Taj Falaknuma invited fine dining enthusiasts to luxuriate in the International Vine and Food experience from March 24 - 26. To top off the opulence, Michelin-star maestro Srijith Gopinathan shares his thoughts on Hyderabadi cuisine and the Indian food revolution.
The top chefs we see on television and in cinema possess a certain intimidation that terrifies everyone around them. However, Srijith not only exudes the confidence of the top chef he is, but also has the ease of talking to a good friend. Additionally, his constant undulation of compatriots in the culinary world is clear and he views them as fellow revolutionaries.
The Taj Group’s love for Srijith’s work is constant; his work as Executive Chef for Taj Campton Place in San Francisco has earned him two Michelin stars two years in a row, and he carried that to the ‘101 Dinner: Drappier Champagne’ at Taj Falaknuma on March 25. The Drappier Champagne house, founded in 1808, is a prominent producer based in Urville, adding to the indulgence of Vine and Food. “At Falaknuma, you’re treated like a king! It’s crazy, it’s beautiful and it’s an honour to cook here.” The dinner at the famous 101-seat table was co-created with Taj Falaknuma resident Chef Sajesh Nair.
Srijith speaks of food as though he is speaking of a companion in life, and proceeds to share his affection and respect for the diversity of Hyderabadi cuisine. “Here, you can kill two birds with one bullet. You can find Andhra cuisine and Hyderabadi cuisine. Come to think of it, I should study that... you see, one style is rich and indulgent and the other is hot and spicy.”
Srijith is at the forefront of a movement to take Indian cuisine to the next level and to highlight the complex intelligence it has always had, “This is a cuisine that is older than many other cuisines, going back thousands of years, and yet it is sadly thought to be a poor man’s cuisine. It takes so much more effort and countless ingredients to make a single curry, but it is somehow priced less than a bowl of spaghetti. Indian cooking needs to be celebrated more.”
On that note, expect no less than edible eye-candy from Srijith, as he is fulfilling his goal in marrying the full flavours of two very different hemispheres. Particularly well-known dishes include Maine lobster in coconut curry with hearts of palm and cilantro. Another is seared Artisinal foie, Quail leg ravioli, Chestnut aoili and Pomegranate vinaigrette. “To me, the food and chef are only as good as the products. It’s important to collaborate my ethnicity with where I am. I love integrating tamarind and coconut into my dishes. And of course, California is known for its amazing food and amazing produce, so I had to take advantage. In Indian cuisine, techniques don’t change because spices are dried, so to bring out those flavours, you have to use the old-school techniques. So you see, my Indianness of mind doesn’t change.”
To potential chefs, Srijith encourages to start learning locally, “Learn your food first. Get those basics down right down to the detail and then add arms and legs to it.” His own evolution as a chef echoes this advice, having cooked with his mother and grandmother as a child, and then attending Hyde Park Culinary Institute of America in New York. His carpe-diem outlook is emulated in his constantly evolving cooking style. “I never thought I’d be here. I don’t even think about what’s happening tomorrow!”
Star Power Michelin is completely reliant on their completely anonymous reviewers, who are essentially chameleons who can blend into any given restaurant’s dining scene, and the tiers of Michelin stars range from one to three.
