Top Chefs Celebrate Indian Cuisine's Global Appeal

Cordon Noir Gourmet Club recently celebrated its 30^th anniversary in Mumbai with a gala dinner of the kind generally reserved for royalty. Chef Nilesh Limaye prepared the ultra-exclusive eight-course menu for 50 chefs and gourmands from across the world who were joined by another ten leading Indian chefs and hoteliers.

The global chefs and gourmands immersed themselves in Maharashtrian as well as Indian cuisines and culture with whole day tours to local markets and restaurants, cultural centres and more. Fine-dining dinner in the classical style of black-tie, sit-down silver service was held on the sixth day of Cordon Noir Gourmet Club 30^th anniversary celebrations.

It is rare that global chefs undertake a culinary tour of India. Among the 50 chefs and gourmands Chef Kern Jochen, restaurateur Dato Kau, Chef Helmut Lamberger, food magnate Rudolf Muller, hotelier Peter Sprenger, cookware magna Berthold Jungwirth, jeweller Urs Capol, pastry chef Peter Lum, restaurateur Dunia Stapman and Chef Wayan Mawa were present during the five-day culinary celebrations.

“I am very proud of my cuisine and Maharashtrian heritage. The world’s chefs came to experience Indian cuisine and I proved how our flavours and produce can receive their due respect at such a high level,” said Chef Nilesh Limaye. Chef Limaye is a celebrated Indian culinary master based in Mumbai who hosted this once-in-a-lifetime experience.

As with all Cordon Noir dinners, the November 6 dinner featured high-grade Russian caviar and classical Continental cuisine, this time in a marriage with Indian flavours.

“The dinner was excellent. This elegant, sit-down style of dining has not been done since the nineties. It is so good to see a local chef achieve this,” said Gurbaxish Singh Kohli, president, Hotel & Restaurant Association - Western India (HRAWI) & also vice-president, Federation Hotel & Restaurant Association Of India (FHRAI).

“Simply fantastic! It’s time we’re on a global level. Our cuisine is maturing, our chefs are getting more expressive and confident in their own styles,” said master chef Michael Swamy, one of the culinary legends who attended the dinner.

Leading Indian brands were showcased at the dinner such as Reveilo Wines’ excellent 2018 vintage and Korebi Coffee, an exciting coffee supplier making waves for its boutique, single origin roasts. Meluha The Fern Powai was the venue partner.

Cordon Noir is a global gourmet club of chefs & gourmands who's unbroken run of fine dining dinners once a year around the world dates back to 1988; a time that predates the fall of the Soviet Union and the Berlin Wall, and the birth of modern China, among other things. It is an honorary club, very selective in its approach, that values fine food and friendship above all else.