According to a movie’s dialogue, chefs are the greatest artist’s in the world. They don’t just create food. They appeal all our senses with some mouth-watering, eye-appealing, and enigmatic dishes. Some, which for years linger on our taste buds and memories. With Indian cuisine being the fourth most preferred food globally, we have to credit our chefs who are making India look better day-after-day on the world map. Here’s celebrating ten chefs who took the road less travelled, and won global hearts!
1. Helly Raichura
An Ahmedabad native, Helly found EnterViaLAundry in Melbourne, and is well-known for adapting local Indian food to Australian palates. Her signature dish is the Khandvi, which she combines with native Australian ingredients. Trained under Michelin star restaurant owner Gaggan Anand and Shaun Quade, Helly wants to open a cooking school someday, to keep the legacy of age-old Indian cooking techniques alive.
2. Manoj Sharma
How would you visualise a blend of Parisian bistro and Indian Cuisine? Don’t think much. Here’s presenting Jugaad, a restaurant in Paris, helmed by Chef Manoj Sharma. Sharma was born in Delhi and has worked at MG Road in Paris. His work speaks volumes about, challenging stereotypes around Indian food predominant in the country. Manoj uses local ingredients to whip up a delectable Indian fare in Paris. His orange and lime jalebi churros and achaari lamb tartare are famous at Jugaad!
3. Gaggan Anand
Kolkata born, Bangkok based chef Gaggan Anand contribution towards putting India on the global food map is undeniable. His progressive Indian restaurant Gaggan in Bangkok has been ranked Asia’s best for three straight years and ranked 23rd in the World’s Top 50 restaurants in 2016. A pioneer in introducing Indian food by the way of molecular gastronomy, his Yoghurt explosion and Bird’s Nest are world famous.
4. Sameer Taneja
Until 10 years back, Sameer Taneja hadn’t cooked Indian food in a professional kitchen. But after taking over Benares’s kitchen in Mayfair, London, the restaurant received a Michelin star. Having worked under Joel Antunes and Pierre Koffmann. He continues to excel at whatever the situation, considering the example of starting at-home service during the pandemic in London. He has even cooked for the Queen in 2015 and his menu has dishes to die for like the Stilton malai tikka and Italian summer truffle shorba.
5.Vikas Khanna
Chef Vikas Khanna is a known face on travel and food shows. He was on of the pioneers of propagating Indian food on foreign soil. This chef from Amritsar, wanted to transform Indian cooking. He started his journey inspired by his grandmother’s cooking and became the first ever Indian chef to receive a Michelin Star. His Manhattan restaurant Junnon has a waiting period of three months. But the chef with a large heart fed 20 million meals to Indians stuck in the pandemic-induced lockdown
6. Mayank Istwal
IHM-Guwahati graduate Mayank Istwal has a menu inspired from a 100-day travel in India. It includes a crisp cauliflower and broccoli with black garlic emulsion, a foie gras cookie with methi and jeera, a paan biryani with stewed rose and the likes. His restaurant in Houston called Musaafer, is a palatial two-storey, adorned with chandeliers and paintings reminiscent of a blend of old and new.
7. Deepankar Khosla
Deepankar owns and heads Bangkok-based Haoma, a neo-Indian restaurant that is the country’s first urban farm and follows zero waste practices. His philosophy of growing to give back is evident with a greenhouse in the middle of his restaurant. His values are equally shown well in his eclectic menu comprising of pomegranate puchkas, kachori cracker layered with banana blossom, moong and spinach curry.
8. Maneet Chauhan
Maneet is to be given credit for the presence of chaat in Nashville. She has toiled hard in kitchens leading kitchens in New York and Chicago and during her tenure at landmark restaurants like Vermilion, she received some exceptional reviews from leading food networks and magazines. After eight years at Vermilion, she paved her own path and found Indie Culinaire, a culinary and hospitality company. And in 2014 opened Chauhan Ale and Masala house in Nashville. Her chaat bar Chaatable has some out-of-the-box dishes like Puff Puff pass and Brussels Sprouts chakna with ghee.
9. Saurabh Udinia
Saurabh is experienced in making modern Indian food at the Farzi Café in London as well as Indian Accent and Masala Library in India. However, his ability to invent new dishes speak volumes of his culinary talent. Begamot and tamarind sorbets, Wagyu Scotch eggs and Gruyere kulchettes are some of his eclectic signature dishes at Revolver, Singapore.
10. Prashant Chipkar
Prashant makes sure to connect each of his dishes at Masti, Dubai to India. His menu has some amazing Khandvi prawns moilee and smoked salmon khakhra. His efforts have been recognised the world over and his restaurant has been awarded as the Best Indian Restaurant in Dubai and also the Prix Versailles for best interiors. The playful and fun space will want anyone to go back once more every time!
