THE AUTHENTIC tag has spawned a sizeable restaurant industry. Many a chef pride themselves on offering dishes cooked ?exactly? as the ones in their countries of origin, advertising their imported ingredients and proper methods of cooking. Then there are some who dare to defy tradition, letting their imagination take food to new heights.
But what could be a gamechanger is the amalgamation of Asian cuisines by chef Vikramjit Roy at ITC Maurya?s newly-opened Tian. Roy unabashedly veers from the holy grail of cooking to infuse elements from several cuisines into one single dish, and with amazing results. Refusing to call his food fusion, he prefers to name it a ?progressive blend? of cuisines.
He prides himself not on authenticity, but in being able to offer Schezwan prawns on a bed of guacamole, topped with pineapple and soy-marinated salmon roe. ?Creativity is the main theme at Tian. I want to offer familiar flavours, but with completely unique textures and combinations,? Roy tells us. He gives us the example of a ?Chinese? dish popular in Delhi, honey-chilli lotus stem, which is lotus stem dipped in batter, deep fried and tossed in sauce. ?It is a bastardised dish, with absolutely no connection to Chinese cuisine, but people love it, they pay for it.? Inspired by this, he has created lotus stem that is dehydrated instead of fried to give it a crisp texture, over which a powder of mixed spices is sprinkled, served with soy cream for a contrast of texture and taste. The result: a humble vegetable that becomes one of the main takeaways of the evening.
True to the Asian cuisine studio tag that Tian has, Roy pulls off dishes that smoothly transcend geographical boundaries. So if he has a base of Thai bamboo stem salad underneath Schezwan chicken with celery and chilli, he tops it with a garnish of Japanese radish.
The cooking techniques match Roy?s avant-garde approach, as does the diners? experience on the table. If Roy has no deep fat fryers in his kitchen, he brings to the table an experience that goes beyond mere food. Aromatic vapours, sizzling dry ice, liquid nitrogen and diffusers create enough drama to whet appetites. Some might call it gimmickry, but when you see even corporate honchos squeal with delight at aromatic vapours given out by watering the ?grass? put in front of them, you know it works.
It?s an experiment no one has attempted commercially in the country, and Roy is confident about his food, dismissing any speculation of not adhering to the tried and tested formula. ?What is authentic?? he asks you. ?Did your mother cook any dish identically as your grandmother, or for that matter your neighbour? Of course, not! So which one is authentic? Who defines authenticity?? he says as he debunks the tag.
Even for the ITC Group, Roy?s brand of food is new. Their famed Bukhara prides itself on sticking to the same recipes for over three decades, whereas Roy encourages his cooks not to follow a strict protocol. ?Instinct matters most. A chef should cook with all his senses?touch, smell and taste. You can?t be flipping a duck every three minutes just because the recipe says so. You cook with instinct,? he emphasises.
But behind the honed instinct is years of training in Asian cuisine, he tells us. Then the two years of experimentation for Tian alone, with over 120 tastings. He has spent six years in Japan, some in Bangkok, Beijing and other parts of China, Korea and Vietnam. With stints at Taj?s Wasabi, and having interned at some of the world?s best restaurants, Roy today is the custodian of all ITC Hotel?s Asian restaurants. And, he’s just 29 years of age. He tells us how as a teenager he loved to cook and would dish up over-salted egg curry for his parents. Of course, no one knew back then that in just over a decade, the amateur cook will be heralded as the best Indian chef of his generation.