I don’t go to a new restaurant within three months, I wait for the hype to die: historian and culinary anthropologist Kurush F Dalal

I don’t go to a new restaurant within three months, I wait for the hype to die: historian and culinary anthropologist Kurush F Dalal

Every week sees a new restaurant, often more, opening its doors in Mumbai, especially over the last three months. But which eateries merit attention, are these newcomers truly the epitome of gastronomic excellence, and what does it mean for the culinary landscape of the city, we ask archaeologist, historian, and culinary anthropologist Kurush F Dalal. Excerpts from an interview:

Amidst a surge in new restaurant openings, the survival rate remains low. How do you perceive Mumbai’s current culinary landscape?

Dalal: Every new restaurant opening up today is putting in an enormous amount of money in just starting, the returns need to be commensurate and the food needs to be up to date. The food is usually very very good in the first three months and then takes a tremendous beating, which is perhaps why we see a huge attrition rate among restaurants. On the other hand, smaller eateries, dubbed ‘hole-in-the-wall’ are delivering superior food. It is the diners who have to decide between culinary excellence and luxurious dining experiences because, in the contemporary restaurant scene, they are distinct segments.

What parameters do you consider while visiting a restaurant?

Dalal: You need to understand why are you going to a restaurant — is it for good food, is it for a new culinary experience, or is it because you want to be able to put up stuff on social media, the taste doesn’t matter as long as the food and the place look fabulous. Now all of these things can come together, and in various combinations but it is very rare to have everything in one restaurant. I personally don’t go to a restaurant for the first three months. I wait for the hype around it to die down and then go and see if the food is good. To me, if the food is not great, there is absolutely no point.

What are some of these ‘hole-in-the-wall’ places that you would recommend?

Dalal: There are many places. One has to go and explore the suburbs of Mumbai. There are so many small, quaint Irani-type restaurants scattered all over, which are not necessarily run by Iranis any longer. There are some simple khanavals (home kitchens) that are opening up all over Borivali, Goregaon, and Ghatkopar. Here you don’t have to think 20 times over what to order because they have set meals, like fish thali, veg thali, mutton thali, etc.

Q. What are some of the traditional Mumbai dishes or culinary practices that you feel are at risk of being forgotten?

Dalal: Mumbai has owned Indian-Mughlai-Chinese-Tandoori culture such that everything is available in a single restaurant with 200 items on its menu but the food tends to be a very homogenised version, failing to capture the essence of each cuisine. Similarly, a lot of restaurants call themselves Agri, or Koli, or Malvani restaurants but are more Agri than Koli or Malvani. We have been sort of creating a fusion of coastal cuisine in Mumbai, which represents Maharashtra to us but the same food isn’t really seen in the areas from where it comes. At the same time, Irani cafes and the Udupi restaurants, which used to be such a powerhouse, are disappearing, and the food from a lot of smaller communities is completely underrepresented in Mumbai. For example, there’s no place to go and get a good Bohri meal or a Khoja meal.

Are there any particular restaurants that you find promising?

Dalal: Hunger Inc. has consistently impressed me with its innovative approach to modernising Indian cuisine, spearheaded by chefs like Zac (Thomas Zacharias, former chef-partner at The Bombay Canteen) and now Hussain (Hussain Shahzad, executive chef at Hunger Inc.) across ventures. When Bombay Sweet Shop opened, people said we didn’t need an expensive ‘halwai’ but the fact of the matter is that we did need someone willing to innovate and give us the cleanest, industry-standard mithai without being a typical halwai and there’s a market for it. Bandra Born by chef Gresham Fernandes started as a pop-up but evolved into a permanent fixture, thanks to its fun approach combined with nostalgic Bandra food.

I am also seeing a spurt of new restaurants coming up in the suburbs of Mumbai, once overlooked but now gaining traction via social media, signalling a shift in Mumbai’s culinary landscape, challenging the traditional South Bombay-Bandra nexus.

Is there a restaurant that you feel isn’t getting its due?

Dalal: A lot is going on in the ultra-high-end restaurant space. One of the best restaurants in India is in Mumbai, in BKC, called Noon. Chef Vanika Choudhary has been doing some absolutely mind-boggling, fantastic stuff. The food is phenomenal but I don’t see Mumbai talking about it enough even though people are flying from outside the city to have a meal there.

How does the emphasis on wine pairing over regional cuisine in culinary schools, as noted by chef and restaurateur Rahul Akerkar, impact our restaurant scene?

Dalal: Most culinary schools are teaching their students three things – ingredients, techniques, and presentation. But that’s not food, which is why many students don’t understand food, where it comes from, and the story behind it. However, there are also institutions like WGSHA in Manipal where chef Thirugnanasambantham K has been asking his students to showcase the cuisine of their mothers, from their kitchens, and present it in a modern manner in their final semester. And this is why a lot of young graduates coming out of Manipal are doing so well in the food world. I think Rahul is completely correct in what he has been saying. The five French mother sauces are great but they shouldn’t be the beginning or end of culinary college.

What cuisine do you feel is lacking representation in the city?

Dalal: I advocate for more specialised restaurants, like Seefah by chef Seefah Ketchaiyo and chef Karan Bane, which offer very authentic Thai food. I would like to see more Spanish, Greek, Tuscan, and African restaurants. We had a couple of small Nigerian restaurants in South Bombay, but they died. I would love to see somebody showcasing African food from different parts of the continent.

What makes Mumbai’s street food culture unique? Does it contribute to the city’s reputation as a food destination?

Dalal: Very much so. What makes Mumbai’s street food culture unique are the people of Mumbai, and the people who commute enormous long distances on an everyday basis for work and often do not have time to get their meals cooked at home and carry with them. The city also has a large student population again with a similar problem. Together these two demographics have created an enormous demand for sasta-sundar-tikau food and this has been one of the biggest driving forces for street food as far as I can see. As a result, some amazing food and Khau Gallis have come up in various pockets, from Fort and Charni Road to Ghatkopar and Vile Parle, and they are not only serving vada pav and pav bhaji. Bringing them the due attention are the food walks in the city.

Can you share an interesting anecdote or discovery from your research into Mumbai’s food history?

Dalal: Despite Mumbai’s expansive coastline and seafood-rich diet, did you know that octopus was traditionally overlooked as a food source, not just in Maharashtra but across coastal India? It was traditionally thrown into dabbas for cat or dog food. Surprisingly, this changed with its introduction at restaurant O Pedro. Other young chefs, who were influenced by their experiences abroad, too introduced octopus to the menu. This shift in perception transformed the octopus from a discarded item to a prized delicacy, surprising even the local purveyors. One notable discovery was a Koli home chef who prepared octopus in the traditional Maharashtrian West Coast style, using meat masala, showcasing the evolving culinary landscape in Mumbai.

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