, Chef Aanal Kotak has worked on to create magical dishes in her kitchen. And, entrepreneurship just came along over the course of time with her first restaurant The Secret Kitchen, a fine dine setup, which became an instant hit with the customers.

STARTING YOUNG

“Well I don’t think I ever thought that I would be an entrepreneur. I was and I am a chef. Entrepreneurship is something that came along,” shares Kotak, who thinks entrepreneurship is synonymous to being a chef. Her innate understanding of Indian flavours in contemporary food has changed the way people perceive and experience Indian cuisine. As much as she loves experimenting with Indian flavours and spices, she loves baking cakes. She’s one of those rare ones who don’t mind going dirty with spices and baking goodies, with equal élan. “Our society is designed in such a weird way that home kitchens mean women and professional kitchens mean man,” adds Kotak who was not allowed to go to hotel school. And, seven years down the line, she has disrupted the way people have thought a woman would do in a man’s kitchen.

PLAYING WITH FLAVOURS

 “I open my spice box, which I fondly call Masaliyu, to touch the spices and it gives me a fantastic feeling,” laughs Chef Aanal, who is attracted towards ancient food culture and traditions. “I’m getting attracted to all the ancient methods, techniques, ingredients and recipes,” she further adds as she is studying, researching and travelling to know more about methods of cooking in the ancient times and royal era.

SPREADING AROMA

With a quirky personality, Aanal wears many hats, fashion designer, author, TV star, but the incomparable of them all is the chef inside her. Her definition of good food is something that enriches the mind, body and soul. “You can’t go monotonous in this industry. Every day gives you new inspiration and everyday you can create something magical in your kitchen,” she smiles adding that no other business has the privilege to invent something every other day. “When I touch my spices, I feel like I’m alive,” she concludes.

What’s the whole idea coming up with Spell Bound?

Sagar: SPELLBOUND is an experiential dinning model. We found there is dearth of places when we need to go out for standalone luxury dinning with authentic food and entertainment. Be it with family, colleagues or friends there have to be something for everyone.

How is the response as we hardly see a fine dine setup in mall?

Sagar: Response is outstanding. Malls have changed the way city market was. We believe that if the brand has some value proposition and offerings to attract customers, location becomes just an address. We get feedback from our diners that they don't feel that they are in a mall setup when inside.

Chef Izzat: It’s been an overwhelming response to us. People were familiar with my identity in Delhi-NCR which helped me in getting people at this restaurant. After knowing that I had opened a venture of my own, their presence can be witness here and it’s still going on. Spellbound is a food oriented business centre where quality food is served to the customers.

What made you enter into the food business leaving your medical profession behind?

Chef Izzat: Food was in my heredity as I belonged to a royal family from Lucknow. I persuaded my medical education becoming a Unani doctor by profession. After some years of my practice, I joined the research team for the trials of various spices like ginger, garlic etc. It eventually made my knowledge about foods and spices grew a lot. My hobby and this experience got amalgamated which gave my passion for food a new way. After that I started my television show on TravelerXp which was known as Quest. I focused on five things while serving people with food- good look, good flavor, good for your nose, good for your taste bud and it should be hygienic. The food served here are prepared without the use of water followed by no usage of yogurt in the food while cooking with no artificial use of colors.  

What’s the average footfall?

Sagar: Average footfall is approx 3500 a month which is increasing rapidly. 

How is the menu and everything designed?

Chef Izzat: It’s not entirely an independent work. Many other people were involved while designing the menu and other stuffs of the restaurant. I have invented many new dishes here like alapasi chicken, paneer malai tikka etc which are only served over here.

How do you bring the healthiness in your food?  

Chef Izzat: I am trying to use the food products which are nutritious in nature. For example if I am preparing biryani here, then it’s made from basmati rice, fresh mutton, desi ghee and saffron followed by spices which brings taste along with hygiene in our diet.

From where do you get the ingredients?

Chef Izzat: I get the ingredients locally. The only thing that we are concerned about is that the quality of the food should be maintained as we can’t compromise with that.

Who is the target audience?

Sagar: SPELLBOUND has semi private, private, fine dining, lounge area on single floor and terrace with private deck on the another which makes it a perfect outing place from 8 year old to 80 year old. With combination of Indian and continental cuisine the place is appropriate for corporate dinners and parties, family outings and special celebrations and also for young and old couples to have quality time. 

How much have you invested in the brand?

Sagar: The project cost is approx Rs 6 crores

How about designing the place?

Sagar: Place has been designed to give it a contemporary royal feel. We we're very clear on what we exactly need out of the place. We made sure that we cater large audience and for many reasons. Every area has been designed with lot of detailing for eg: we have put volume controllers in our private dining area for diners to adjust it as per their mood. So not only the creative side but also making the place operationally viable was our objective.

What is the expansion plan?

Sagar: We plan to expand to other metro cities, Mumbai being our favorite. Saying that we are taking one step at a time. We want to create a quality name from our first venture and then move ahead.

Chef Hemant Oberoi is one name in Indian culinary map who has setup a trend of bringing newness to the country’s dining scenario. Chef Oberoi is the man behind the food at some of the Taj Group's renowned restaurants including Varq, Masala Kraft, Wasabi and Zodiac Grill to name a few. An admirer of fine cooking, Oberoi opened his first restaurant in Singapore in May 2016 expanding his creative stint with food to the international market.  “It was boring working as a consultant because your creativity dies and it becomes a 9 to 5 job,” shares Oberoi who after working as an advisor for Taj Group for over a year thought of opening his own restaurants because for a person whose day begins at 9 and ends at 2 midnight spending time in kitchen and listening to the guest it was boring.

Breaking the Myth

A chef can be a best entrepreneur and Chef Oberoi has proved this from his unstoppable creativeness at his luxury restaurant at BKC which spells relief for his fans after almost a year of him moving from Taj. Chef Oberoi opened his first restaurant Yantra by Hemant Oberoi on 20^th May 2016 in Singapore, marking his entry into restaurant world. And since then there is no looking back. He opened another two restaurants within a year- Masala Street in San Diego and Hemant Oberoi in BKC, Mumbai.  “I don’t think there is a comparison for this kind of restaurant,” smiles Chef Oberoi who completed the project in four and a half month. “My brief was very simple 19th century French dining and it should reflect that,” adds Oberoi appreciating his designer who has converted his dream project into reality. The restaurant has got 24 feet high sealing which you don’t get today and is a 62 seater with a private dining.

Never Ending ‘Fan’ Club

From celebrities like Rishi and Neetu Kapoor,  Amitabh and Jaya Bachchan, Akshay and Twinkle Khanna to cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar and the likes of Mukesh Ambani and Ratan Tata all have loved and admired the master chefs cooking for more than 30 years. “I have known Rishi and Neetu for about 35-40 years. A serial about my cooking and life is being made on Livingz Food which will have one episode dedicated to them,” smiles Chef Oberoi who is ruling Indian food market from last four decades. It doesn’t end here former British Prime Minister John Major liked the Dum Ka Zaffrani Gosht (lamb curry) so much that he sent Chef Oberoi a note from the UK. The recipe was sent to the Bombay Brasserie restaurant in London so it could be made and dispatched to No. 10 Downing Street whenever there was a request from the occupant. It used to be called "the John Major Curry", shares Chef Oberoi proudly. Major's illustrious predecessor Margaret Thatcher too was a fan, as are the Obamas and the Royals from Arab.

Ruling the Culinary World

Running your own business is altogether a different cup of tea.  You need to be on both side of the game- managing day to day operations and looking after the kitchen works.  “I am still on both cooking my food and looking after my kitchen works,” shares Oberoi adding that earlier Taj was the brand now Hemant Oberoi is the brand.  “It puts a little pressure when you are running your restaurant by your name,” he further adds. The chef is not running after any award and believes that the happy customers are the greatest gift.  “My biggest award is when a customer enters with a smile. I am not running after money and that’s not my passion. My passion is the customer satisfaction and we should be able to deliver happiness,” says Oberoi who thinks that the whole concept about the new dining experience is the great evident.

For Tommy Miah food happened at an early age of 14 from dishwashing in Birmingham outside London where he got an interest in cooking. He used to work in the restaurant during his weekends and that’s how he developed an interest in cooking. Obviously like we all do, we get the ideas from our parents, our mom, he did the same. By the time he was 17, he had his first fast food business in Birmingham. And, today he has become one of the sought after name in the food fraternity in the world. Read what he has to say:

Tell us something about your journey in the world of food?

Since, I began my first restaurant there was no looking back. I moved to Edinburgh and opened a restaurant in partnership and from there onwards I have expanded into other businesses opening more restaurants, coming up with recipe books of which I have written around 20 of them which is available on Amazon and are quiet popular. One of the books was forward by the UK’S Queen Elizabeth and Duchess of York. I have worked with Princess Anne and she was our guest of honor at the award ceremony in London.

What about other works and association?

We run International Indian Chef of the year Competition running since 1991. Obviously, food is my love and my passion, I have always enjoyed that and wherever there is an opportunity I try to get involved and do my best whatever I can do. Also side by side I run Tommy Miah's Hospitality Management Institute since 2003. So till now roughly 18000 students have been in the academy and they are working all over the world. I am also coming up with Tommy Miah’s Fried Chicken globally and have one outlet in Bangladesh my home country just to do a test market. It’s been four year and now I am ready to expand and open our first outlet in Kolkata. We shall come up with 8-10 outlets by December end. I have also plan to open outlets in Africa, UAE and Malaysia. I have another setup in Malaysia where we have introduced ready to eat Thai, Italian, Malaysian, Chinese, Indonesian paste.

Tell us something about your plan to enter Kolkata and why?

Tommy Miah’s Fried Chicken is combined with my own spices and flavors where we marinate it and not pump it like other brands do. So the chicken is crispy and the spices go in because we use overnight to 24 hours marination. Kolkata has got very similar taste to Dhaka so we wanted to try hand with this market before expanding it to other regions. Also, one needs only Rs 5-6 lakhs to set up this business and it’s only 70 sq. feet which is not huge. Already I have signed a deal with a master franchise here in India. We have a target of 100 outlets in three years all over India.

Which part of your job you enjoy the most?

I enjoy cooking recipe, love developing new recipes, that’s my main idea, my goal.

What are your secret curries that are very popular?

I enjoy lot of the traditional curries. I have been a vegetarian for the past 30 years but I do take fish for protein. One of the dishes called Gosht Hindustani is my signature and another one I created for Bangladeshi’s called Green Chicken prepared in green paste of mint, coriander and all these greens are made into a paste.

What is your favorite flavor or ingredient to play with in kitchen?

Mint, coriander, chilly, lemon, a little bit of sugar to give that sweet and hot flavor. I like to blend my own spices together and blend my own flavor rather than buying in powders.

What advise you would like to give to the young and aspiring chefs?

I will say that whatever you do, do it with your heart and do it with your passion. I think we need more training to the aspiring chefs. 

With Inputs From:

Shrishti Rai

Chef Vineet Bhatia is one of the few chefs who left India in search of better cuisine acceptance and growth. It was way back in 1993 Vineet moved to the global land and today he owns 11 restaurants with 3 Michelin Star in his feather. A firm believer of quality and consistency Vineet loves Indian flavours and ingredients. Read, what he has to say on his journey as a Michelin Star chef turned restaurateur.

Making Indian Food Global

I think Indian restaurants, Indian food is delicious, it’s tasty but the only thing is they are stuck with time. They need to come out of that and look for exposure. I left Indian in 1993 because I was not allowed to grow in the country. There is lots of hurdles involved opening a restaurant in India. They stuck to the ground and they believe in making a difference. We created a small little revolution in a way to create spark and make awareness. Someone needs to let the fire first to keep it growing and I think we set the fire very slowly in a very humble, gentle manner. TV helped a lot on capturing local Indian foods and creating awareness as it spoke for evolution. We saw lots of restaurants opening in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru and suddenly lots of TV shows started happening in India. I still feel it’s still slow and can be little fast.

Changing Face of the Sector

In my days nobody wanted to work in Kitchen but today people want to become a chef, an hotelier and a restaurateur. It’s still considered as glamorous but it’s not. It’s very anti-social life.  You need to be very dedicated and professional about it because you need to do lots of sacrifice. If you don’t like it don’t do it. So, the change is coming now. People coming into the industry have that advantage because they already have everything ready for them.

Making Local Food Global

We look at innovation all the time and how we can evolve the cuisine. We focus on authenticity. The flavours of India has to come. The essence is all Indian so it tastes Indian but it doesn’t look Indian as we have played around presentation. We can make the food look as glamorous as it can be but the ‘Swad’ has to come through. One needs to be consistent in whatever he does. Doing consistent products is very important. Also, one need to do things which are still authentic- Indian flavours and tastes. If a Chettinad Masala has to go it needs to have all the ingredients, if a Lucknowi biryani has to be done it needs to have all the spices infused and needs to be maintained else it will be lost. You can do something different but then don’t give the authentic name. No matter what food you do it has to be consistent. 

Running Michelin-Starred Restaurants

Running a Michelin star is a tough call as it is based on consistency. We believe in it and for us it is consistency through and through. We don’t cook for the Michelin but we do it for ourselves. It is stressful and then there is lots of cost involved- certain style of food, service has to be done and followed in a certain manner. We are doing it for the experience of the guest and that’s what a guest takes back home. The level has to be the same always.

Opening Restaurant in India

Ziya was a bit different because we were sitting at mainland India. The market is very demanding and ought to cater for what they also like to eat. Unlike Delhi, Mumbai has lots of Jain, Marwari community. The uptake of Indian dishes as compared to western is very higher when compared to Delhi. In Delhi it’s all about ‘Dikhawa’ but Mumbai is mature, they are sensible and they do not splurge too much. They are very particular about what they eat.

Introducing Luxury Dining

Luxury for me is not only the food, but the whole setup. The white kashmiri rugs, the floors, the makrana walls, hangings on the walls, the gold cutlery’s, the gold show plates, the quality of the table tops, napkins, the flowers on the table are all part of the luxury. These all thing the guest do not see important but realise once they dine. And, these are extra layers of thing which you add on create that special guest experience. Also, for me luxury is to show the best product from where you are. Fishes from Cochin, lambs from the Miaji in Mumbai with perfect cuts is all very important and that’s where the luxury comes in. The kind of drinks along with food, the server, the attitude everything clubbed together bring out the best experience.

His Plans for India

There are discussions in pipeline but nothing has been signed as yet so we can’t really say when. We don’t want to do too many for the sake of numbers it has to be a trusted product. Money doesn’t motivate me but the right challenge; if I can deliver it or not. Delhi, Bengaluru, Pondicherry focusing on very regional restaurant from the local ingredients and raw materials. You had to make an impact and create value.  

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.

Chef Kelvin Cheung is Chinese Canadian chef who was associated with Mumbai’s top restaurant Ellipsis before moving back to Toronto and Chicago. Chef Kelvin is back in the country as a chef consultant at newly opened sea food restaurant ‘Bastian’ by Aallia Hospitality. Here are the excerpts from the interview:

Tell us about your journey in the world of food?

My grandfather and used to own restaurants so I kind of grown in restaurants. I started working from a very young age.

What is your role at Bastian?

Bastian is sea food restaurant. I am a chef consultant here and pretty much involved in everything from curating menu to finalising the kitchen task and serving the right cuisine at the table.

How have you seen Indian market growing in all these years?

Indian market has evolved for an average Indian enjoying eating out and all thanks to media which is promoting food trends. Global food trends are quickly coming to India, chefs and restaurants are promoting global trends.

What are the things you look into when it comes to quality?

We are catering to high quality people and we are not doing anything on line of overseas. Quality is all about training the chefs and making them understand the use of right ingredient.

What is your favourite ingredient to play with?

I like fermenting my ingredients. Meanwhile, I also enjoy playing with beef and coming up with good menu.

Which is your favourite cuisine?

South Indian food is my favourite food.

How do you feel coming back to India?

I have been lucky; I am humble with the love that I have been given by the customers in India and I am happy to back with my stint at Bastian.

You have so much experience playing around food. Can we see you opening a restaurant of your own?

I will open a restaurant of my own but, not now. However, opening restaurant in India is not a plan.

When did you decided to become a chef?

I started cooking at a very earlier age as a hobby because my grandfather used to cook a lot in the kitchen. I used to watch cook shows especially Chef Sanjeev Kapoor’s Khana Khazana and I would watch the show, note down the recipes and used to make it. As time flies I was thinking what to do and it was my grandfather’s suggestion to be a cook. My mom wanted me to be a bio-tech engineer. And, it seems an instant career for me and that’s when I decided to be chef.

What was the most exciting part of the journey?

When you cook for people and you see the joy. People come to you and praise your cuisine and food. It was a wedding night and I made 20 aloo parathe for entire family and the kind of attention I got was unforgettable. It is one of the royal memories I had. It made me realise what food is and how it made people react.

You have also authored ‘India on my Platter’. Tell us about your experience bringing India on single plate?

I was doing a show called ‘Roti Raasta India’ on Food Food channel in 2012. The show allowed me to travel extensively to 25 states and 60 cities. We travelled around 2000 km in span of 100 days. I was shooting while I was travelling every day. It remains one of the most exciting trips in my life. And, it was the longest road journey by a chef in India. It also appeared in the Limca Book of Record. While doing the show I realised that there was so much which the show could not capture and I felt that I should document it somewhere. Firstly, I planned to write a blog on this but then I realised that it won’t be fair to put such a great content in just a blog. So, I thought of writing the book, I got in touch with the publisher, we both liked the idea and that’s how we launched the book. It’s not a normal book; it has travelogue, recipes, anecdotes and travel and food stories.

You are known for your butter chicken recipes. What entices you to play with it?

It was a funny story, I never thought butter chicken is going to be my popularisation. I realised that in Mumbai nobody is giving good butter chicken. There were few restaurants that are doing it but were really expensive. So, I started playing around it.

Talking about trends in the industry what do you see picking up in the segment?

I see regional Indian cuisines coming back. People are doing lots of fusion around it. A lot of people are doing molecular gastronomy around it. Entertainment along with food has picked up. People today like to see a lot of Tamasha happening. The gastro pub culture is also on rice. So, in short people are looking for good food, drinks with high quality.

When did you decided to enter into the world of food?

I was inclined towards the kitchen from childhood but never knew I would become a chef. I was pushed towards hotel management by one of my brother’s friend. My love for cooking started when I was nine year old and my mom and I used to cook a lot together. I also used to go to small dhabas and while we ask them to make food for us, I used to come back home and replicate that with my cooking. I did not get a lucrative career at the start but then I have worked with hotel chains like Oberoi, JW Marriott, Mint Leaf Chain Restaurants in London, and Westin in Mumbai. The journey has been very fruitful and I have enjoyed every bit of it.

What was the most exciting part of your journey?

The most exciting part of my journey was how a small town boy moulded himself as a global chef. Food has got all the credit for it because of food I have travelled a lot, got so much exposure and all the learning are credited to it.

You have so much experience in the culinary world. How about starting your own venture?

I have been an entrepreneur from last one and half years. Apart from being a chef, I had a brand called Burgundy Box. Recently, I set up another restaurant in Muscat and I am also working on two restaurants in Mumbai which will be operational by the end of the year. I am chef consultant and partner in these restaurants.

What trends do you see in the industry today?

Food and beverage is seeing very definite change in terms of standalone dining options becoming much more superior and stronger than any five star hotels. Customers are looking at much more of variety and that’s why they are looking at stand alone restaurants. And, just like the west in few years hotel would become only for bed and breakfast and banqueting and F&B and eating out trend will be taken over by stand alone restaurants. India has become market; the amount of growth which India is seeing is not even seen by China. And, today people are much more spending on restaurants and food than anything else.

I think with more options on the platter restaurants are losing loyal customers. What is your view?

Loyalty also is based on less variety. But with so much options and variety people have moved out of this. And, also with variety there is coming lots of great quality. But lately people have also realised that with change in time restaurant are not reinventing themselves. But the bigger challenge is how will you have your loyal customers in this disloyal world and that’s where we as a chef have challenge. We have to continue to reinvent ourselves not only for a year, month but for every day. 

Having started out as a chef at the age of 16, Chef Eric brings with him close to 20 years of culinary and catering experience across varied cuisines including Cantonese, Western, Peranakan, Asian, as well as local delights.  He rose to become Head Chef of international buffet restaurant Aquamarine in Marina Mandarin Singapore before being promoted to the hotel’s Executive Sous Chef in 2006. He joined Crowne Plaza Changi Airport as Executive Chef in 2008, where he was an integral part of the pre-opening team responsible for developing menus and implementing operational procedures for the hotel’s food and beverage outlets. He was appointed InterContinental Singapore’s Executive Chef in October 2011.

His expertise and culinary skills as both chef and leader have earned him extensive recognition. Among other accolades, he was the team manager of the culinary team representing Singapore at the Pattaya City Culinary Challenge 2011, leading the team to win the gold medal as well as Dubai World Culinary Championship 2013 – Champion. He was also one of two elected Singapore representatives for the Tiger Brands World Cooks Tour for Hunger in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Durban, South Africa in 2003, at which he received a commendation for outstanding service. He also appears regularly as a guest chef or judge on popular local television food programmes such as “Koji Cooks” and “Wok Stars” on MediaCorp Channel 5 and “Neighbourhood Chef” on Channel 8.

Currently he serves as the Vice President of the prestigious Singapore Chefs Association, sits on the Culinary Committee of Chaine Des Rotisseurs Singapore, and is the F&B Sector Ambassador for the Singapore Workforce Development Agency.

Sharing thought on global trends

The global trend today is revolving around recipes, food and cuisines. And, how you inspire your cuisine into global markets. You need to be creative in your menu planning, setups and make sure people are attracted to your food. Today, there is lots of innovation disrupting the food business, but the attraction that is attracting people to try will grow the sector.

Contributing to the growth of cuisine

I am a Singaporean, based out of Singapore.  I travel around the world and learn different food techniques. I am trying to make Singapore cuisine a modern Singapore cuisine. Traditionally, there are some dishes which we could change in terms of plating, representing, and ingredient. We are on a journey to make it a different dish. Chefs are global connect and are very creative. They are always after developing new things, techniques and ingredients.

Advice to aspiring chefs

Make sure you really know your foundation well, knowledge of the ingredients and flavours. Travel, learn and relearn are some important factors that help chefs grow gradually.

Taste over presentation

In a fine dine restaurant, presentation and taste both are very important. Whereas, in a casual dining restaurant taste is more important than presentation.   But to me, taste is most important as presentation varies from chefs to chefs.

Love for Indian food

I live in Singapore and there are many Indians. I have Indian chefs, so I get Indian foods daily. I like the spices used in Indian cuisine and the magic of different spices used together but the dish still tastes very good. I like the strong and robust flavour.

At a very young, Chef Rakhee Vaswani realised that she has a strong palate. If food was not tasty or appealing to her, she could simply go to the kitchen and cook up something delectable with the help of her mom, aunts and neighbours.

Having realised her capabilities and passion at a young age, she had no formal training, but always found solace in the kitchen and picked up talent from home-kitchens. This has helped her grow into a culinary expert with a strong base. Coming from a Sindhi background, probably formal training wasn’t the correct way to go at that point, but her partner knew she needed it sooner in life. This is why her journey begun from always being self-taught to earning a Le Cordon Bleu certificate. Working with French chefs, going behind kitchens always motivated her in a positive way. . She started her home-cooking business; shut it down to be a hands-on mom. A few years later her kids wanted her out of their hair n that’s when her third baby was born – Palate Culinary Studio.

Tell us about your journey at Palate Culinary Studio?

Being scared as I was since I was coming into the industry after 8-9 years, I gathered all my knowledge and opened a small studio in a garage. Being technically challenged, social media and SEO were alien to me. I never had to use them in the start of my career and I can proudly say that it is the work that speaks for you. Having started with 10 one-day workshops to 100+ today, from a garage to a premium boutique studio, from having students aged 5 years to 80 years and having home makers to celebrities as my students to even professional bakers now, I’ve done it all and I’ll keep teaching, because I want to go down in history as the best teacher since it comes to me naturally. Today I’m a culinary expert, cooking and baking teacher, food consultant, professional chef, food blogger, TV show host, and author of my own cookbook.

What according to you is the latest trend hitting Indian food industry?

Food is going through a massive change. People are more open to exploring flavours on their palate unlike before. People are widening their horizons by going out and eating; especially Indians. The trends like those of small plates, tapas, a lot of fusion food east meets west has been taken to the next level to increase the wow factor in presentation and not only taste. Presentation and food on the whole is at its peak!

As you are a celebrity chef, according to you what is that particular thing that is very much promoted in India?

Food per say is promoted on a very large scale according to me. There are way too many home-chefs and home-bakers. Besides, who thought food bloggers would exist and be a fad in them. The leaps and bounds that they have crossed in making a living out of food, and a lot other branches of the culinary world like pop-ups, workshops, online portals, online food-ordering, online learning how to cook etc. has taken food through the roof. It’s amazing how this industry has given so many people job opportunities that never even existed before.

What is some unique strategy that you follow while playing with your flavours?

I believe you need passion and a strong palate and the ability to enjoy whatever you’re doing – That is the key ingredient. Playing with flavours is my forte and if you cook with passion, playing with them will just come to you naturally.

Which is your favourite restaurant in India and why?

My husband and I literally sniff out places to eat from no matter where we go. It could be a small or big restaurant, we try everything. My all-time favourites are Yauatcha, Saffron, Thai Pavillion, Saayba, Mahesh Lunch home and the latest to join the band wagon is Pa PaYa and Farzi café in Delhi. Another one of my latest reviews were Imli in Delhi, which is another great experience. 

Tell us about your future plans and innovations.

Palate Culinary Studio is a boutique cooking school with a lot of hands-on approach. We have 3 different work stations, which I learned from my experience at Tante Marie (Gordon Ramsay Institute) - the industrial, state-of-the-art induction unit and fancy hob. The concept at palate is to give students a blend of home concepts and give them a professional experience. We impart knowledge of ingredients, equipment and bring them in touch with dealers as well so no stone is left unturned.

I look at myself running a culinary institute and teach Indians how to become professionals in this world not just by cut copy paste, but by giving them a space and environment to explore their culinary talent right here in their city without having to go abroad.

What according to you is progressive Indian food?

According to me, un-complicated, simplified and moving to new frontiers is way ahead for Indian food. 

Is your nose your sharpest sense while you come up with interesting mix of flavours?

To me, mind and memory are two biggest senses when I plan to come up with some interesting flavours. And, nose is just a part of it.

You are said to be a compulsive eater. Does that make you a better chef, too? When do you think you became The Gaggan Anand?

It was when I started stealing money from my dad’s pocket for candies which he still doesn’t know.

How do you work through mental/creative blocks?

Haha! It is so simple, pass the problem to 10 other people working in kitchen in briefing and keep thinking together till it is solved.

Are you ambitious? Where do you wish to take your brand?

I am very ambitious; else there would have been no Gaggan. I want to take my restaurant through every foodies mind and to make them like Indian food and include it in their best eating experiences.

What are your secret ingredients that makes you a sought after name?

Fresh, fresher and freshest are three things that I stick to. According to me, nothing should be cooked before the plate is ready for pick up; it is a 200% commitment.

Chef Vikas Khanna is the most acclaimed and celebrated Indian chef globally. The young chef became the toast of New York city when he started his Indian restaurant Junoon in 2010. His journey from the Lawrence Gardens of Amritsar where he ran a successful catering business at the age of 17 to the White House (he hosted a Satvik meal for the White House) is made of grit, determination and loads of perseverance. At a time when Eastern market is the least favoured market for the food business entrepreneurs, Chef Khanna dreams of opening his first restaurant in Indian city of Bodhgaya in Bihar. Read what he has to say on his love for food:

Tell us about your culinary journey- From Amritsar to New York.

The journey has been a classic with hard battles. It was only after joining the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal, where I worked with several well-known chefs and it brought a change in me. Leaving for the US in early 2000 was a turning point in my life. In December that year, I started working in the restaurant, Salaam Bombay in New York. Also, what can compare the high of opening my own restaurant, Junoon in 2010? For any chef, the Michelin Star award is a career landmark - I received my First Michelin Star award in 2011 - another "wow" moment for me. I hosted my first solo TV show, Twist Of Taste, on Fox Life in 2013 and continue to host it till date - something I love doing. And, I opened Junoon in Dubai as well. All in all, it's been a very exciting and satisfying journey.

As we see that modern Indian cuisine is the new pick in the Indian food market today. What is your say on the trends that are picking up the industry?

I feel people are now more experimenting with the taste using the basic ingredients of the dish, the presentation has definitely become modern and   at a time when Indian cuisine is hanging precariously between extremely conventional and dangerously experimental, I try to establish a balancing factor with my progressive techniques and good old robust flavours.

You were the first Indian chef to be a Michelin Star. How does it feel?

Honored and vested with responsibility to serve the best. It’s a once in a life time achievement. There are all Indians in my team and I am so proud for them. Awards represent integrity in the team. It’s just a representation of what you can achieve in life with just strong determination. We were all holding on to each other when the times were bad and when the times were good we were still holding on to each other.

What makes your food technique unique from other celebrated chefs?

I feel the uniqueness is in knowing some kitchen basics like what recipes are best and where to find your inspiration for making a great meal.

Your restaurant Junoon is very ornamental with antique teak swings, glossy marble floors and high ceilings. What role does design play in the success of a restaurant?

I was bowled over when I saw Sanjay Leela Bansali’s Devdas. The initial design of Junoon was a contemporary interpretation of Indian. But when I saw the film I realised that every frame I saw made me realise more about India. Everything was so well defined. I then deiced we had to go all the way into India. It has to look like a palace. It should evoke a ‘Oh My God’ response on entering.

Tell us about your partnership with Gadre Marine?

I can never get enough of sea food and with Gadre Marine I have explored some interesting recipes which will change the way we eat seafood. I have also created some fun, easy to cook recipes that are perfect for a snack or meal with the family.

What will be your contribution in promoting this brand?

With this association, I aim to change the perception about frozen seafood in India and create more awareness about its specialties.

How has the sea food market changing in India?

Seafood is completely different from other meats and Even though Surimi is a Japanese specialty, it is one of the most consumed forms of fish in the world. The concept of Surimi will resonate with young Indians. It is for that reason the recipes with Surimi products are simple, healthy, and easy to make. However, it's also because of the simplicity that the recipes are perfect for a family meal, too. Surimi has a lot of potential in the Indian market. People are now willing to experiment with their food and are willing to try different alternatives. Surimi is the perfect product for this.

Which is your three favourite restaurants and why?

All of them are really good. It's difficult to pick a favourite from them, I love them all.

What about opening a restaurant in India?

I am working on opening a restaurant in Bihar, India. It will be my tribute to my favourite destination in India – Bodh Gaya. It’s my dream.

Chef Ranveer Brar is today one of the top celebrated chef in India. From working as a judge for MasterChef season IV to taking his dancing skills on television, the young chef has become the favourite choice of every modern food place in India. And, recently when MTV has launched its cafe in association with Delhi based Fun Bars Hospitality; Brar was roped in as the corporate chef of the group crafting the most inspirational food from around the globe.

What made you join hand with MTV as a brand?

I think MTV as brand perfectly fits into my kind of food.  Today, food places around philosophy are turning a stint. We have played around certain recipes like biryani iron chini, gulab jamun cheese cake, Japanese miso tikka etc. which are a new inspiration in food. But what should be kept in mind that the food should not become a mockery while playing around flavours. So, we have tried to keep the respect, yet FLYP the food around.

What is the most important aspect that you look into while crafting the menu?

Respect is what I always keep in mind while designing the menu. The respect for flavours has to be intact, serious and food should always be inspirational not the fusion.

How much is your involvement in this menu?

Everything in the menu is thought for and curated by me. It took us almost four months to create the concept and finally bring the menu.

How localised is the sourcing?

Unfortunately when we are trying to use international food, we have incorporated western ingredients and global imports and rest everything is locally sourced.

How difficult it was curating the menu for MTV keeping in mind the kind of customers’ it targets?

Every time you curate a menu it is difficult because you want to know who’s going to eat those foods. For me the biggest challenge was the urban youth of Delhi who would visit the restaurant, their choice, likes and preferences. 

Are you going to create menu for all MTV outlets depending on the city and region?

We have very different palates, perception and taste. And the menu is not going to be copied in any part of India. The FLYPing part is consistent everywhere in food and drinks.

Talk to us about the launches of your two eateries Jamie’s Italian & Jamie’s Pizzeria in India?

I am massively excited that we’re opening two restaurants in the Indian market.  It’s the first time we’ve done anything like this overseas so it’s a big step for us.  The pizzeria is the first of its kind outside the UK so we can’t wait to open the doors and see what our guests think. I’ve been across all the menus and design and I’m very proud it and what the whole team have achieved. We’ll be serving up what I think is a brilliant menu of pizzas, all of which will be made with fresh homemade dough and topped with the best possible produce. We’re making sure it’s really great value, too, so you don’t have to splash out too much cash. I really hope people love it.

Jamie’s Italian is all about honest, simple Italian food cooked really well and all at a great price. The menu is really flexible so you can pop in for a bowl of pasta or sit down for a four course meal. Again, we’ll only be using top notch produce.

Over the past couple of years many international food joints have stepped into the Indian market. Was a late entry contemplated?

We never jump into anything. I’ve wanted to open a restaurant in India for years but for us it’s about finding a brilliant partner to work with and a fantastic site which takes time.

What model have you chosen to enter into India? Will it be a JV or a solo entry?

We always work with a partner internationally. We’re not arrogant enough to think that we could open a restaurant overseas on our own. We know our style, our ethos and our food but we need a fantastic local partner who has real knowledge of the territory.

Do you think India is a good market for the Italian palate? Why?

Italian food already seems to be very popular which is great but a lot of people have said to me that there’s a lot of cheap big pizza chains and a fair few higher end Italian restaurants but not much in between. I really hope we can fill that gap with some great quality but brilliant value Italian food.

Talk to us about the investment made to bring Jamie Oliver in India?

In terms of resources it’s huge. I won’t name names but I know of chefs who will just put their name to a restaurant overseas and will leave it at that. It’s just something we would never do. I have a whole team dedicated to our international restaurants whose job it is to ensure that the quality remains consistently high wherever it is in the world.

We also put a huge amount into training. We always bring our new senior teams over to the UK to train in our restaurants here and ensure that the rest of the team is trained by our crack UK team. We really want our international restaurants to feel as much part of the family as any of our UK restaurants.

Real estate has always been a big reason to worry for international brands. Did you face any challenges doing the same?

Of course we have and we do rely heavily on our partners when it comes to securing sites.

India is a competitive market when it comes to pricing. What do you have in your bucket for the same? How will you compete with the pricing keeping quality in mind?

A competitive market isn’t new to us and right from day one we’ve had to work incredibly hard on keeping our prices down whilst making sure the quality never slips. I can guarantee you that our margins aren’t as good as other restaurants and never will be.

Sure, they could better if we dropped the quality of our ingredients but it’s a simple something we will never compromise on.

What is the growth rate of your company internationally? Do you expect the same growth in India? Why/ Why not?

We don’t go as quickly as other brands. I think we could but as I mentioned earlier, we’re about getting it completely right before we jump to the next project. It might sound crazy but our international group of restaurants has grown very organically.

Chef Manish Mehrotra has around 18-20 years of experience as a chef. Starting from his college days in Mumbai, he then worked with Taj Group of Hotels there, and later joined ‘Old World Hospitality’ 15 years ago. He worked in London for four years with this company and has travelled all around the world. Today, he is associated with ‘Indian Accent’. 

Indian Accent has been awarded best restaurant for years. What is the hidden reason behind this success?

Training, training and training is what I focus at my restaurant. Second important thing is maintaining consistency in the food that we serve at our restaurant. And coming up with something new all the time are few reasons for the success of Indian Accent.

You are known for introducing modern Indian Food. What made you to introduce something new to the Indian plate?

India is now a global country, people from all over the world come to India and everything in the country is on its progressive path. Food was the only thing where we were stuck and people used to think that Indians only eat curry-based food with thick gravy, ghee, or creamy and heavy foods, which was not true. And it came as a major source of inspiration for me that I have to do something with Indian ‘khana’ that everybody appreciates and can relate to it.

How do you maintain the authenticity of the food still playing with the original flavours?

Authenticity is a very subjective word and when you prepare food, similar dishes can be prepared in many ways, and it becomes really difficult to describe what authenticity of food is. At my restaurants, I never compromise on taste of the food. So, according to me, taste is the most important thing and after that you can do anything with the dish.

How is the pricing done at your restaurant?

Food, plus the hard work behind preparing the food, is how we decide on pricing the food.

What is your view on change in the eating habits?

India has developed a lot in last five years. Consumers’ palate has become more adventurous and evolved and they are ready to try new. And are ready to pay money for good food.

What is the current food trend in India?

India is witnessing lots of changes when it comes to food trend. Molecular gastronomy is becoming popular, regional cuisine is taking a new avatar and modern Indian food is replacing the traditional menu.

We see that chefs in India are promoting regional cuisines these days. What is the reason?

Regional cuisines need to be promoted because till now food in India has become typical Punjabi food and it has dominated the Indian food. Everybody in India and outside India thinks that it is the only Indian cuisine, but that is not true. We have different types of foods which are delicious. There is a vast range of food from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bengal, Gujarat, and Kashmir, but people don’t know about it. So, this is the reason we as a chef want to promote regional food and regional cuisine.

What are you doing to promote Bihari cuisine?

I have included ‘Sattu Paratha’ in my recipe. People do not know much about Bihari cuisine and for them ‘Litti-Chokha’ is the only Bihari food.  Bihari food is not known as regional cuisine rather it is known as community food as Brahaman food will be different from that of a Kayasth food in the region. Bihari food has different varieties including Khaja, Tilkut, Layi, Anarsa, kaddu k patte ka pakoda and the list goes on.

What is your biggest achievement so far?

The biggest achievement is ‘Indian Accent’ which is now number 1 restaurant in India, making Indian food global.

Are you planning to open a restaurant of your own?

No, I am not planning to open a restaurant rather am focusing on taking Indian Accent to international market, as well as opening more stores in India.
 

Chef Kunal Kapoor is a known face in the Indian F&B industry. Running a restaurant to hosting the show MasterChef India, he has a vast experience in the food industry. In an exclusive interview with Restaurant India, he tells about the latest F&B trend and the shifts in the eating habits that Indians are going through.

Coming from the family’s of bankers, how did you manage to enter in the F&B industry?

I have grown up seeing men cooking in my family and seeing my father cook the Sunday meal, really inspired me. He would always make me sit with him and tell me a little about every ingredient. I soon earned the title of 'Chief Stirrer' at home.

I heard about the hotel management course from a friend. I was terrible at math and thought why not try this. Soon it turned out that I knew more about food than peers because of the time I spent in the kitchen as a kid. Gradually I got more engrossed in the profession and cooking and trying out new dishes gave me a real kick. It is perfection- art, science, math all rolled into one! 

How did MasterChef happen? What are the challenges that you went through while handling the show?

It just happened that star plus approached me for this show. I was surprised and asked why me? I was told because of the best restaurant awards that I have earned for my restaurants. Hence, they found me a credible judge for the show. On the show one of my biggest challenges was to deal with elimination. There were many people with so many dreams and telling them that they could not make it to the next round was heart breaking.

What according to you is the latest trend in the F&B industry? And which cuisine you find is exciting in the world?

The latest trend in the food and beverage industry is sourcing local, seasonal and organic produce. There is a huge emphasis that I see where chefs are researching local cuisine and bringing out the local seasonal produce in a new avatar. Recently I launched the new signature kebab at the Leela Gurgaon Indian restaurant, called Haleem kebab.

How has the shift changing in the eating habits of consumers in India?

There has been a major shift in the eating habits of consumers in Indians are now willing to explore and try out different cuisines which was not seen earlier. It's also seen that people now are turning towards a healthy lifestyle and food habits. They still wouldn't want to compromise on the taste!  

What according to you is the one thing that can transform a bland meal into a banquet?

Any kind of herb when added to a bland meal can transform a bland dish to a banquet dish. For example a regular yellow dal if given a tarka of basil, kadi patta and chili and garnished with lots of chopped coriander would instantly become more appealing.

Tell us something about your Book ‘A Chef in every home’

‘A Chef in Every Home’ is my first book, an honest attempt to explore international cuisine and simplify it so that everyone can experiment with these dishes in their own home kitchens. The recipes are fuss- free and have been created keeping in mind ingredients and equipment that you would find in a normal Indian home kitchen. The techniques have been simplified too, making the book truly A Chef in every home. 

What advice you would like to give to an aspiring chef in the industry?

Experiment with flavours, textures and presentation. Try new ingredients; try old ones with a new technique and create your own unique dish.

Delhi based Sattviko has acquired food delivery startup Call A Meal for an undisclosed amount.

Started in 2014 by Kartik Singhal, Call A Meal is doing great numbers in Jaipur by offering meal services to homes and offices.

"With this acquisition, our focus is to strengthen the delivery service, which was always a secondary business for us and now we want to make it a key business," shared Prasoon Gupta, Co-Founder and Director, Sattviko.

After the acquisition, Singhal will join the core team of Sattviko to scale up its delivery service business that has been operational for over a year now.

The acquisition also gives Sattviko access to Call A Meal's custombers.

"They will now be targeted by the same team but with the Sattviko brand," Gupta said.

Sattviko which has been serving as QSR brand, is now focusing on bigger format by opening fine dining restaurants where the brand will bring the modern Indian cuisine into vegetarian format.

“We are sure that people will love our food as we have also brought celebrity chef Bhakti Arora of TV show Master-Chef India fame as our corporate executive chef,” added Gupta.

The start-up also entered the natural and herbal yogic products segment earlier this year and is selling the products through its own portal as well as ecommerce marketplaces such as Paytm, Snapdeal and Grofers. Present in Delhi till now with its four outlets, Sattviko is adding another four in its portfolio in Delhi within four months, one in Jaipur and IIT- Roorke and then will look to enter into Bengaluru and Mumbai market by next year.  

Aditya Bal, an actor-turned-chef started his culinary career two-and-a-half years ago and is largely self-taught. During this period, he trained at an Italian restaurant, a Mediterranean restaurant and a Goan restaurant as well. He enjoys adventure travel and loves to try all the street foods and hidden food treasures of our country.

He goes to the streets, visits homes and markets to discover old cooking techniques. He has anchored the popular 'Chakh Le India' series on NDTV Good Times where he travels around the country, eats the finest foods and then tries the recipes in his kitchen. Currently, Aditya is anchoring a brand new food show called 'Chakh Le Academy’ on NDTV Good Times and ‘The Lost Recipes’.

Tell us something about the growth of Indian food industry in last five years?

Indian food industry is growing at 20 per cent year on year but the large size is still unorganised captured by the road side vendors, small outlets and street vendors and home- grown enterprises as well. However, with global cuisines coming to India and the Internet, the Indian cuisine is taking on a new dimension, there is more scope for people to do what they love doing. The concept in terms of food deliveries is growing; you can see food trucks coming, many food tech players and food-apps that have entered the segment. Thus, food in India is growing and what is making it more exciting is that people are repackaging their food, which itself is a sign of growth.

What is your view on growth of local foods in India?

MasterChefs opened a way to those passionate about foods; it is more than just eating. The local regional flavours are brought into the cooking. We all know that we have passion for foods, we love eating food but now there is a channel for it. With brands coming in that provide world-class experience, the Indian brands now have to go beyond the traditional cuisine.  I myself am doing a show on ‘Lost recipes of India’. Thus, people need to educate one another about the foods they eat. Teach each other also about the food history and we can also make a culture of chef cooking in India as it is in Australia.

I think Indian food is not that promoted. What is your comment?

We need to promote food. Also, we need to make Indian food easy to cook and within reach. The communities need to promote foods; governments need to see food as a business model. And above all, make it easier to reach as Indians foods are hard to take on the go.

What are some of the ingredients that you keep along with you while cooking?

I keep olive oil, mustard oil, dry red chillies of all kinds, garlic, lots of spices, herbs and chillies I love, pasta, potato toes. I love to create simple ingredients and flavours and I create all flavours myself.

Do you believe in using locally sourced ingredients or gourmet products?

I use a mixture of local and gourmet ingredients. But if the local ingredients are available easily, my preference would be cooking in it. However, I try and use organic ingredients in my cooking; I grow them and use them in my cooking.

You are an actor turned chef. What made you quit your job?

I was not happy with what I was doing. I entered the kitchen one fine day, enjoyed cooking and then cooked for another three months, quit my job as an actor and then worked in a restaurant for four years dishwashing and working as a waiter. Cooking makes me happy. I do it for pleasure, for keeping others happy who eat and love my cuisine.

Tell us about your brand model. How successful it is in India?

Juice Bar is good business model. Our USP at Juice lounge is to make juice in front of the customer unlike other normal juice centers where the juice is prepared behind the table letting customers think all the nasty and bad things. So, the customer is fully aware about what quality of fruits are being put in the juice and what ingredient goes into the juice at juice lounge. The customers have full say in the ingredients’ selection i.e. what they want or what they do not want. The customer knows what he/she is getting in 100 bucks. This helped Juice Lounge to make an identity for its juices and other products.

The last 10 years has been great with lots of franchise stores. Gradually, people know what we are and what we do. Now, it is operating more than 50 stores.

How do you maintain quality and standard at each of your franchise store?

We have got food grades for fruits and vegetables which we approve. For maintaining the same standard and quality, we tell stores what grade of fruits and vegetables to buy. Other than that, we do audit in every two months. One is the physical audit and the other is quality audit for every store. These exercises help us maintain quality and standard at each franchise store.

It is believed only health conscious individuals go to juice centers, what is your comment on the same?

Not only health conscious people, but people of all gender and age visit a juice centre. Reason to visit the juice corner may be different but everyone goes to a juice bar. 

While prices of raw materials keep changing every day, what mechanism have you adopted to keep your prices stable?

The virtual market may go up and down, but we do contracts with vendors for a year. This is a fixed contract, so whatever happens to market the contract remains the same. Once the contract is done, we know what fruit we are getting and at what price for the entire year. Each year we do revise our prices as per the contract. This is how we track on our flavors and pricing at all franchise stores of juice lounge.

How many stores are there under the brand Juice Lounge and what numbers are you aiming at in coming five years?

Today, we have got more than 50 stores in 4-5 countries. In next five years, we will be coming up with more than 60-100 stores across India, as we are opening 12-15 stores every year. With the strong and sound logistics background, we are aiming pan-India expansion.

What format have you adopted for franchising?

We have two formats for franchisees. One is without sitting either in a mall or in high street, where people come and buy their juice whereas in the other model, people can enjoy their juices in the attached sitting area which is the longer format of franchising.

How do you reach to your target audience in terms of marketing?

We have a PR team who does marketing for us. We ourselves do local marketing and promotion. Whenever we do any event or programme, we get it covered. Once we are over 100 stores then we might think of other marketing options as well.

As you operate in national and international segments, what key difference in terms of law and order have you faced?

Firstly, legality of every country is very different. Compared to India, norms in international circuits are a bit tougher. The logistic system is very different in India and other countries. In other international countries, they have norms which have to be fulfilled very strictly.

With brands like real, Tropicana offering packed juice, which is a kind of convenience to users. Do you really think juice bar or lounges is a good business idea?

The packed food item scenario is big; they are in all segments like Chinese and other packed food not specifically in juice as such. But, as everything cannot be packed so we don’t think they are going to affect us in any way. And with our new flavours and tastes coming in every 2-3 months, we are always new and fresh.

Chef Michael Swamy has travelled across world and is well known for his cookery books and Food Photography. In an exclusive interaction with Restaurant India, he shares his experience of being a chef, food consultant and a food stylist.

How is cuisine in India taking a new edge?

Cuisine in India is moving towards progressive Indian cuisine trend. Chefs and restaurateurs are today focusing more on food plating, food techniques and more creative cuisine. Today, it is very important to involve senses and deliver new experiences to people. You need to take them out of restaurants to understand the culture and cuisine of this country. Chefs like me are now moving from traditional restaurants. In this regard, we have associated with Jungle Retreat, where we are taking people to the cuisine and not cuisine to people.

What are the things that you incorporate as a chef in your menu?

I focus on providing authentic food at my restaurant, providing a good one month of training to my staff especially the kitchen staff so that they bring best of their experience.

Being a chef how difficult/ easy for you to manage a restaurant?

It is very difficult to operate a restaurant by being a chef because you need to come out of the certain area at the same time you have to handle the kitchen also. So, handling both the jobs at the same time gets tougher. A restaurateur needs to balance everything from grooming the staff to managing the accounts to shop for the essential ingredients. And I find these things very difficult to manage.

How the tastes differ from city to city talking about Delhi to Mumbai?

I think taste mainly differs due to the quality of water, the ingredient found in the region and the attitude of the people towards a particular choice or eating habits. A Mumbaikar likes very hot and spicy food and are open to experiment but still Delhiites prefer North Indian food over others.

What are the topmost strategies that you apply in delivering a high class food in a contemporary ambience?

Quality ingredients, good marketing practices and serving value for money food are the topmost strategy that I apply in catering to my customer.

Your restaurants are known for serving South east and East Asian cuisine. How do you maintain the authenticity of the cuisine?

To serve the authentic cuisine at my restaurant I focus on using the right kind of ingredients sourced from different South East and East Asian countries like Japan, Vietnam, Thailand and Indonesia.

What according to you is the latest food trend and what can we see in the years to come?

North American cuisine is the latest trend in India as it is easy to cook and eat. However, Norwegian, Swedish and South American foods are on their way coming to India.

You have handled the team for MasterChef India. How do you train the contestant and judges for the same?

We groom the contestants on the types of cuisine, the techniques of cooking and presenting the food at the show. As a food Stylist, I also train them how to make the food appealing to the senses and presentable to the customers and the judges.