Last night I had the bravest meal I’ve ever had in Bangalore…

Although I’ve been back to Bangalore for close to 3 years I don’t consider myself a part of the Bangalore food scene. The reason for this is that I think Bangalore’s food scene celebrates mediocrity. Everything is about comfort and familiarity, about sodium and carbs and protein . There are less than 10 standalone restaurants in Bangalore that I would send a friend to (what they are remains a topic for another day). Otherwise I would rather send friends to get a beer at Windmills, a thali at Nagarjuna, pizza at Pizza Bakery/Brick Oven or a Dosa at one of the many great Dosa joints.

Gorgonzola and porcini Creme brûlée 

Otherwise all we get are unoriginal takes on pub food, some Chinese and Japanese places that are a 7 on 10, mediocre European “type” food, and some regional food that is rarely as good as the original.  It’s no wonder that the best food I’ve eaten is usually with people like Gautam Kutty who chooses to longer run a restaurant or Anurag Arora who has no real desire to open one. 

Beef tartare 

But where is Bangalore’s Prateek Sadhu? The Sujan Sarkar? Or Vanshika Bhatia? Or Hussain Shehzad? Even if this city loves its comfort food why can’t it be original like Kuckeliku Breakfast House? If it likes its regional food, why can’t it do creative takes like O Pedro? Why do its “food writers” and culinary experts keep praising food that is dated, boring and soulless. It’s almost as though Bangalore’s food scene is defined primarily by the absence of courage, the triumph of mediocrity. 

Offal pudding 

I felt frustrated enough about Bangalore food’s arrested development to speak with my friend Priya Bala about writing a manifesto that we would use to invite chefs to cook meals that showcased thought, originality and fearlessness, hoping to help them find a better, braver way forward in an environment that was encouraging but that allowed them to receive considered feedback in a safe space rather than face ignorant judgement. The pandemic put paid to these plans but I hold them dear to me, because I think Bangalore needs this, to midwife a spirit of innovation and creativity into its food scene. 

Sea bass ceviche with dragonfruit 

Which is why I was thrilled yesterday to eat the single most fearless meal I’ve had in this city at Soul Company and Hennessy’s Soul Table with Navu Project. I want to say at the outset that it wasn’t a perfect meal. The porcetta was a bit chewy and didn’t have the depth I expected from the bone marrow sauce. The boquererones could have done with a touch more vinegary acidity (though the anchovy bone was immaculate and brilliantly conceived). 

Mushakkal 

But those were minor quibbles. This was a meal  of staggering imagination, cooked with a rare passion and inspiring courage. And let’s be clear, the idea wasn’t to shock. The labneh was served with garum not because fish entrails are a talking point but because the funky fermented sauce with its Mediterranean roots brings clarity to the texture of the labneh the way an Oriental fish sauce never could. The offal pudding had the dense, iron-y richness of blood pudding but with more body, cut through with an indulgent slaw and served with toasty, buttery sourdough. The ceviche had dragonfruit to add sweetness and acidity while the simple addition of a few red chillies for added heat gave it an extra dimension that separated it from the ceviche du jour everyone is doing. 

Porchetta

Even the mushroom Creme brûlée pushed the envelope adding some intense Gorgonzola, with some excellently conceived candied walnuts that cut it in terms of both flavour (for some sweetness) and texture, with some crunch to add to the silky smoothness of the brûlée. It also had a certain depth to it that made me wonder how they achieved it, because a savoury Creme brûlée which gets that much depth without compromising on the texture is very rare. 

To have the courage to cook a meal like this is rare anywhere in our country. To have these two brave chefs cook this in Bangalore is staggering, as was the realisation that a sponsor bought into this vision, a company backed it, and a bunch of customers paid serious money to eat it.

Preparing for the spectacular dessert 

I have always had this argument with people who say that the customer in Bangalore doesn’t want something new or different. That’s simply not true and it’s a misleading statement. It’s not about doing something different or new for the sake of it. It is about doing something better, about moving forward, about pushing boundaries. That’s how all progress happens. And that is how brilliance happens. And obviously the customer will not want something that doesn’t exist. But if chefs are willing to be brave, to be original, to explore the limits of their abilities and imagination and do it with conviction, honesty and passion, I can guarantee that customers want that, that customers love that. 

Dessert? Painting? Performance art!

So I salute everyone behind yesterday’s meal for having been so fearless. I think it’s inspiring. And I hope that it inspires others in this city to realise there is a better way…

The meal:

• - Mushakkal: Boquerones, confit tomato with chorizo, labneh with garum, pork pate on mejdool

• - Beef tartare

• - Gorgonzola and porcini Creme brûlée with caramelised shiitake and candied walnuts

• - Sea bass ceviche with dragonfruit and Persian lime leche de Tigre

• - Cherry Shrub Granita

• - Porchetta with bone marrow sauce, fried dauphinois potato

• - Offal and egg pudding with celeriac remoulade, sourdough, Buffalo butter and sea salt

• - Their signature live dessert painting, probably the most spectacularly plated dessert in the country, like a piece of performance art