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| Modern accent |
| Anoothi Vishal / New Delhi Apr 11, 2009, 00:47 IST |
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Indian (and Indian-Chinese) cuisines have always been the moneyspinners in the restaurant biz. And it is easy to find representatives of these genres in all our neighbourhoods, doing brisk business regardless of the recession or our own dalliances with newer, global flavours — European or Brazilian or Mayan. So it is an irony that when it comes to more formal or stylised Indian dining there are such few options to choose from. There are the dhabas (or the canteens or Malwani restaurants) and there are the clutch of formidable ITC restaurants. But not too much in between.
One reason that has been typically advanced for the failure of Indian fine dines to take off in India (in the way these have in London or New York or even Sweden) is that most of our households usually serve pretty fantastic food themselves (thanks to patient moms and long-serving cooks). Why would you need to eat out then? It may be a valid argument except that there is so much variety by way of local and micro cuisines that your own kitchen cannot hope to recreate it. The other mystery is vis-à-vis experimental Indian cuisine.
If you have been to Tabla in New York or sampled the creations of London-based Michelin chefs like Vineet Bhatia (Rasoi) and Atul Kochchar (Benares), you will recognise the potential of modern Indian cuisine and that one of the future directions is to reinterpret traditional dishes. The emphasis globally, at the moment, may be on simple, traditional recipes, but this kind of innovation has been the driver of many other cuisines too — think Japanese-French.
In India, on the other hand, experimental Indian cuisine has never worked despite some commendable beginnings. Fire, at The Park, opened up a couple of years ago with absolutely brilliant takes and presentations on everything from baigan ka bharta to kebabs. But till recently, such attempts have only got branded as being “ahead of their time”. Now things seem to be changing with Indians now more keen to experiment and wider foreign meats and ingredients available: If last year saw the arrival of Hemant Oberoi’s spectacular but also very expensive Varq, this year “fusion cooking” is getting more popular. I have come across, even in strictly mid-level eateries serving Punjabi food in Delhi, the likes of a duck or salmon tikka lately. In Bangalore, legendary ITC master chef Imtiaz Quereshi’s sons Ashfaque and Irfan are now gearing up to open their own restaurant next month, to serve “modern” Indian cuisine. And then there is Indian Accent.
A handiwork of Rohit Khattar’s Old World Hospitality, a chain known for its value-for-money restaurants, Indian Accent is a simple, small restaurant at the quiet boutique hotel, The Manor, in New Delhi. It’s a destination that you will not accidentally stray into — purposefully seek out as a gourmet destination, perhaps. But that is always a bit of a gamble.
The tasting menu includes the likes of semolina puchkas with five waters, chicken tikka salad layered with crisp khakra, an absolutely first rate and flavourful galangal-infused patrani fish, and my favourite, the tandoori salmon with dil leaves. The starters also include the much talked about foie gras stuffed galawat kebabs (with a strawberry chutney!) though I don’t think that much of the match. In the mains, the masala morels and water chestnuts accompanying a roast dosa makes for a fabulous idea both in terms of taste and presentation and this is one dish that even the fastidious veggie eaters from Tamland may not hesitate to experiment with. Then, there is the tamarind glazed New Zealand lamb, destined to be a bestseller, and the rice-crusted red snapper moilee that steals the show with its understated elegance.
It’s a meal that I would unhesitatingly bring a guest to — or indulge in on a special occasion even if I were the kind to savour home-cooked dal-chawal 24x7. At Rs 900 for lunch and Rs 1,900 for dinner per person (add Rs 1,000 for five glasses of Charles Metcalfe-paired wine), this is not an inexpensive place though it is surely cheaper than eating at either Varq or Dum Pukht. If it succeeds, it will mean that Indian cuisine within India is finally charting a fresh course.
(anoothi.vishal@bsmail.in)
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