What does it take to bring the world's best celebrity chefs to India?

And why are so many of them interested? Here's an insider's view

About a decade ago, word went around that master chef Nobuyuki Matsuhisa would visit Mumbai. The Japanese chef better known as Nobu, who owns the eponymous global chain of glitzy restaurants, was exploring the idea of expanding into South Asia. He and a small team would prepare exclusive dinners for Indian guests. About two weeks before his arrival, the event was cancelled. The reasons were unclear, but it was believed that the organisers were simply not able to sell enough seats. 

 Things are different today. By the time you read this, one of the world’s best chefs, Andoni Luis Aduriz, would have left Delhi to head back to Mugaritz, the two-Michelin-starred restaurant in San Sebastian in Spain. Mugaritz is the only fixture in the top ten of the prestigious World’s 50 Best restaurants list (it has held its position for the last 12 years). 

I had a role to play in bringing Andoni to India. We met in San Sebastian this summer, where we fine-tuned the logistics of his visit. My firm (SANGUINE, of which I am co-founder and CEO) has facilitated India trips for several chefs — in 2018, we brought down 10 Michelin stars chefs all the way from Los Angeles to Singapore. So, I must declare an interest, but one that gives me an insider’s view.

Chef David Myers tasting Mumbai's famous street paan

Not many understand what goes on behind the scenes. When a great chef agrees to cook in India, he is putting his reputation on the line. He is expected to create the same experience he would at his restaurant, in unknown territory with a fraction of the support staff he is used to, among other obstacles. It takes months of planning; discussing ingredients, equipment, cutlery, crockery, not to mention coordinating hotels, visas, flights, and so on. I once dealt with a chef who was so fastidious that he insisted on flying to Tokyo’s Tsukiji market to buy his fish!

Contrary to the Nobu experience, Andoni’s visit to India elicited a tremendous response. His two dinners in New Delhi sold out within 24 hours: Indian restauranteur Riyaaz Amlani came with 15 members of his team from Mumbai, chef Sujan Sarkar came from New York, and Dubai-based chef Himanshu Saini booked his seat a month in advance.

Chef Massimo Bottura with chef Thomas from The Bombay Canteen

Why was this such a big deal? Andoni’s reputation makes him a huge draw and foodies would certainly like to tick it off their culinary bucket lists. But the chef was also doing something unique. Andoni flew in with a team of five chefs without even planning a menu. He was clear that the main reason for his visit was to learn about Indian produce, culture and cuisine. When he arrived, he visited a local farm and masterfully recreated his signature dishes using Indian produce – firmly demonstrating that great food can be made from simple, available ingredients.

Andoni’s Indian escapade is an anomaly, though; not many are as daring. In the last few years, every few months there seems to be a pop-up by a celebrity chef. The events are usually private, and if they are not exclusive they are certainly expensive (The Taj priced Gaggan Anand’s Mumbai and Delhi dinners last year at Rs 22,000 a seat). 

Massimo Bottura (rated World No 1 in 2018), the Italian chef from Modena, cooked a dinner for billionaires hosted by infamous jeweller Nirav Modi. And sometimes, chefs don’t really care. At a big wedding recently, the hosts were shocked that the famous European chef they had flown down had brought all his food frozen. All he had to do was unpack it and throw it into the oven.

German chef twins Thomas and Mathias Sühring in Mumbai

Why are celebrity chefs suddenly discovering India? PR, a new demographic and, of course, money — many chefs who think of themselves as “world famous” recognise they must develop followings in India and China. But the motives can be very different. I chatted with New York’s chef Daniel Humm (rated World No 1 in 2017) who spent three weeks in India this year. “The experience changed my life,” he said, “I can’t think of another country where so many rich cuisines co-exist. Today we serve a dosa at Eleven Madison Park, which is my ode to India.” 

And what do these chefs do in India? Andoni spent a day walking around Old Delhi’s Chandni Chowk taking in the “colours and scents”. French legend Alain Passard spent a day learning how to cook vegetables in a tandoor. David ‘the Gypsy Chef’ Myers packed Mumbai’s meetha-paan in his suitcase to Los Angeles. Thai chefs from the Michelin-starred Bo.Lan in Bangkok spent a morning at Mumbai’s Chor Bazaar. And the German twins and two-star Michelin chefs Thomas and Matthias Suhring attended a Bollywood party and learnt bhangra steps.

Andoni and his team at the Taj Mahal

 

Will the great chefs keep coming? They will. One lot will be the guys who come for the big weddings thrown by rich Indians. But it is the second lot that bears watching: the world’s finest chefs who believe they must experience one of the world’s greatest culinary cultures. And, who go back enriched by that experience.