Chef Ranveer Brar takes us through the trends in fine dining today
Undoubtedly the most popular among contemporary celebrity chefs is Ranveer Brar, who has not only won over the world with his culinary skills but also through his acting skills. While he was in town recently as a panelist at the India Luxe Lifestyle Forum, organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce at Taj Bengal, Indulge caught up with him on fine dining trends and more.
Excerpts:
How is the emergence of fine dining changing contemporary food habits?
More than the emergence, it is the re-definition of fine dining that is changing how people look at food and dining. For the longest, fine dining was considered very stiff upper lip, unapproachable, for a select few or for select occasions. That is changing. The idea of fine dining is being associated with good food, happier people, more smiles on people’s faces, less intimidation, more approachability. That re-definition, I think is defining how we look at food and how a consumer looks at eating out.
Fusion food is also categorised under fine dining in many cases. While fusion food gives rise to newer flavours, do you think it takes away the originality of the root cuisine?
I think, I have always believed for every chef and food-preneur, their relationship with food is a journey. Some people get to it quicker, some people take a longer time, but eventually everybody gets to a space where they are able to understand their relationship with food. And all these, whether you call it fusion, are people’s ways of getting to their relationship with food. There is no right or wrong in the food business and that should be the basic tenet that all of us should believe in.
Many times, lost and rare recipes are counted within the ambit of fine-dining. Is there a validation of these recipes or they are a chef’s re-interpretation?
I like the emotion and the intent behind it. I think sometimes we just go a little further ahead and obsess about things. But I like the intent of re-discovering a part of your culture through its cuisine. If you are able to unearth even 50% of it, the job’s done. You have invoked the right emotion. So while I very strongly commend the intent behind re-discovering and re-looking at our culture to re-discover parts that were lost, whether its cuisine , fabrics, print, whatever; I don’t think we should obsess about it. Also, I don’t think we should use that to validate or invalidate people or products.
How do factors like sustainability, organic ingredients, local ingredients etc, affect the price point of fine dining? Is that enlarging the gap between consumers and affordability?
Sadly, now that’s how it’s coming across. But what I think is, it is also a reflection of how much stratification is possible on price points in a country like ours. Rs 5- Rs 5000, is like the depth in our country which doesn’t exist anywhere else. I think we are maturing to actually understand how the stratification should be done. Currently, it is coming across as good food or organic food or sustainable food should be expensive. But I think it’s going to rationalise itself, It’s just that it will take longer than most of the countries because as I said, it is a much wider range that we are dealing with.
Do you cook for your team?
Yeah, I do! Even when I go to Dubai, I make sure, I cook something for them. There are phases when you want to cook because you are enjoying it and then there are phases when you want to cook because you want to derive something out of it. So, when I’m enjoying it is when everybody gathers around me. When I am trying to derive things from it is when everybody runs away from me. So, I try and go through the enjoying it phase at least once a month and gather people around me.
Some of your favourite fine diners in the city?
Sonar Tori is one. I am absolutely obsessed with Kasturi. Sonargaon at Taj Bengal also has some amazing food. Other than that, for the Park Street vibe, I definitely sit at Flurys for a bit.