Is it important to do what's trending

Food business in India is taking several shapes when it comes to be on the top and lure customers. From restaurant owners and chef playing around their menu, flavours to introducing the newest and fun concept in the market has been the key race in the market. People are trying hard to do what’s in trend and what is making news. Today’s customers like to eat what they see their favourite star eating on television or their iconic chef preparing on a food show. But, the big question which remains unanswered several times- is it important do what’s making new? Obviously yes, if you are an entrepreneur and no if you are a chef because what he makes is already a trend in itself. “It is very difficult to be a chef and an entrepreneur because the chef in you only wants to do good things whereas the entrepreneur in you only wants to do things that only sell. So, it’s difficult to be an entrepreneur because he wants to do what people want whereas a chef can do whatever he want,” shares Chef Milind Sovani, Celebrity Chef and Restaurateur, adding that one can’t ignore the trend. The fact what today’s customers, generations want. So, it has to be the balance between the two- the kind of cuisine you want to serve and making it acceptable for today’s market trend.

Adding to the same line, Rakhee Vaswani, Celebrity Chef and Entrepreneur- Palate Culinary Studio, says, “Never forget your basics and classics. Trends need to be upgraded. It’s local produce that’s trending. It’s about different approach,” adding that there is nothing wrong in fusion because for me it’s like a marriage which has to work. It’s one recipe and may be a different technique to it.

Keeping the freshness alive

Fresh produce is trending and everything is good about it is healthy food. According to experts, everything evolves so even food should evolve. So, there is no harm in trying new ingredients to make classical dishes. Sometimes the chefs try new dishes just for the heck of it. If your biryani made from ragi or whatever is amazing and tastes very good there is no harm in doing it. If you will not do how will the food evolve? “I am a person who believes that not just because something is authentic and old world’s it has to stay that way. The food should evolve with time,” adds Sovani.

Going on the same pattern, Aditi Dugar who started Masque in Mumbai to serve sustainable food went throughout India to find ingredients and raw materials that were unused and unexplored. The whole trend is moving towards what you are putting into your body? Is the food I am eating is processed? From where does it come from? Who is growing these produce and so on. “When this restaurant came through us it took almost two years for us to conceptualise because we wanted to travel throughout India and see what’s really is out there that the country is ready to offer,” adds Aditi, pointing that it’s all about sustainability, giving back to community and to put India in the limelight. It’s a notion that imported is always good and we have never given so much to the chef.

So, a restaurant should always focus on getting the best ingredient and serving the best food for which it should be known. But, in today’s scenario what has happened is that the current generation is more into drinking, liquors sells the most. And, these restaurants are turning into lounges or pubs so that they can address the need of the hour. But the need of the hour changes and the shelf life of bars and pubs are smaller. So, it will be food which will always be a differentiator.