Years after the only true French restaurant shut its doors to the Indian public, the locals thought they had won. Much like the dog who thinks he barked the solar eclipse away, the departure of fine French dining may have been considered a victory among certain fanatic segments but it was one dark era in our gastronomic advancement charter.
This is the period that saw the maximum proliferation of cheap and tawdry restaurants that would need a degree to even qualify as a half-decent cafeteria. At best, they were filthy places run by people with no idea of cuisine, hospitality, or service. The spices were heavy, the chilli high, and people mistook the ensuing lack of numbness on the palate as the presence of some unique flavour. A flavour called HOT!
French food then but had to leave. How was she to stand and sway the crowd with her delicate nuances of a ballerina when all that the masses wanted was an ?item number?? And so, she quietly left amidst tears, and the culinary edge was taken of our cultural sword.
The Chinese had always been successful; quickly adapting and being adapted in the process. Any resemblance to the original cuisine is purely coincidental, but that hasn?t spelled doom in any way. People have come to love it for all its bastardised glory and when ?Chinese? food did actually arrive, they found it hard to stomach just what had becoming of their cuisines. I guess that?s why they call it Chinese Whispers.
The Italians came and they fared well; as a populace and as a culture, they share much in common with the Indian diaspora. Pasta and pizzas soon became synonymous household dishes and people cooked with as much zeal as their subji-bhaaji, often at the same heat and for a same duration, thereby resulting in an amalgamation of two cuisine forms that was more bizarre than the one that united the kingdoms of Italy.
Every cuisine, from Lebanese to Greek had to give in to some adaptation in order to find acceptance. Once this form bore firm roots, it was easier to germinate the idea of proper cuisine. Sure enough the masses wouldn?t buy it, but the select few would be definite takers and they could number in millions already! Why then, look any further?
France didn?t have this advantage. Being considered the realm of the rudely stuffy and the ?ber-uppity, they found little sympathy. Adaptability was low as the cuisine didn?t offer too many options to play with it. Think of it as an art form with scientific precision. Throw in wines and enough cutlery to start a small pawn shop and you had the regular diner well perplexed. It was seemingly easier to pursue higher studies than to visit a French fine dining establishment and not end up making a faux pas of surmounting proportions. As a result, the only option left to this lovely food form was to either be accepted for what it represented or else exit, stage left. Which is sad because when teaching someone how to pair food and wine it is easiest to start with cuisines where wine has been intrinsic part of the culture for the longest time. To try and pair wines with Indian food is much tougher whereas French and Italian dishes are almost modular around wine.
Just this week, I was invited to a preview of Le Cirque, an old establishment that started in New York and, more than three decades later, is still considered as the converging point of reference for classic French and Italian preparations outside of their native countries.
Soon to be opened to public at the Leela in Delhi, chef Mickey has been very smart about the menu. He probably anticipated the generally negative predisposition that most people harbour towards all foods French. (?Bland?, ?smelly?, or ?raw? are three common choice expletives commonly employed.) So he compiled a menu, which showcases some Le Cirque classics and then he added his own twist of sorts to it. The result is a menu that sticks to its guns and yet makes room for experimentation.
The portions are thoughtful, the creations imaginative, and the flavour, sublime. It?s all about the delicate and the nuanced. This is exactly what is useful when pairing wine alongside food. The team had some very sound suggestions and we did take some of them. As expected, the evening was sublime.
Mickey?s creative mind is a treasure trove. Sad as it was to overhear that the Masala Chai Tiramisu and other similar innovations couldn?t be included, it is still quite the visual (and tactile) treat with the cube of fresh fruits and other classics. It would have been fun to pair wines with such too but, for now, they are not on the list.
The wine cellar can match everything the kitchen can concoct. Prices are reasonable for what you will be served. A fantastic selection of some great Italian many, including the choicest of Super Tuscans. They also had some top-end Bordeaux and Champagnes, as also soon-to-be-added will be certain bottles in large-format sizes. And given that they have a sommelier on board, a proper qualified one, it will only be a pleasure to allow him to lead our senses through this heady delightful experience.
Le Cirque could be the definitive address for the moment to go and understand what wine and food pairing is all about.
Don?t expect to eat on a shoestring budget, but a similar meal elsewhere in Europe will set you back a lot more, plus the flight fare.
Now, as the team, comprising Prateek, Rajesh Namby, David Milliere, and Mickey ready to take on the capital with this mammoth of a very fine eatery (worthy easily of 3 Michelin stars), it remains to be seen how many people come and allow themselves to be seduced by the working showcase kitchen and the delicacies it churns out alongside fine wine and can resist the temptation to ask for extra gravy or a sharing plate. The question that we, as gastronomes need to answer is, can we accept something for what it is, and enjoy it in spite of our own staunch selves?
The writer is a sommelier