BREAKFAST IS SERVED
Restaurateur and the force behind the popular fine dining restaurant, The Table, Gauri Devidayal sets up a summer spread in her Mumbai apartment
The black leather-finished square table is a mélange of a colours and aromas as restaurateur Gauri Devidayal sets up a luscious breakfast table at her 13th floor home in Mumbai’s Nepean Sea Road. On the table are her summertime breakfast favourites—cold smoked salmon, chilled granola, yogurt, fresh fruits, waffles, croissants, a cheese platter and sparkling wine. “People don’t make time for breakfast. We want to urge people to have a great breakfast at least on a Sunday. Bring out the summer berries and cold soups and throw in a glass of Pimms or iced tea,” she says. Devidayal brought breakfast back in fashion with her Mag Street Bread Company that’s dishes out fresh-from-the-oven breads, croissants and cinnamon rolls. A Sunday morning ritual is the Bake Sale at her flagship Colaba restaurant, The Table, where breads and bakes are up for sale at a farmers’ market-like set-up.
PICK SEASONAL FARE
With mangoes in season, Devidayal’s menu at home and the restaurant brings in the king of fruit into the platter. “Milkshakes, ice creams, sorbets—it’s all about mango right now. As a prelude to the main season, I enjoy aam panna,” she says. She kick-starts her day with a bowl of chilled yogurt and fresh berries like raspberry and blueberry. In her plate are fresh “crunchy and crisp” salads with a variety of dressings. “I like Thai-inspired coconut-flavoured dressing and sweet-and-sour vinaigrette with fresh greens and fruit thrown in,” says Devidayal.
DESIGN MEETS FOOD
The table, she says, should look as good as the food tastes. “Find the right contrast between the table cloth and the plates so if you are using white plates, get a really bright table cloth,” says the restaurateur. If breakfast time is all about bringing out bright colours with flowers, colourful serving bowls and patterned napkins, dinner is the time for an elegant set-up with candles and flower arrangements. “However, don’t use scented candles because they will interfere with the aromas of the food and don’t place tall floral arrangements, which do not allow you to see the person sitting across,” she says. Another rule is to keep the table as clutter-free as possible with few glasses.
THE PERFECT PAIR
“Open a bottle of bubbly when the temperatures rise,” says Devidayal. If summer salads pair well with a rosé or a sauvignon blanc, pick a prosecco or bellini for dinner. A smoked salmon and eggs breakfast spread goes well with mimosa. “Waffles with fresh berries and a cheese platter make a perfect breakfast. Add an iced latte and you’re set for the summer,” she says.