Not sure if you’ve noticed, but the leaves have begun sporting an ochre hue, the winds are getting cooler, and the sun gentler. The shift in the season is evident, especially along some of Delhi’s most beautiful roads. The festivities are just around the corner too, with Lord Ganesh marking his arrival this weekend — could this be the beginning of the best times? I’d say yes.
Speaking of turning over a new leaf, the city’s esteemed progressive-Indian restaurant, Indian Accent, which gave Delhi and its food lovers a taste of what re-imagined Indian cuisine could be, has begun a new chapter under the skilled guidance of Chef Shantanu Mehrotra. This follows the departure of the legendary Chef Manish Mehrotra, who stepped down after being at the helm of this iconic restaurant for fifteen years.
Chef Mehrotra, who had been with the restaurant since its inception in 2009, chose to celebrate all things Indian Accent with an ode to its very first menu, when it originally opened its doors. This nod to nostalgia was perhaps the perfect way to usher in the new era of this restaurant.
“At first, people were shocked, more than surprised, when we launched. I remember some guests even remarking that our blue cheese naan was a result of cheese going off!” Chef Mehrotra chuckles, sharing this anecdote with me over a meal at the restaurant last week.
To be fair, blue cheese is an acquired taste, and considering the near total lack of exposure to the world of cheese at the time, unlike today, it could well have tasted ‘odd’ to many diners fifteen years ago! Yet, that same blue cheese naan went on to become an iconic dish, and a prototype for the new wave of modern-Indian cuisine restaurants.