London is quasi-Indian but times have changed: Chef Manish Mehrotra

After wowing New York with his path breaking food last year, chef Manish Mehrotra has set his eyes on London as he opened the third, and perhaps the last of his uber successful restaurant, Indian Accent. The uncrowned king of molecular gastronomy, who not only presented Indian cuisine in a new avatar, but also brought it much recognition on the international platform, has done his homework well for the fine dining eatery at Albemarle Street in the posh Mayfair neighbourhood. The site previously had Chor Bizarre by Old World Hospitality, the company that gave us Indian Accent. Amidst a choc-a-bloc schedule and excitement ahead of the October launch, we catch up for a tête-à-tête.

What made you choose London to complete the trinity of Indian Accent?

The city is more evolved in terms of Indian cuisine compared to other markets like Paris, Tokyo, Dubai. Londoners are foodies and being a quasi-Indian city considering the huge NRI population, they are largely familiar with what Indian food tastes like. Having said that, I would also like to add that diners at our place will not be served what they have been eating for decades as our cuisine.

What would the place look like?

The concept is luxury dining and we have kept the space small with only 65 covers. The decor is contemporary to go with the food. It will be minimalist; no ostentatious and garish lighting or seating. The restaurant won’t have interiors reminiscent of some Indian state. It would be Indian yet elegant. The menu, will have signature dishes like meetha achar spare ribs, Indian Accent kulchas, chaats, doda barfi treacle tart etc. Besides, we have also incorporated specially curated local ingredients. For instance, in the New York outlet, we play a lot with seasonal stuff. We would be following the same structure in London as well.

London is a highly competitive playfield with names like Curry House occupying sizeable popularity. But you have past experience with the city to back you.

Yes, I am familiar with London and its dining habits but times have changed. Besides, the place has some great Indian restaurants but the type of food that Indian Accent serves is vastly different from what is available right now. Innovation has always been the mantra, and this is what makes our food stand out.

You have inspired a lot of replicas of fusion food. How do you see the sudden glut of similar restaurants?

I would again say that no one is serving what we bring on the platter. Food is the star. It is not covered with gimmicks like fancy crockery, smoke and fire shenanigans. Yes, we have been copied far and wide but that too has not been done well. Most of the places that are doing fusion food, are bar-centric with food coming in second. One cannot sustain for a long time with vague fusion.

You said that this would be the grand finale of Indian Accent. Why no plans to expand further?

Opening a fine dining restaurant is not a cakewalk. It requires a lot of hard work. We are still working on the menu, trying to make it the best possible to the T, which also includes often considered mundane details like the language, font etc. Our chefs have been specially flown in from Delhi to work there, which again came with its own hiccups of visa, immigration etc.

This year, it was also about fusion and fine dining. What would be the food trend in 2018?

According to me, fine-casual would be big in 2018. A mishmash of fine food in a slightly non-formal setting; no stuffy or high-collar food.