Chef hails from a humble family in Asansol, “One thing that was clear was that I had to start earning as soon as possible. I did not take much risk and joined the catering college in 1993. I realised that I can put my artistic passion into food and create my own niche, so...here I am.”
Though he always claimed that he would never open a restaurant, he now has several under his belt, most prominently, Lavaash By Saby, in Delhi’s posh Mehrauli neighbourhood. The restaurant boasts an authentic Armenian menu. To create the menu Chef researched in the Armenian Church in Kolkata, the Armenian College in Park Street and of course by travelling to Armenia. He discovered a lot about Armenians, their life, culture and cuisine India. “They brought a device for baking bread called Tonir to India, which is now known as the tandoor. Also lot of other things we eat in our daily cuisine today like paneer and curd were brought by them.”
Trend spotting
Chef thinks the restaurant culture in India is moving towards incorporating more local cuisine and moving back to the roots. “The definition of fusion food is changing. Now it’s not about just mixing two cuisines, chefs are using different ingredients and techniques from all over the world and are creating an individual dish,” chef explains. He gives the example of creating a dish with New Zealand lamb racks, a soy glaze, Italian seasoning and using a French technique to cook it. The menu at Big Brewsky is also replete with local influences such as the Mangalorean Catholic Mutton Stew, and the Malnad Pork.
Some of the names to watch out for in the culinary scene, according to chef, are Manish Mehrotra from Indian Accent, Megha Kohli at his own restaurant Lavaash, Prateek Sadhu at Masque, Thomas Zacharias at The Bombay Canteen.
As for himself, chef wants to build an empire of restaurants and leave behind a legacy for the people in the company. “I would be super happy for my daughter to become an entrepreneur in this industry so that she can take over and expand the legacy that I build,” he sings off optimistically.
At Big Brewsky, Sarjapur Road. Details: 39514766