Issue 31 November 2018
A conversation with Manish Mehrotra, Corporate Chef, Indian Accent – New Delhi, New York and London
With over 20 years of culinary experience, and having worked within a number of top restaurants, Chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent is widely considered one of the most exciting modern Indian chefs in the industry today.
Joining Old World Hospitality in 2000, Manish has since opened several restaurants, including Indian Accent in New Delhi, New York and London, whilst travelling the world and flooring guests with his culinary skills and charm. He led Indian Accent New Delhi to acclaimed success, being the only restaurant in India on the World’s 100 Best list and has been so for the last four years. It was also named ‘Best Restaurant in India’ by Asia’s 50 Best for four consecutive years since 2014. Indian Accent London launched in late 2017, with Manish at the helm of the kitchen, leading it to its widespread critical acclaim, as well as to multiple five-star reviews.
Why did you start cooking? At a young age, joining a hotel management school was my career decision, as I wasn’t sure what else I wanted to do! It was here that I discovered my love for the kitchen. I was drawn to it as it was the most creative element within the hotel industry. It really gave me the opportunity to showcase my creative side.
What is your earliest food memory? Each year for Diwali, my family would have hundreds of kilograms of ladoos delivered to our home to give to our friends and neighbours. Ladoos are a traditional Indian sweet made with flour, nuts, sugar, jaggery and ghee, and other toppings like nuts or coconut, most often eaten at celebrations and festivals as a special treat. They were one of my favourite things, and I was always so excited to have one, but first I had to help my family pack them up as gifts, to be given out to friends and family. It was very hard as a young boy to pack them and not eat them, but when I finally got to have one after the Diwali ceremony in the evening, it was always worth the wait!
Who is/was your food mentor? Who inspires you on a day to day basis? It wouldn’t be true if I said I have one as many people have inspired me. The first Head Chef I worked under was Chef Johnson Esso and he taught me the basics that led me on the path to become the chef I am today. He taught me how to identify flavours that would work well together, and how to successfully navigate a kitchen and work cohesively alongside others. I also really admire Rick Stein and take a lot of inspiration from his cookbooks and cookery programmes.
When I joined Old World Hospitality, I got the opportunity to travel across the world and in local parts of India on various projects, sometimes just for a food recee so I could learn about the local flavours and ingredients. Even today, I like to eat at local restaurants and even street side shops and trust me, there is a lot to learn from them.
Do you think being a great chef is a natural talent, or is it something anyone can learn? I wouldn’t say being a great chef is a natural talent. It’s my firm belief that anything you want to achieve you can, through hard work and dedication. I do believe some people are more inclined to want to learn, which may have a positive impact. For example, I always loved eating and was fascinated by food, so I focused my energies on improving my skills and knowledge, as it was something I was already passionate about.
What advice would you give to aspiring professional chefs who would want the kind of results that you’ve had? Chefs starting out have to be prepared to work hard. To work in this industry, it is not only physically but emotionally challenging too, but if you are truly passionate about cooking and food, this shouldn’t matter. Another piece of advice would be to never stop learning. There is always something new to be discovered that can help you improve.
Do you have a favourite moment looking back? Some of my favourite moments are working on the opening of Indian Accent, New Delhi. It was challenging but it was fun and it was satisfying. It took us a while to get the word going. But Rohit Khattar, Chairman of Old World Hospitality was patient, he believed in the concept and was always supportive. Slowly and steadily the brand picked up pace and It was eternally satisfying to see diners enjoying the food and coming back for more.
What’s your ultimate aim and goal for your career? If you could achieve anything with it, what would you pick? One of my goals is to continue to make real, authentic Indian food, all over the globe. Through Indian Accent, we would like to help create more respect for Indian cuisine, and help people realise it’s about so much more than just curries.
What drives you, and what makes you put in those crazy hours that leads to success in the culinary world? Of course, the love of cooking, and the love for food, but also guest satisfaction. I want to constantly wow guests and create a memorable culinary experience for them, not just a good meal, and when I see that happening it makes it all worth it.
What’s the best piece of advice you have been given? Always be ready to learn.
If there was anyone you could cook with, including people from the past, who would it be? I would like to go back and cook with the old Nawabs in Lucknow who created Indian cuisine in the absence of equipment, refrigeration and other modern things we take for granted. It’s incredible how far we have come but I would be fascinated to go back and learn how they created the extraordinary food that they did.
What aspect of being a chef is most gratifying for you? Seeing guests have an excellent overall experience.
How do you define your cuisine? Indian Accent showcases inventive Indian cuisine by complementing the flavours and traditions of India with global ingredients and techniques.
What is your favourite dish on the menu? At Indian Accent, London Soy Keema is my favourite. It uses very humble ingredients, which come together to create something unique, delicious and also comforting. Guests are always surprised and delighted by it.
Funniest kitchen incident? I was working in the restaurant of a five-star hotel in Mumbai many years ago, and somehow – no one ever found out how – live crabs from the kitchen ended up getting free. A number of them scuttled out of the kitchen into the hotel, and as the kitchen team realised, we all chased them across the lobby to capture them again. It was a pretty comical sight.
What golden rules do you have in the kitchen? Smile and be ready to learn, particularly from each other. We all have our own strengths, so we may as well share and utilise them.
How do you plan the menu? What are the key elements you are looking for in a good menu design? I take inspiration for Indian Accent menus from day to day life; flavours I come across from different regions of India, as each has its own distinct style and something new to offer. I always look to create balance across a menu so it’s not overwhelming, and the dishes offered complement each other.
What is your favourite ingredient to cook with? I’d say one of my favourite ingredients to cook with is coconut. It is so flexible and works with so many other flavor profiles, both sweet and savoury, and of course is delicious on its own too.
What is your favourite spice to cook with? I don’t have one particular spice that’s my favourite. In India we use a lot of spice blends, as obviously there are so many combinations that can create an entirely new flavour. One of my favourites is Chaat Masala as it’s very versatile. I use it in everything from salads and curries right through to desserts.
What is your most indispensable kitchen tool? A wok, it can be used for many dishes, not only for stir frying but also for slow cooking, fast cooking, frying and smoking. It is an essential item in my kitchen.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten? I ate ‘Century Egg’ in Hong Kong, an egg traditionally preserved in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, quicklime and rice hulls for several weeks to several months. It has a very strong flavour.
One dish you can’t live without? Mushroom risotto – it’s my ultimate comfort food.
Which is the dish on the restaurant’s menu you eat most? I rarely get time to eat at the restaurant as it’s always busy. But when I do, I usually choose the black dairy dal, it’s creamy, comforting and filling.
Are there any foods you just don’t like? I don’t like squid. I’m just not a fan of the texture and don’t understand why people love it so much!
What is going to be the next big thing in the food world? I think chefs are going to continue to focus more on the dining experience as a whole. Traditionally the mark of a good restaurant can be boiled down to good food, and good service, but I think as that is so widely offered, restaurants need to differentiate themselves further. This can be achieved by factoring in the experience as a whole, from décor to music, to the staff being trained on when to approach a table and when to hold back, to knowing the stories behind a dish. It’s all the little details that help push a restaurant to the next level.
What cities do you like for culinary travel? I love New York for its food scene. Whether you’re looking to spend $10 or $1,000 you can get great food across the city, at any time of the day or night.
What’s the best meal you’ve ever eaten? The best meal I’ve ever had was at a restaurant in Stockholm called Mathias Dahlgren. It was a mushroom tasting menu, and the flavours were just incredible, not to mention the service was perfect as was the whole atmosphere of the place.
If you weren’t doing what you do now, what would you be doing instead? I would probably be running our family gas station in India.
What’s next for you? For now, we would just like to focus on the three Indian Accent restaurants in New Delhi, London and New York.
Try one of Manish’s recipes at home
