Is it possible for a restaurant to do pan-Indian cuisine? One that satisfies the purist as well as those in search of new flavours. The search for this culinary Holy Grail has taken some steps already in Delhi?Fire at the Park, Indian Accent, Varq at the Taj. Well, Marut Sikka, considered to be not just one of India?s leading chef-restaurateurs, but also counted among the most innovative, has delivered on his dream project, Kainoosh, an amalgamation of India in more ways than one.
Take time out when you visit the restaurant. Its layers will not unveil themselves at once. Contradictions abound. This is a fine dining restaurant, but the talking point is the bespoke thali. ?Indian food is about sharing,? explains Sikka, ?and we understand that.? As a result, the starters are very nominally priced and tasting portion sized. ?The idea is to get people to sample a number of things,? he says.
Given that it has not been easy to make a non-tandoori or dosa-based standalone restaurant work, Sikka says most Indian restaurants have not been able to do is address different generations. He explains that a restaurant has to be able to cater to different generations of a family ?especially as Indians often dine in a group, but have different preferences. ?Older people love lamb, younger people like oysters,? and to offer them right together is the trick. ?In a thali, you get to taste a large number of dishes, so can go with what you like from a wide choice of main course dishes. But it isn?t that simple. There are choices to be made. The quantity is fixed, but at Rs 925 for the vegetarian and Rs 975 for the non-vegetarian versions of the thali, it?s a steal.
Sikka?s expertise shows in the food. The menu is divided into two parts. ?India over the Ages? sounds eclectic, but isn?t. In some dishes, two cooking processes are used. For example, the tiger prawns are cooked the usual south Indian way, with an addition of tandoor smoking to it. The processes and the spicing are very traditional. ?We do not work on a curry or marinate-based situation. Everything is very cut-specific,? Sikka says, adding that the new Indian cuisine is changing and reducing the stress on the earlier staples of Indian food, ghee and cream. He plans to soon introduce a section which has less than 10 grams fat per full portion.
The other section on the menu is called ?India 21st century?. ?This is what I see Indian food evolving towards,? says Sikka. ?There will be use of foreign ingredients and flavours.? Results include seared tandoori salmon, dill and mustard marinate or soft shell crab, curry leaf and asafoetida batter. Food is constantly evolving, he points out, saying a lot of ingredients we did not use five years ago are part of our diet today. Indian food cannot be called traditional, unlike, say the French, who have a process, he says.
Though the wine selection is considerable, the cocktails are recommended for their inventiveness. There is Watermelon Caipiroska, or India Pink, which has vodka, rosewater, cardamom and lemon juice. There is a vodka and bubblegum daiquiri too! Keya Magic is paan flavoured, and Sikka hopes to make flavours like these international. Incidentally, the last named connects to his soon to launch bar adjacent to Kainoosh).
Sikka says Indian food can be far more popular globally. ?The fault for not promoting Indian food lies with PR machinery. There is such an extensive campaign of Incredible India, but there is no mention of food. Indian cuisine is not putting itself out. We are the only country with six tastes (shadras) ? sweet, salt, bitter, sour, astringent and hot. We have more utensils than anyone, more ingredients, more cooking processes. Look at our array of spices.?
?Kainoosh (literally an emperor?s dining hall) is construed as a space you can pick and put anywhere in the world,? asserts Sikka. Perhaps. It wouldn?t be easy to replicate the Rajesh Pratap Singh canvas on the wall, or the Izaara, the PDR, which comes equipped with a HD television, different seating schemes as well as its own entrance. The restaurant?s cutlery is sterling silver and the jalis are a beautiful reminder of Indian architecture.
Only, you might miss them all for what is placed in front of you!
