Alexander is said to have wept when he realised there were no more worlds to conquer — what a wuss! On the other hand, Chef Nabhojit Ghosh after stints in luxury hotels including The Oberoi Grand, Calcutta and the Taj Malabar, food start-ups and QSR (Vasudev Adigas) has created a new world with 48East.
As the food delivery service celebrates its first anniversary, chef looks back and ahead. “I have worked for everyone, now I wanted to work for myself,” chef declares and he set up 48East with Joseph Cherian.
“It is all about finer nuances. The menu, which changes every Friday is picked up from 48 countries in Asia — hence the name.
Dimsums presented a special challenge for chef.
“We are working on it. They don’t travel well and ideally should be consumed on the spot. We have almost got it right.” And the dimsums whether chicken or cheese and corn are little pillows of heaven. Ghosh, who was born in Delhi and grew up in Calcutta, says “dimsums are not restricted to Vietnam and China just like noodles are not the sole preserve of East Asian cuisine. West Asia has rice vermicelli. There are many versions of the biriyani too, from Hyderabadi to nasi bukhari in Malaysia.”
The 55-year- old chef is committed to making vegetables interesting and that means going beyond paneer. “We stuffed and pan fried snake gourd. We make vegetarian versions of many speciality dishes, likewise for the desserts.”
48East, which started in July 2016 in Indiranagar, now serves across the city including Ulsoor, Yelahanka, Dasarahalli, Koramangala, and HSR.
The packaging is user-friendly. “We have kept it simple. The packaging has been planned to ensure that the food is presented well. If you are eating at home or at work, you get the feel of a swanky restaurant.” Minus the worries of finding parking!
As far as the organic route to packaging goes, chef says they are “constantly evaluating options. The cutlery we serve is made of corn husk and not plastic.” Listing the popular dishes, chef says, “There are many of them. Since our menu has a weekly cycle there are popular dishes every week. The notable ones include, chicken gyoza, BBQ chicken bao, bok choy mushroom dumplings, cheese baozi, Burmese khao suey, Sindhi biryani, Jaffna vegetable stew and chelow kebab.”
Talking about his food philosophy, Ghosh who was invited by Abhishek and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan to curate their wedding menu says, “In ’85, one week into my training, I learnt about truth in the menu. It is something I rigorously follow. What I write in the menu is what I serve. I cannot bely that trust.”
Log on to www.fortyeighteast.com or through the app for a well-presented, tasty and reasonably-priced (meal for two costs ₹500) gourmet meal in the comfort of your home.
