Restaurateur Rahul Akerkar's culinary journey

Rahul Akerkar Founder amp Director deGustibus HospitalityMany years ago a few boys walked into their dormitory at Doon School Dehradun taking stealthy steps Theylifted the charpoy and carried it to the cricket field in the middle of the night Next morning when they reported for physical education class at the cricket field the charpoy was still there and so was the student who slept through the entire episode Rahul Akerkar was one of the boys who had played this prank on his classmate ldquoMy time at boarding school was filled with such practical jokes The punishments were harsh but it was worth itrdquo narrates the founder and director of deGustibus Hospitality which runs Indigo at Colaba and Indigo Deli along with Tote on the Turf at Mahalaxmi RacecourseBorn to an American mother and an Indian father Akerkar had a nonconventional upbringing ldquoI am a Bambaiya atheart I went to Bombay International School grew up at Breach Candy and later at Altamount Road My parentsencouraged me and my sister to take our own decisions This instilled in me a desire to explore new thingsrdquo says the55yearold Dressed in blue denims a khakicoloured linen shirt and John Lennonstyle glasses Akerkar cuts astriking figure when we meet him at Indigo Colaba on a cold December morningSipping on ginger fizz the restaurateur seems to be in a good mood The reason he has just returned from a trip toAustralia where he ldquohung outrdquo with television personality Matt Preston on the sets of MasterChef Australia ldquopigged outrdquo at celebrity chef George Calombarisrsquo restaurant The Press Club in Sydney and spent three days on a boat off the Gold Coast doing what he loves best mdash deepsea diving Itrsquos difficult to believe then that thisarticulate confident chef violently stuttered as a child ldquoI was more of an observer than a partaker because of myspeech impediment My friends supported me but once I joined boarding school it was toughrdquo he narrates on a sombernote But then adds ldquoLiving with a bunch of guys all going through puberty is not a rosy picturerdquo he laughs recalling another incident when they herded a cow into their Hindi professorrsquos room when he was out for lunch ldquoWe threw stones on the tin roof and the animal went berserk insiderdquo says the Mumbaikar who later got admissionin St Xavierrsquos College in the science stream In 1977 he flew to Columbia University USA where he studied premedRahul Akerkar at Indigo at Colaba which he opened in 1999 PicsShadab KhanTurning pointIn his third year Akerkar attended a survey course in bioengineering at Washington University St Louis ldquoI wasexposed to subjects such as biochemical and bioelectrical engineering I was sold mdash the course was new and cutting edgerdquo says the experimental chef whose craving for Indian food first led him to the kitchen He would ask his parents to send him recipes through post ldquoI poisoned everyonerdquo he jokes adding on a more serious note ldquoI made really good aloo bhaji shrikhand and prawn curry I also took up a job at a French restaurant as a dishwasherbecause I was broke They had fired their chef and the consulting chef Paul Pontallie who came from a family of traditional cooks from Nice France took me under his wing We broke all Food and Drug Administration FDArules mdash he would slaughter his own geese in the basement make blood jellies and many other provincial cooking techniques This was my foundationrdquo says the avid foodie who went on to graduate in Biology and Philosophy from Franklin amp Marshall College New YorkAkerkar packed his bags in 1989 and came back to Mumbai to be his own boss ldquoI started a catering service from homecalled The Moveable Feast which offered Western cuisines ranging from TexMex to French and European cuisinesrdquo says the entrepreneurHe then tied up with restauranteur AD Singh to set up Just Desserts a standalone dessert outlet at ChurchgateWhile Singh came up with the concept Akerkar handled the food and operations It was here that he met his wife Malini ldquoWe were part of the same social group and she often visited the eatery with her boyfriend When I threw a gettogether at home she ate my food and fell for merdquo jokes the chef who opened his first restaurant Under the Over at Kemps Corner in April 1992ldquoWe served Italian Japanese and French fare In 1996 the landlord started creating problems as he wanted to comein as a business partner and raise the rent I decided to shut the restaurant and he bought the businessrdquo says Akerkar His next stint was at Protima Bedirsquos 10room Kuteeram Retreat in Bangalore in 1995 ldquoOur daughter Shaan was born and the offer was riskfree as we were being compensated for the move Two years on we wanted to open our own restaurant but Bangalore was not a good market Customers would sit with a pitcher of beer and kebabs all nightrdquo he saysHow he set up Indigo which serves EuroAsian cuisine in 1999 is an interesting story He says ldquoIt started off over a casual conversation with a friend in 1997 We were discussing that the per square feet rent was R150 in Mumbai It would come up to R10000 a day or Rs 3 lakh a month for a 3000squarefeet place We calculated that if we could make Rs 5000 during lunch hours and R5000 during dinner in a 100seater restaurant we would break even This was roughly the price of a soft drink per customer So the question was could we pull this off The answer was yes and we decided to take the plungerdquo says the entrepreneurFinding the place took longer than expected He says ldquoI gave myself a deadline of March 31 1997 and took up a job at Union Square Cafeacute in New York Malini chanced upon this space at Colaba The MOU was signed over a cup of coffeeShe called me and said lsquoCome homersquordquoFood sensibilitiesAkerkarrsquos culinary experience and training has been diverse As a child he spent his summer vacations at his grandparentsrsquo house in Nasik ldquoMy aji fed me with love She cooked her food on the bhatti using coal and cow dung without any gas I relished her chivda chakli and khatta meetha Konkani foodrdquo he reminisces When he was working abroad he picked up techniques of cooking Mexican French Italian and modern American But the restaurateur confesses ldquoI am a jack of all cuisines and master of none My own international multicultural taste buds brought it all together I like to roll up my sleeves and eat Hailing from a Konkan family I like strong flavours andvibrant texturesrdquo says the single malt and wine connoisseur who has finished working on a new menu for IndigoRevered customersAkerkar has served the whorsquoswho of Indian and international celebrities From Angelina Jolie to Hillary Clinton many politicians and actors have dined at Indigo However Britain Primersquos Minister David Cameronrsquos visit in 2013remains most memorable for him ldquoHe was put up at the Taj Mahal Hotel and walked down with just three MI6 securitypersonnel On a Friday night my restaurant was buzzing and he sat on the openair terrace His security personnelcame into the kitchen and demanded to be served first They knew they would have to leave the moment Cameron finished his meal Cameronrsquos main course got delayed in the bargain but he took it in his stride He lauded us for our servicerdquo he laughsDoting fatherThe word lsquoroutinersquo doesnrsquot sound in his dictionary ldquoI have no fixed schedules I work according to my mood I donrsquot work out though I love swimming I love travelling to any destination as long as therersquos the promise of good food and an ocean to dive inrdquo says the certified diving trainer Sunday means spending time with his daughters mdash Shaan 21 and Amalya 14 At this moment his phone beeps ldquoItrsquos Shaan who is studying at the same university as I did inNew York lsquoWake me up in four hoursrsquo I love this I never feel like she is awayrdquo he smilesLiving life on his own terms Akerkar is a happy person ldquoI donrsquot take myself seriously But I take my work seriously Other than that give me sushi or pani puri anytime of the day and Irsquom your pal for liferdquo signs off therestaurateur