“‘Are you a maverick, chef?’ Mr Oberoi asked me when he wanted to set up Ziya”, said chef Vineet Bhatia. We were at Ziya at The Oberoi Mumbai for dinner. He had just flown in and had dropped in to say hi. He was referrring to the late Prithvi Raj Singh Oberoi, popularly known as Biki Oberoi.
“‘Yes, I am a maverick,’ I replied,” said Bhatia.
“Then you should not be satisfied making the usual tandoori chicken and palak paneer,” said Mr Oberoi.”
“‘No, I won’t,’ I replied,”
Ziya opened in April 2010 when the Oberoi, Mumbai, was renovated after the Mumbai terror attacks. ‘Biki’ Oberoi appointed Bhatia to lead it.
Bhatia is credited with changing people’s perceptions of Indian food in London when he won his first Michelin star for his restaurant Rasoi, London, in 2001. He was first Indian chef to do so in the UK. He later won it for Rasoi, Geneva, and Vineet Bhatia, London.
He became the OG modern Indian chef in Mumbai when he opened Ziya. This was a year after Indian Accent, opened in Delhi.
“We got a lot of flak in the initial years. ‘What is this “tasting menu” business, people asked.’ Everything which could go wrong did. But Mr Oberoi stood behind me and backed me, and slowly, people began to accept us,” said Bhatia. A story which reminded me that of what Chef Manish Mehrotra, the founding chef of the Indian Accent, told me about his early days and the backing that he received from Rohit Khattar, its owner. These are the pioneers who laid the foundation of modern Indian food in India.
“How do you feel about the fact that there are a number of young chefs today who are doing modern/ reinterpretive Indian food? The fact that they are the talk of the town, so different from your time when acceptability was an issue,” I asked.
“It’s a wonderful thing,” said chef Bhatia. “The cuisine progresses this way. There’s Bombay Canteen and O’Pedro, Masque, Tresind…Papa’… here. They are bringing the world’s attention on Indian food,” said Bhatia, looking like a proud father.
“Do you find the customer at Ziya changing?”
“Yes, they are more open to experimenting. This is thanks to what’s happening in all these restaurants. Earlier I was alone.”
“Do you feel envious about the adulation and attention given to the new restaurants/ chefs,” I pushed on.
Chef glanced around at his restaurant, which was full on a weekday night, and said, “I have been in the business for 40 years. There was a time when this mattered to me. I am now in a space where I feel content and happy. I have realised that fame chases you, once you stop chasing fame.”
“What keeps you going then,” I asked.
“ Lots,” said Bhatia. “There is something new to learn each day. I like to cook. To innovate. To create food which draws on local influences and which is all about taste and flavour, not drama, presentation or big talk.”
Ouch!
Bhatia’s wife, Rashima, walked in and reminded him that he needed to rest as they had a busy day at work.
His food philosophy was exemplified in what we ate at Ziya that night. Japanese scallops, rendered juicy, topped with Belluga caviar (I don’t think that this added much to the dish), lying on a bed of tantalised lemongrass gassi (Mangalorean curry) base.
Succulent Kiwi lamb, infused with a toned down (thankfully as I can’t handle much mirchi) version of the Maharashtrian chilli pesto, thecha, served on poha soaked in sol kadhi, which counterbalanced the robustness of the meat (with itsy bitsy bites of cuddly fat) and the chilli heat; with crisp poha added for texture.
Buttery grilled Chilean basa, served on a cashew upma base, with a Malvani curry sauce adding zing; and kurkure bhindi for crunch.
The combinations were new and unique, but were presented without any commentary or back story. ‘Garam garam rehte kha lo,” have it while its hot, is the only instruction that the chef gave us.
It was not all about fancy stuff. K ordered a dhaba chicken alu from the ‘Ziya classics’ section, ragi rumali roti for her and pulao rice for me. They served a delectably creamy and dreamy kali dal with it. This was the sort of food which is best enjoyed by tucking your legs and sitting cross legged on your chair, using your fingers to eat; licking them once done. A bit like Shah Rukh Khan and Amrita Singh in the movie Raju Ban Gaya Gentleman.
Maybe I should have packed some of that to eat in our room later.
Note: We were hosted by The Oberoi Mumbai for a night’s staycation. The non food pictures are from our suite and of the view from the suite.
