The chef who stirs the global melting pot for India

Wersquoll start on a high Chef Vineet Bhatia has good news for the incorrigible Mumbai foodie ldquoThe city is fast catching up with Delhirdquo he states when we nudge him to speak about the endless Mumbai vs Delhi debate ldquoSpace of course can be a problem here Though the number of standalone restaurants are far more in Delhi Mumbai has emerged as an influential destination as far as eating out is concernedrdquo Pic courtesyAashith Shetty He adds ldquoBecause of the way Delhi is planned which is circular with more space there is more scope to maximise on key factors like restaurant design Mumbai has grown lengthwise but it does have itrsquos own charm Its restaurants offer countless options as far as choice budgets and cuisines mdash these are all good signs Honestly there isnrsquot much differencerdquo Bhatia recalls when as a rookie chef 15 years back the Mumbai foodie would dine out once in two weeks ldquoBut these days Irsquom seeing people eat out at least 56 times a week Itrsquos become more a necessity than an enjoyment Itrsquos largely due to changing patterns in urbane lifestyles with late and long working hoursrdquo India for the worldu00a0 The chef has been instrumental in taking Indian food to the world and to Europe in particular His restaurants Zaika London and Rasoi Geneva have not only earned Michelin stars but have also shot him into the limelight for a style that isnrsquot purist but also doesnrsquot fall under fusion food ldquoFood can evolve there are no boundariesrdquo he reiterates reminding us that it isnrsquot such a bad idea to incorporate Western techniques to enhance our food Wersquoll believe After all we must take advice seriously when itrsquos from a chef who has worked around balancing techniques ingredients and cuisines across continents with easeu00a0 Return of the original Talk veers to trends elements and ingredients that are making headway on our side of the culinary hemisphere ldquoI am witnessing a resurgence and reinvention in India Black garlic and super grains are making a comeback into our kitchens Wersquove become more health consciousrdquo The worldlywise chef maintains that in the West such practices are common ldquoItrsquos only now that we are looking at these as great sources of fibre and protein Organic markets are sprouting across big cities Cooking techniques like vacuum packing and thermal blenders that have been around in the West for ages are also entering our restaurantsrdquo he adds Whatrsquos cooking in 2013 We are keen to hear what Chef Bhatia has to say about gastronomic pursuits to look forward to in 2013 mdash new tastes flavours and palate inspirations ldquoFrom where I see it cuisine from Thailand Cambodia Vietnam and Japan look set to impact our foodscape Besides some of their ingredients like scallions vegetables strong flavouring as well as their meats which includes small cuts will tempt the Indian palaterdquo The chef also adds that cuisine from the southern parts of Italy Spain and Portugal will also appeal to us because of ldquohellipsimilar weather in those regions and flavours from ingredients like chilliesrdquo In contrast the chef believes that Franco cuisine can be boring with predictable menus ldquoLook at a Japanese menu mdash therersquos always something fresh to offer Irsquove seen businessmen and celebrities frequent such spaces more than French restaurants once in six months perhapsrdquo he explains supporting his statement Itrsquos tough to miss out on his emphasis on desi khana clearly Within minutes hersquos back to his favourite subject mdash ldquoPromoting regional cuisine must become a movement I donrsquot understand why people are scared to experiment with fine dining for Indian cuisine To change the scene we must make it innovativerdquo His parting words are food for thought mdash ldquoOur training is comparable to the worldrsquos best now I didn39t even have a mentor when I started off My greed for knowledge and that I never shied away from questioning things played a huge role in my growthrdquo Little wonder when the chef tells us of plans to take Indian cuisine to North Africa Saudi Arabia and the rest of Europe Hersquos got the world eating out of his hands literallyu00a0