Blog: Magandeep Singh

The trouble with Indian cuisine is that it has the most possessive and over-zealous of people to protect it - us Indians. So opposed are we to any form of change or modification that anyone may try and induce in this style of cooking that it is rejected as substandard and compromised even before being given a fair duelling chance.

But then that is true of most countries. France wouldn't give a chance to what can be best described as an Oriental take on their cuisine; the Italians are worse still and nothing made outside of their family kitchen can even be classified as food!

The only trouble for us Indians is that our food, as it traditionally stands, is not exactly wine conducive. This is perhaps why we, of all populations, need to look at our cuisine again and to see how to adapt it to more contemporary moods.

Plated service was one big move towards this notion. The idea of serving one dish at a time, pre-plated could reduce the confusion of flavours in courses and make pairing more plausible, and explorable.

Fire, the Indian restaurant at The Park did it but it was well before its time and also, they relented easily to the staunch Indian guest who still insisted on their food being silver served onto their plates. Varq has recently reintroduced the same with much success but I still find Indian families having difficulty adapting. The latest endeavour is the restaurant Indian Accent by Rohit Khattar (of Old World Hospitality fame) at The Manor hotel in the posh southern reaches of the capital.

The Indian Accent does pre-plated service and something beyond: it is the only one to actually play with flavours. While the cuisine at Varq is also ‘experimental', IA has managed to replicate what we foodies have long travelled to London for. Charles Metcalfe, the famed English wine authority has done the wine list and also the pairing for the menu. The list is a bit limited at the moment and will expand and evolve with time but the pairing is the best part and it makes even the dull, boring brands that you find on most other hotel lists across the country seem refreshing. This just goes to show that when applied correctly, even a seemingly boring wine can turn into quite a palate teaser. The wines are also priced well and that too will make the proposition sound tempting. Sure they still have their share of teething problems in service as also in certain other aspects but for my fellow Indians who are making a trip to the capital any time in the future, I would sincerely advise this for a meal-time stopover.

The last thing, and perhaps the most important thing, that will make this place a sure shot success is their pricing. Super affordable lunch deals and paired multiple-course dinners - this place is set to take over the capital. I definitely like Varq at the Taj but for the food they serve here at this charming boutique property and the detailed pairing that has been incorporated into the menu, I think my loyalties will be affected. All in all, fine Indian dining is gradually settling in and is here to stay. We Indians will finally be rescued from ourselves.

Just,

Magan.