PLATE SHIFT
The dining scene in Mumbai sees big changes every year. We look at the top culinary trends that hit the city in 2013
If fashion is seasonal, food trends follow that rule even more. While 2012 was all about frozen yogurt, edible soil, food foam and bite-sized desserts, this year had its share of treats too. We look at some that are getting stronger by the day.
FLAVOURED BUTTER AND WATER
Ever noticed how the humble pat of off-white butter was suddenly served in varied hues? Or the jug of water that had been clear so far now has slices and sprigs of fruits and herbs? Flavoured butter and water were two of the biggest trends of 2013. Keeping in mind the restaurant’s overall theme, flavours are chosen to infuse into these table staples. For instance, Asian eateries lean towards lemongrass, Mandarin oranges and Thai basil leaves to flavour water, while soy sauce, chillies and mirin are popular butter flavours. At fancy lunch places, you were likely to spot floating bits of oranges, sweet limes, lemons and mint in the water.
AVAILABLE AT: Vicina, Kemps Corner; Silver Beach Café, Juhu; Amadeus, Nariman Point; Aoi, Bandra; Salt Water Cafe, Bandra
QUICK-FIX COOKING CLASSES
Fuelling the desire of amateur chefs to learn it all, everyone from your local food mall and restaurant to homemaker and food blogger is holding niche cooking classes. Unlike cookery schools where you have to apply formally and attend lectures, these ad-hoc classes can last anywhere between a few hours to a few
days and are open to everyone with an appetite. The people behind such a setting often pick one culinary category or cuisine and teach just that. Take, for instance, themes such as cooking with chocolate, Thai basics, eggs, baking without eggs, rubs and spices or even cooking for men and other topics that have limited takers. These classes rely on the Internet or word-of-mouth publicity and invites are mainly sent via social networking sites.
AVAILABLE AT: Palate Culinary Studio, Santacruz; Studio Fifteen, Elphinstone Road
AMUSE-BOUCHE
At first, amuse-bouches were only served at five-star restaurants, but now every other eatery is pleasing its customers with free mini-appetisers. Amuse-bouche means small bites that are served on behalf of the chef as a welcome gesture. Each of these restaurants has daily amuse-bouches that rotate on every table unlike other food that is made to order. What separates it from free papad, achaar and kachumber that we are used to is that it is more thoughtfully constructed and aims to give you a gist of what to expect.
AVAILABLE AT: Masala Library, Bandra; Ellipsis, Colaba
ASIAN FLAVOURS IN DESSERTS
This dessert trend translates into pastry chefs adding ingredients such as Matcha tea, jasmine tea, coconut cream, sesame, wasabi, kaffir lime and other oriental ingredients to desserts. It’s just not Asian eateries, but even small-time bakers and home chefs that are serving macarons, crème brûlée, teacakes and dessert toppings, hinted with Asian flavours.
AVAILABLE AT: Tout De Suite, Cuffe Parade; Le 15 Patisserie, Elphinstone Road; Silverspoon Gourmet, Mahim
GOURMET BREAKFAST
With an increasing number of chefs doling out gourmet breakfasts, the first meal of the day has suddenly got exciting. Leaving fluffy pancakes and waffles behind, these menus boast of feta-stuffed crêpes, truffle-scented scrambled eggs, brûléed oats, cinnamon porridge, red millet pancakes, couscous and pomegranate upma and other gourmet treats. The drinks followed suit with beverage menus listing juices such as applebeetroot-celery, carrot-ginger, banana-muesli, mint and bottle gourd, among other healthy concoctions.
AVAILABLE AT: Indigo Deli, Colaba, Lower Parel, Bandra, Andheri and Ghatkopar; Le Pain Quotidien, Colaba, Bandra; The Pantry, Kala Ghoda; Salt Water Café, Bandra, Churchgate; Smoke House Deli, Lower Parel
POP-UP DINING
Dining at restaurants that are here today, gone tomorrow became hot in 2013. Pop-up dining is when chefs set up ad-hoc kitchens in another restaurant or a completely new location for a stipulated period of time. The idea is to give regular diners a chance to dig into something new. The trend further branched into underground, secret restaurants that operated only for a selected guest list and focussed on the finer nuances of food. These places also explored cuisines such as Bohri, Andhra, Chettinad, Moroccan, Marwari, Assamese, old- Delhi recipes and so on.
AVAILABLE AT: Gypsy Kitchen; Bistronomie
MOLECULAR DRINKS
Out of our food platters and into our glasses, molecular gastronomy made a big splash in Mumbai in January this year. Brainchild of top chefs Ferran Adria and Heston Blumenthal, molecular gastronomy mixes cooking with chemistry to create new flavours and textures that don’t occur naturally. Just like in a lab, bartenders brewing molecular drinks use equipment and chemicals such as ISI canisters and soy lecithin to create engineered foam, powder and spheres. The derivative is then added to our drinks for a nice combination of textures. Since drinks are always in a liquid form, a touch of molecular gastronomy gives a newer dimension to classic cocktails.
AVAILABLE AT: Auriga, Mahalaxmi; Olive, Mahalaxmi and Bandra