Fox History and Traveller are mighty excited about their new show “Twist of Taste”, featuring the London-based star chef Vineet Bhatia. The programme will be aired on the channel, starting 14th August 2011, every Sunday at 9 p.m.
This presentation takes Chef Bhatia to some of the most interesting Indian cities.
The host has one primary aim – to mix a characteristic local dish with international recipes (including cooking or presentation style) and eventually create one of his own. It will be a journey through the country with stops at Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Amritsar, Jodhpur, Goa, Guwahati, Mcleodganj, Hyderabad and Manali. The agenda is to transform the intrinsically Indian flavour to a more interesting dimension.
Bhatia is an internationally acclaimed chef who has worked hard to put India on the world culinary map.
`The Times' magazine had famously described him as “an Indian chef who invents with cooking that is clear in flavour, robust and gimmick free.”
The `New York Times gave fulsome praise by saying, “Vineet is a trail-blazer in applying Indian techniques to ingredients that are rare or unknown in India.”
Eclectic influence
Born in 1967, Bhatia spent his formative years in Mumbai. He says, “The wonderful thing about growing up in Bombay was the eclectic influence all around you. It is a melting pot of culinary delights from the many different regions of India.” After graduating from a catering college in 1988 he was spotted by the Oberoi hotel group. Later Vineet got appointed as Chef De Cuisine at the Oberoi (Mewar and Kandahar Restaurant). Despite being a learning experience, these kitchens gave him relatively less space to experiment with his creations. Frustrated, Vineet decided to move to London.
When he arrived in London in 1993, he was disappointed by the representation of Indian food there. He started work at the `Star of India' restaurant (South Kensington) by immediately creating a professional environment in the kitchen and then gradually moving his attention to the food and the menu. After the end of year one a completely new menu was created that shifted the customer base from lager loving curry buffs to gourmet eaters. The `Evening Standard' went onto describe him as, “proof that Indian food is capable of evolving.”
Since then there have been many significant milestones and today Vineet has reached the point where his name is synonymous with innovative Indian food in the U.K. He is known for revolutionising desi cuisine, and whilst retaining its core values, has changed everything from the way it is presented to the way it's experienced. Many accolades have followed his trajectory to the top. ‘Elite fine dining' is reflected in his impressive portfolio of exclusive consultancies that include the British Airways and Grosenor House in Dubai.
Bhatia is now looking forward to a return to roots with the upcoming show on Fox History and Traveller. He sums up his extraordinary journey by saying, “In hindsight, it's really surprising that I ended up a chef. But now when I sit back and think there is nothing that I would have enjoyed doing better or am more passionate about! I describe myself as a global Indian whose inspiration is deeply rooted in India with an ever-burning desire to put our cuisine on the forefront.”
