Chefs are known to draw inspiration from the least likely of places. They can interpret ideas onto plates, transform thoughts and concepts into courses. But what about regular everyday things, like, say, a city?
Well, thankfully, Delhi is a good city to consider for such an exercise and this is precisely what internationally-acclaimed and Michelin-starred chef Vineet Bhatia has focused on for Dhilli, the Indian eatery at The Oberoi, New Delhi.
For one, Delhi has been the capital for centuries and yet, most people living here today are no older than three generations. Which means so many kings and their tribes have come and gone, that Delhi is like the Dubai transit terminal on the weekend before Christmas. Each of them has left an indelible mark on the city, its culture and its cuisine. Many restaurants serve cuisines from specific eras of this history that serve as a fitting homage to the times. From Mughlai to colonial, to Punjabi and Bengali, none are native to Delhi and yet, traipsing around the city will give you a chance to sample these in their micro-cosmic universes that collectively make up the metropolis.
Vineet Bhatia has, in that sense, kept things simple, and just gone after each of these areas. He has reproduced dishes from the various quarters of Delhi, giving them his signature creative flair but without over-gentrification, which would leave the dishes unrecognisable. The menu at Dhilli plays with flavours most cognisant and true-to-origins and yet, ups the ante on the way each plate is presented.
For a chef who has been awarded the highest of culinary honours globally, one who has run successful eateries at an international level, cooking for Indians back home could have been a daunting task at first; they would expect the works from him; nothing short of a spectacular circus for the senses would have sufficed. While there are super innovative (and admirable) reinterpretations on the menu—from the chaats of old Delhi to the kormas of Jama Masjid to a lovely Bengali fish curry, and a plethora of the desserts —Vineet still makes sure the menu is more than mere molecular gimmickry. He feeds you while he tells you stories, and that to me, are the building blocks of the most memorable meals.
And then, to ensure consistency and longevity, Vineet has mentored Chef Shivang Narula, the new sous chef at Dhilli, who has been with the group since 2016 and is an alumnus of the reputable Oberoi Centre of Learning and Development. From what I hear, he wanted to be an investment banker and I, for one, am glad he let his passions guide him over all else because he seems a great fit to carry the legacy of these cuisines forward, proudly and unfailingly.
There is a set menu but to do real justice to the menu, go in a big group and order a la carte. The food is true to recipes but never too heavy or rich to make you feel cloyed or stuffed. With Navratras behind us and Diwali just around the corner, the time to feast with friends is now; gym memberships can wait.
Since traffic is going to be an absolute jigsaw labyrinth of bumper-to-bumper four- and two-wheelers, the quickest way to get around Delhi might be to make a prolonged pit stop at Dhilli and let the chefs and mixologists take you on a culinary tour of the city punctuated with flavourful nostalgia. And in case Vineet is in the house, you can be sure that he will regale you with stories aplenty between courses to ensure that you leave satiated in every sense.
The writer is a sommelier