Expect more global cuisines to hit Mumbai, says Farrokh Khambata

Expert eyeFarrokh KhambataI remember the year 1995 Its a vivid memory Budding chefs like me would do the rounds of Crawford Market seeking unfamiliar ingredients Our suppliers mdash the bhaajiwalahs butchers and the dessert supplier Arif mdash would be our best friends and lifelines to cooking good food In 1997 it all changed like a food tsunami Suddenly there were exotic vegetables like broccoli baby corn and bell pepper aromatic herbs such as basil rosemary and oreganoThis is when the real food movement began in India As chefs we would only dream of such ingredients This tidal wave continued through the late 1990s and past the turn of the century We coaxed our friends to import other produce such as gourmet cheese besides Kraft seafood and meats Freestanding chefownerdriven restaurants such as Indigo Joss Moshes to name a few were slowly but surely pulling the crowds into their doors and away from the fivestarsBarbeque Cottage CheeseMumbai has grown tremendously in the last two decades as far as the restaurant scene is concerned The current trend has witnessed a rise in owners and chefs creating new ways to present food experimenting with flavours different techniques like molecular gastronomy etc to capture their guests imagination Of course like any large city everyday new outlets open and shut Ever since AD Singh opened his first Olive a heady mix of ambiance booze and lifestyle and a place to be seen at Mumbais nightlife has never looked backFire and Ice includes mango jalapeno and Thai chilli and comes with a flame that needs to be blown PicAtul KambleSuccessful restobars and newer concepts such as Riyaaz Amlanis The Social and the most recent entrants to the scene The Bombay Canteen and Monkey Bar are examples of being able to rake it in while capturing the Mumbaiwallahs imagination with their regional focus Restaurants have even found ways into commercial office complexes malls old mills which was not the case a decade ago Industry captains like Atul Ruia have transformed a defunct mill space into a lifestyle hub like High Street Phoenix in Lower ParelThe Sunset Boulevard Tempura Prawns with Asparagus and Snow Crabs PicAtul KambleIn the next few years I see many restaurants serving regional Indian cuisines including Bengali Kashmiri Hyderabadi and Goan since we dont have many good restaurants serving these in the city Weve been serving a lot of Italian European and Oriental cuisine in the last 10 years However in the coming years cuisines like Peruvian Brazilian South American as well as cuisines from Nordic countries like Sweden and Norway will find their way The Indian diners palate is nonadventurous they tend to seek out familiar tastes So to be monetarily viable a restaurant needs to suit that taste even while serving authentic food which can be improvised uponFarrokh KhambataThe main problem is that these niche cuisines require a certain kind of produce and ingredients which are not readily available in India Even if we import the produce it often comes frozen or isnt stored properly For instance Australia not just imported Wagyu Beef but they started breeding Wagyu cattle too If our laws are changed a bit if and were allowed to import livestock rear it and breed it as well as put an emphasis on organic farming the restaurant scene here will definitely changeFarrokh Khambata Founder Catering amp Allied Joss Amadeus Umame NCPA Cafe and Joss CateringClick here formidday 36th anniversary special