How the West was won, and served on a platter – Lifestyle News

By Nikhil Merchant

The turn of the 21st century marked a pivotal moment in the culinary culture of India. That was the time when there was a sudden surge of fast-food chains from Western countries permeating the Indian markets and local chefs were determined to serve authentic American and European fare. However, that was just the tip of the iceberg.

Over the years, the globalisation trend has paved the way for a new era of gastronomic exploration. From chef owners opening standalone concepts to expatriate chefs bringing in their home cuisines, and collaborative cuisines becoming a mainstay, there has been a shift in the culinary landscape of the country—visible not just in large metros but across smaller cities and towns as well. As the country continues to integrate into the global culinary landscape, the lines between traditional and Western cuisines are blurring, giving rise to new food trends, dietary changes and gastronomic innovations.

Flavours of fusion

I remember referencing Tarla Dalal cookbooks and seeking out ‘continental’ recipes, the likes of baked vegetables, vegetarian French onion soup and eggplant casseroles, in the mid-90s. Around the same time, India became an epicentre of globalisation and global food chains permeated the market. McDonald’s (1996), KFC (1995), Pizza Hut (1996) and Domino’s (1996) cracked through the comfort food market, leading up to Subway (2001), Hard Rock Cafe (2006), Chili’s (2009) and Starbucks (2012).

In the 21st century, this globalisation trend intensified and enterprising chefs, trained both locally and abroad, began to infuse Indian cuisine with Western techniques and ingredients. This fusion movement birthed a new culinary trend, where dishes like butter chicken pizza and masala pasta blurred cultural boundaries. Chefs Vineet Bhatia and Manish Mehrotra led this charge in the 2000s, earning global acclaim for their culinary experiments with Indian food.

A wave of restaurateurs and chefs in India began to analyse the market and identified a significant gap in the dining-out industry—a demand for authentic experiences centred around diverse Western cuisines.

Mumbai, which has a ripe cosmopolitan nature, has its glamorous hotels at the forefront of introducing newer cuisines. Souk (2003) at Taj Mahal Palace, Colaba, stands the test of time with its authentic Mediterranean menu. Vetro (2005) at The Oberoi has charmed many of its diners with its eclectic European plates. Similarly, Botticino (2012) at The Trident, BKC, has long stood out with its grappa-fuelled Italian ristorante. Luxury hotels had similar restaurants—Le Cirque Signature Restaurant (2011) by the renowned Maccioni Restaurant Group first opened at The Leela Palace, Delhi, shortly thereafter at The Leela, Andheri, in 2013. Spearheaded by executive chef Aungshuman Chakraborty, this fine-dine establishment stands as a bastion of French-Italian cuisine. Chef Chakraborty emphasises, “The only way to survive this ever-evolving industry is to come up with new techniques and cooking styles more often.”

Metro cities witnessed a surge of standalones with such cuisines. Leading the charge was Chef Rahul Akerkar, who debuted Indigo in 1999 focusing on comfort food within a casual European deli concept. Following suit, AD Singh blazed the trail with the introduction of Olive Bar & Kitchen in 2000, whose laid-back vibe coupled with perky Mediterranean flavours brought attention to the sleepy suburb of Bandra. Olive went on to have successful branches in Delhi (2003) and Bengaluru (2005). Ritu Dalmia set up her chic European restaurant Diva (2000) in New Delhi, while serial entrepreneur Riyaaz Amlani brought the casual Smoke House Deli (2009) to Mumbai offering a contemporary spin on European cuisine.

A few years later, Mumbai also saw the rise of fine-dining concepts. The Table (2011), helmed by Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf, offered a modern, seasonal menu with European influences. Bengaluru welcomed Monkey Bar (2012), spearheaded by the dynamic trio of Chef Manu Chandra, Chetan Rampal and AD Singh, introducing one of the first gastropub concepts to the Indian market.

Goa has long been a hub for fine European influences, thanks to its status as a tourist destination. In Arambol, Privet-Andrei and Uzbechka stand out as popular hole-in-the-wall eateries serving authentic Russian fare. Meanwhile, Thalassa (2006), with its al-fresco seating, has become an iconic spot for indulging in Greek delicacies. These became fixtures in cityscapes, some of them still up and running, catering to adventurous diners hungry for novel experiences apart from wood-fired pizzas and gourmet burgers.

Chefs and the cities

Yet, amid this sparse Western culinary emergence, there was a dire need to capture a more traditional side. When Chef Manu Chandra returned to India from the US in 2005, he recognised this aspect: “I observed a dearth of options mirroring the true essence of Western gastronomy; Colonial-era cuisine dominated the scene.” He went on to helm key multi-city projects ranging from Olive, Monkey Bar, Toast & Tonic, all of which showcased his love for eclectic European cuisines. His latest project Lupa, launched in early 2023, emphasises his desire to reconnect with culinary basics and offer a departure from cliched trends.

Despite initial challenges, Chandra’s expertise in amalgamating diverse flavours and techniques has earned Lupa a reputation for paving the way for a new era of gastronomic exploration in India. “I am very proud of Lupa’s vast menu, which caters to a wide audience with different expectations and palates,” he says. 

Bengaluru has a buzzing culinary scene with a mix of spots serving up European and Western grub. Fava kicked off in 2010, dishing out Mediterranean dishes. It is run by veteran chef Abhijit Saha who continues his streak of dishing out classical and modern European cuisine through his newer Whitefield project, Lyfe.

Around similar timelines, Sanchos (now Sanchez) burst onto the scene, treating Bengaluru with Mexican flavours. Boteco, a Brazilian restaurant, was launched in an age (2016) and city (Pune) when metros were still finding their foothold with alternate Western cuisines. With subsequent expansions into Mumbai and Bengaluru (2022), Boteco filled a void in the market for the unexplored. Boteco’s MD Praveesh Govindan observed, “In 2016, as a restaurateur, I keenly observed a shift in the Indian palate, driven by travel and exposure to international cuisines,” thus tapping into a demand for novel gastronomic adventures.

Travelling east, Kolkata, the mecca of culinary heritage, has many facets, including remnants of Armenian, Greek, Jewish and Anglo-Indian communities, converging into a cultural hot pot. When Chef Shashvat Dhandhania opened To Die For (2022), he introduced vegetarian European cuisine to Kolkata’s dining scene— dishes like pumpkin ravioli and fettuccine with eggplant pate offered unexpected flavours. He encourages people to try new things through his restaurant, “My experience in the city of Kolkata was that they needed to be pushed to try flavours or Western dishes that they possibly had seen on menus abroad, or even in other restaurants around the country, but were not comfortable ordering back home.”

Around the same time, an 82-year-old Spaniard named Antonio Costa Bolufer introduced Tapaste (2022), a Spanish restaurant offering a variety of Spanish delicacies ranging from paella to empanadas. Leveraging their Greek heritage, the Souvlaki Guys serve up gourmet Greek cuisine in the alleys of Kolkata.

Venturing down south, Chennai’s dynamic culinary scene includes gems such as Chamiers Cafe, which offers a blend of European delights, and Tryst Cafe. Chennai’s slow growth towards adapting Western cuisine has been more towards their hybrid store-cafe concepts that attract a crowd who sync with these experiences.

Mumbai has evolved in varied Western cuisines—lately Koishii at St Regis helmed by Chef Kinyo introduced Nikkei cuisine, a combination of cuisines from Japan and Peru. It showcases imported and indigenous ingredients like Peruvian chillies and purple potatoes. Meanwhile, Romano’s at JW Marriott Mumbai Sahar, under the culinary stewardship of head chef Alessandro Piso, offers an excursion into the heart of Italy with rustic, authentic dishes like duck plin-plin and ilusione. Chef Piso arrived in India with a fresh perspective in late 2023. He notes a growing interest in international flavours, particularly Japanese, Peruvian, Nikkei and Turkish cuisines. He aims to create a playful dining experience that surprises his guests.

While hotels continue to cater to their regulars and in-house guests, the city is gradually witnessing a rise in chef-owned standalone concepts. Mumbai welcomed Juliette in 2022, offering a variety of modern dishes from Europe, Tunisia and France on their menu. Meanwhile, stalwarts like chef Rahul Akerkar ventured into evolved European cooking with hints of Indian flavours thrown in for good measure, as seen in his latest project, Ode.

Expatriate chefs are bringing in their home cuisines. Chef Manuel Oliveira started fine Spanish cooking at La Loca Maria (2019) serving up Octopus and Pinchos (Spanish style skewers). Oliveira and his wife Mickee recently launched a swanky space, La Panthera (2024), featuring European comfort food. Similarly, Chef Alex Sanchez, known for his chic global cuisine restaurant, made his mark in Mumbai by opening Americano (2019) with his partner Mallyeka Watsa. Americano offers new-age American-inspired Italian fare, resonating with the cuisines from America’s West Coast, featuring signature dishes like Little Gem Salad with a crème fraîche vinaigrette, sweetcorn ‘ribs’ rubbed with BBQ spice, and decadent pasta dishes like cacio-e-pepe.

Chef Rafael Garcia, who opened Los Cavos (2023), a Latin American restaurant, was quite open to diner feedback in shaping Los Cavos’ menu. Initially, guests sought adaptations to align with the Indian palate, but as they delved deeper, their preferences evolved.

Chef Tarun Sibal, of Barfly in Goa, has a rich history in diverse F&B roles, collaborating with the likes of the French ministry of agriculture and the Irish Food Board. He observes a surge in Levantine cuisine and American comfort food in India. Reflecting on the rise of ‘modern Indian’ dining concepts around 2011-2012, Chef Sibal recognised an opportunity to fuse traditional Indian flavours with contemporary influences while global trends dictated plant-based and hyper-regional flavours — citing establishments like Warq and Indian Accent as pioneers. The launch of Titlie in Goa in 2019 and Barfly in 2023 marked a significant turning point in his cooking. He chose to adapt this trend by influencing Western dishes with a hint of Indian—and introduced what he terms “collaborative cuisine”, which denotes melding multiple food techniques and inspirations.

Large metros are not the only ones capitalising on financially strong prospects from diners with widening palates. Pune, a city whose patrons were known to be conservative towards experimental cuisines, has emerged as an underdog for Western influences. Little Italy, launched by a Gujarati hotelier in 1989, saw its first outlet, La Pizzeria, become one of the first Italian restaurants in the country. Since then, Pune has made strides in alternate cuisines, with Juju standing out as one of the few restaurants in the city to bring the flavours of Mexico City.

Karan Khilnani, founder of Juju, shares, “Our journey began with a vision to transport patrons to the lively streets of Mexico City through a visually captivating bar experience.” Signature dishes like spiced lamb tacos and corn ribs have since garnered popularity.

The West is here to stay

The surge in Western influences isn’t fleeting; it’s fuelled by Indians travelling more, exploring cuisines, and driving up demand for Western ingredients. But the buck doesn’t stop at just cuisines and their newfound interpretations—there is a surge in dietary changes too. While India doesn’t have a vegan and plant-based culture that globally rallies more towards packaged products, substitutions, and adherence to people swivelling in the direction of a plant-based/vegan diet. After all, a recent report from the World Atlas, India claims the top spot, with 38% of its total population identifying as vegetarians, which makes for a great foundation for switching towards vegan/plant based culture.

But is this a fad or a lifestyle change? Chef Raveena Taurani, founder of Yogisattva, a plant-based culinary school in Mumbai, who became lactose intolerant in 2014, and as a vegetarian, had to learn how to feed herself. A raw vegan chefs’ training programme in Bali in 2015 changed her life, and she went on to start a business as a home chef, giving it a brick and mortar space in 2018. Words like ‘vegan’ and ‘plant-based’ didn’t exist when Taurani started from a small stall at the Farmers’ Market in Bandra. She feels there is somewhat of a reluctance to try the food to begin with as most people feel that they won’t have enough food options that will cater to their eating habits.

But lifestyle change is real. Shanti Sivaram, partner at celebrity management company Matrix IEC, who has been a vegetarian growing up, shifted her mindset proactively towards plant-based and veganism seven years ago—her love for animals, which also now transcends to her son, Agastya, acted as a catalyst. “Going vegan was a natural path for me to upgrade my beliefs and ethnic values,” she says. 

Sivaram’s idea of veganism extends towards not using substitutes and packaged foods as alternatives but rather adopting a lifestyle that does away with chemicals, preservatives, and overly processed foods. “To me, this is a lifestyle choice that extends beyond food alone. I think we are always evolving and learning of new ways to be more sustainable,” she adds.

The author is a Mumbai-born food and beverage expert, consultant and writer.

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