Email
Print
ShareI like food summits. They sound serious like UN material but all they involve is over-eating and heavy drinking. Okay, maybe I paint too grim a picture; it isn't all that bad. But it is that decadent, and hedonistic.
Even as I write this, the World Gourmet Summit in Singapore is being held in, well,
Singapore and attracting many people from near and far to come and enjoy some special food and drink.
Among the highlights this year is the first Michelen-star awarded Indian chef Atul Kochhar. Now I have had the pleasure of tasting alongside and even sharing a meal with Atul at his form idable eatery in London and I know what this talented man can cook up.
Him, along with a handful other Indian-origin chefs based in London are responsible for giving India its new cuisine, for giving Indian cuisine a new facade and
a much-needed and awaited facelift. And of course, he has made it wine friendly too.
Similarly, many other chefs will be working their magic at all the popular dining destinations of this tiny island country. They will also be conducting private workshops with small groups to teach others how to whip up their own little magical treats in their own kitchens.
But then, it gets better. There is enough wine exhibited and tasted during this event to
surround Sentosa in a red pool of claret and chianti! There are several master-classes where famous wine regions come forth and provide a sampling of their produce. From Australia to Spain to Chianti, from famous French Bordeaux Chateaux to top Californian producers, they are all here and happy to share a platform where the only thing being encouraged is the gourmand in all of us.
I have been there before and it would be nice to see how it has evolved over the years. This, for me, is the only event where they serve banquet quantities of food but with great attention to taste and presentation, as if it were only four people and not a hundred were dining.
The other thing I like about such events is that when you sit with a stranger for a tasting
you make friends that last longer than the memory of the event. It is fantastic to be able
to connect with someone over good food and wine. Moreover, it inculcates a culture of appreciating the finer things in life in the locals and aligns them to appreciate such better.
I think India needs to take a cue from our neighbouring island friend and try and start something similar. Sure our wines may not be as complementary yet but we can always get foreign regions to come and exhibit. And we do have enough food to last a festival an entire month without ever needing to repeat a dish.
And then we shall have more opportunities to sample our dishes with wines from the
world over. We too would perhaps start the transition from banquet-mongers to fine-dining enthusiasts. Till such happens, I am off to Singapore. Patience, as you can tell, is not one of my strong points. See you there!
