Atul Kochhar — acclaimed chef of Benares, a decidedly modern Indian restaurant in London — was one of the first restaurateurs to turn the spotlight away from the standard curry house fare of the English city to a more refined take on Indian cuisine. “Progressive or modern Indian, I honestly don’t know what that is,” he says. “I do what I like to do, I don’t worry about trends. His first restaurant Tamarind received a Michelin star in 2001. He opened Benares Restaurant & Bar in 2003 and it was awarded a Michelin star in 2007. The restaurant continues to hold the Michelin star, and Kochhar has also taken the brand to Madrid, where it’s known as one of the best Indian restaurants.
Indulgence overload: The one night only pop-up features a seven-course tasting menu, with separate offerings for vegetarians and non-vegetarians
The chef forayed into the Indian market in early 2016 by opening two restaurants in quick succession — Not Really Indian (NRI), which serves diaspora Indian cuisine, and Lima, a Latin American lounge bar. Both are located in the corporate enclave of Bandra Kurla Complex in Mumbai. Now for the first time, Kochhar brings his flagship restaurant to India with pop-ups in Bengaluru and Mumbai. “I had not attempted this in the past because I never felt it was the right time; also you need to have the right partner for something like this,” he says. “In my own restaurant, I’m confident of doing it. In Bengaluru, I partnered with Ritz-Carlton because I know the team, and executive chef Anupam Banerjee is an old friend who I have worked with.”
After the well-received Benares pop-up in Bengaluru over the weekend, Kochhar brings his Michelin magic to Mumbai this week. The one-night only pop-up at NRI features a seven-course tasting menu, with separate offerings for vegetarians and non-vegetarians. “This is the current tasting menu from Benares, so whatever is happening in London, you’re going to eat the same thing in Mumbai,” he explains. It is high season for salmon and lamb (in England) right now so they are on the menu. In addition to the lamb served rogan josh style, the chargrilled Scottish salmon is served with a coconut and curry leaf sauce. There’s also pan-seared scallops dressed with grape and ginger, and served with jhal muri , as well as Indian five spice pickled prawn.
The one night only pop-up features a seven-course tasting menu, with separate offerings for vegetarians and non-vegetarians
The vegetarian menu is equally matched with a quinoa and black-eye bean tikki, tandoori-spiced vegetable pie, and khumb moilee (edamame stuffed Portobello mushroom in a coconut and curry leaf sauce). “I use British ingredients and give them an Indian twist, and the menu reflects that,” says the chef. For dessert, Kochhar will be serving an inspired rhubarb bhapa doi with gulab jamun brulée. “Rhubarb is an English vegetable, and though we grow it in India, it’s mainly for medicinal purposes rather than culinary consumption,” he states. “It’s in season right now in London so we decided to use it in the dessert. This menu kind of brings the English seasons to India.”
So is the chef testing the waters with these pop-ups? “I haven’t thought about expanding as of now. We have set a certain ethos at Benares,” says Kochhar. “For example, we will only use local produce. In India, the consistency of produce is a huge problem, so I haven’t yet reached the stage where I’m thinking I’ll open Benares in India.” Another reason the chef is reluctant to bring a restaurant like Benares here is that he doesn’t understand India at all. “It’s an honest confession,” he reveals. “But working here for a while with my two restaurants has given me confidence. So you never know; if the supply chain aligns well, and if I think I can open Benares here, I will do it.” We can only hope.
The Benares pop-up will be held on April 13th at NRI, Maker Maxity, North Avenue 2, Bandra Kurla Complex. Call 30005040/41 for reservations.
