The Indian diner is in the know. Hurray!  
Firstly, I thought that the rationalisation of real estate prices, the changes in property laws and the access to affordable finance for new restaurant projects would see a much-welcomed mushrooming of serious, new, stand-alone eateries and food-related ventures. The era of five-star hotel dominance in the restaurant industry would finally—I dared to say it—end. And we do now see many more independent, focused, chef-centric restaurants giving five-stars a run for their money.
Interestingly enough, the mass exodus, during the ’80s and ’90s, of skilled and trained hospitality industry professionals to more lucrative jobs overseas has contributed to the growth of the food industry in India. After working abroad for many years, they’re coming back home, and bringing with them an approach that is both passionate and professional. Their exposure to different cultures and the contemporary expression of myriad cuisines allows them to express themselves with a confidence never seen before in India.
Consequently, the new breed of restaurateur has been able to lose his need to play it safe. He’s going out on a limb and willing to take that proverbial “next step”, to build focused, speciality, professionally run, cuisine-specific eateries. To all of us, this is a time for great gustatory celebration and we rejoice in the long overdue demise of stagnation and mediocrity.
None of this could have happened, however, if it weren’t also for the changed attitudes of the eating public. Indians today are well-travelled, more adventurous and certainly more discerning. They’re open to change and to trying new foods, but expectations run high and they want bang for their buck. For us in the “biz”, this is wonderful as it allows us to experiment with new concepts and cuisines knowing that, “if you build it, they will come”. People are starved for choice and it’s a seller’s market all around.
Be that as it may, there’s still the question of the spirit of the times; cooks and their customers share the same influences, the same desires. Fewer people now seem to be interested in complex things. Maybe that’s a reaction to “casualisation”. Throughout modern history, cuisine has had to become steadily simpler for financial and social reasons, and we are in such a moment now. That is to say, in any restaurant, the important new developments are a friendlier interface between guests and staff, and a simpler ritual of dining. The traditional sequence of meals is no longer obligatory.
But it’s also true that for eateries to really succeed today, they must embrace and practise that which makes restaurants great—attention to detail, attention to service and hospitality, attention to sound techniques of cooking and attention to the fundamental use of fresh ingredients. In other words, restaurants have to be uncompromising and be ‘food-centric’ and serve food that is, as one of our patrons so aptly put it, “...not French, not Italian, not any specific cuisine—just great food, cooked well”.
When I started Indigo 10 years ago, people would either say, I like your food or I don’t. But they couldn’t tell me why. Today, they can say that there’s too much tarragon in the sauce, or this dish doesn’t taste right because x or y ingredient is missing. They possess the vocabulary to critique and appreciate and they’re not as easily impressed as before. The diner has arrived in India, and boy, does he—and she—want to eat well!
(Chef-restaurateur Akerkar owns the acclaimed Indigo restaurant, Mumbai.)