“Ayyar boy selling biryani for a living!” Vishak Chandrasekaran of Vs café got plenty of this when he informed people that he wanted to learn baking at Le Cordon Bleu, London.
Aanchal Chetan of Chocolate and Such Patisserie says her dad was a little surprised when she told him she wanted to go to Cordon Bleu too. “Will you be paid enough?” was the question Arun Viswanathan of Ganache for Da Chocoholics faced when he wanted to pursue a double Masters in Food Science and Technology & Food Processing and Marketing and specialise in chocolates at Cornell University.
And Zucca Pizzeria owner Jaikishen Shanmugasundaram, who pursued a Masters in Geographical Science, just could not explain why he switched loyalties from maps to pizzas.
But they stuck to their guns. Now, they are pioneers of niche food outlets in Coimbatore. They use their experience abroad to serve Coimbatoreans some lip-smacking fare.
When the four young chefs gather at Vs café for a photo session, it does not take too long for them to unwind. A few minutes into the conversation, they are joking about Aunty Acid memes on chocolates, synthetic food and sharing woes about employees. It is hard to believe that they are competitors.
All agree that going abroad was the best thing that happened to them. “You see people in top-ranking jobs chucking lucrative professions to bake. That gives you so much strength and conviction,” says Vishak.
Aanchal loved the bakery hopping. “We had four days of classes. On the other three days, we visited other bakeries and learnt recipes.”
Arun was a regular middle-class boy who grew up on chocolates available in Indian markets. The dark chocolates and cakes at Cornell were a revelation. On the first day, he gorged on so many chocolates that he fell sick.
Of the four, Jaikishen’s story is, perhaps, the most unexpected. He applied to the University of Nottingham to study geographical science. But it was the restaurants in the neighbourhood that he found more interesting. Every night, he would sneak into the kitchens, bond with the chefs and help them with cooking. He came back to Coimbatore with the dream of starting a pizza outlet.
As much they loved these experiences abroad, they have come to accept that it is not an easy profession. Says Aanchal, “There are days when not even a single item moved. I get desperate and think of changing the menu. And my dad keeps telling me not to.” She wishes that people were more open to experimentation. “People in Coimbatore consider even carrot cakes exotic! I wanted to tell them it’s not a new recipe and is quite common in the West!”
Vishak says while the Internet has widened our understanding of global food, it is also a source of mis-information. “There are so many pre-mix recipes available online that they think baking is just about that. Some clients ask me to put colours, creams and glazing on those cakes. I tell them that it is unhealthy, but they persist. ”
People should see food as a creative business than just something for consumption, chips in Jaikishen. But Coimbatore is also responding to global food trends. More cafes are springing up. A new kiosk culture is developing, Jaikishen says, “More branded chains are coming up with the kiosk idea, where you don’t loaf around, but just order the food, get it packed and leave.”
The four plan to branch out slowly to bigger cities in the next few years. But their launch pad and base will always be Coimbatore. As Vishak puts it, “It is like an earthquake. Coimbatore is in the transitory phase. It is a chakra .”
Moreover, the people here are warm. “There is a sense of brotherhood,” says Arun. “We get personal with our customers. This Diwali, I got a lot of repeat clients. Word of mouth really works here.” As for Jaikishen, he goes that extra mile to discuss business advice with his clients and Aanchal corresponds with her fans through Facebook posts of recipes and photographs.
The four have been thinking of collaborations. They are constantly in touch over social networking sites, post memes on each other’s walls, write encouraging reviews of each other’s products, and recommend each other to friends and relatives.
Says Vishak, “We are all burning our fingers for a better tomorrow. If we stay in business, hopefully, we will be pioneers in a new gourmet culture in the city. The idea is to stand up to our conviction and be courageous about our passion.”
