Flavours from the Southeast
Delhi's staid taste buds have finally embraced adventure, and South-east Asian cuisine seems to be the flavour of choice.
Move over Punjabi-Chinese; it's time for Thai, Malaysian, Singaporean, Indonesian and Vietnamese. If the past months are an indication, the Capital's hitherto staid taste buds have finally embraced adventure, and South-east Asian cuisine seems to be the flavour of choice.
"Delhiites are experimenting more now," says Sudha Kukreja, partner, Blanco. Her restaurant recently concluded a month-long Vietnamese food festival, Hanoi O Ho!, the response to which was "better than expected". "People tried a lot of dishes that we thought were too hardcore and authentic to be put in the menu," says Kukreja. Blanco now plans to hold a Singaporean festival towards the end of July .
Thai food, especially spicy red curries, seems to be especially popular with the city's crowds. As Vivek Bhatt, executive sous chef, Shangri-La, says, "Its basic flavours are similar to Indian food, hence Indians can relate to this kind of cuisine."
Travel, greater disposable incomes and a shift towards healthy eating are some reasons industry insiders cite for this growing partiality towards the flavours of the east. And with a slew of Pan-Asian restaurants, menus or festivals being introduced to the city in recent months, the trend certainly seems here to stay .
Is there any one thing that will stand out more than others? According to Bhatt, Vietnamese cuisine will "definitely make a big indent." Here's to some exciting new flavours!
Get Current Updates on India News, Lok Sabha Election 2024 live, Elections 2024, Election 2024 Date along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.