Ode

The first time I ate at Ode, I didn’t like the food. I went back with two other friends, we ordered lots of dishes so we could graze the menu, and I became a convert.

Ode founder, Rahul Akerkar, is one of the grand daddies of independent, standalone, fine-dining restaurants in India. Rahul is built like a bouncer, and you don’t want to be at the other end of his stink-eye. He muses gently, introspectively, about the span of his culinary career, and the evolution of Indian dining over the last 40 years.

Consider his journey – started a catering business from his own home. This was the first time my wife, Mina and I ate his food. Then partnered with AD Singh on Just Desserts. Created Under the Over near the Kemps Corner flyover. Moved to Bangalore and founded Kuteeram as a hotel property. Learned how to generate finance for hospitality projects. "It was my time for reinvention," he says.

Back to Bombay. Opened Indigo. The rest is history. "Indigo could have opened anywhere in the world, and been successful," he says, and I agree. It leapfrogged directly into 21st century cuisine. It was a chef’s restaurant, focused on seasonal ingredients, fine cooking techniques, professionalism, systems, passion… adding up to a great experience. It grew an organic bar scene, without having to promote bar nights. People travelled to eat the Lobster Risotto. They were the first to offer truffle menus, with imported black truffles, no “oil” please.

Indigo Deli – how we drooled over the wafer-thin pizzas, and the drop-dead décor of the Palladium restaurant. The cold cuts at their deli counter were the best in the city. Later still, Neel, Tote on the Turf, Qualia. A catering business.

Rahul now has a new avatar. As a partner and director in the Aditya Birla Group’s ‘New Age’ Hospitality venture (ABNAH). Two restaurants already under his belt – Ode and Waarsa. And a third, Flint, which will have opened by the time you read this.

Ode is a return to what made Indigo a destination in the first place. This food is Rahul’s home turf. Elevated non-desi cuisine. This is his 'maidan'. The space itself is a man for all seasons – lunch for the corporate types, confabbing or entertaining. The mood evolves as the evening progresses, including a strong date night vibe. Great food is the anchor.

My friends and I were hungry and ordered the Gruyère Corn Popovers, to tide over the pangs. To die for. We resisted ordering another portion; we knew lots of food was coming. The Pulled Duck Arugula, the Smoked Buff Carpaccio, the Apricot Pork Ribs, and the Spiced Buff Tenderloin ticked all the boxes. We were not too sure about the Baked Meatballs, and the Cacio e Pepe. Five hits, and two iffy. Not a bad day at the office. An excellent, easy-drinking, well-priced carafe of wine. I would go back just for the bread. Try the brioche toast, slathered with honey. Total pig out.

I went back again… and was delighted by the Gruyère Corn Popovers, and the Pork Ribs. Consistency is king. Was blown away by the Snow Pea & Edamame, Lobster Risotto and the Pecan Carrot Cake with ice-cream.

"All over the world, chefs were evolving through the '70s and '80s, and so was the eating public. We were fortunate India was able to leapfrog and bypass that stage. We began with small refinements; our guests responded. We then took bold leaps."

"Indians have travelled and become global. In cuisine, they have acquired the vocabulary, become more articulate. It’s no longer a yes/no reaction. Of course, with social media everyone is a critic. Today, we are also so spoilt for choice with restaurants."

"In the early days, our pubs tried to replicate their vision of a typical London pub. It was lost in translation. This was also true for overseas restaurant brands that came in. Not any more."

"Look at our new young chefs… Thomas, Prateek, Hussain, Manu Chandra, Varun, Amninder, Niyati, Sarfaraz, Gresham…they are thinking chefs, deeply engaged in the provenance of their ingredients, promoting hyper locality. They have turned inwards, and to own our Indian heritage and traditions. They are fearless, and don’t give a s***. They are true to cuisine, and this becomes self-perpetuating."

"Years ago, the All India Chef’s Congress was held in Bombay. There was much talk of how Bangladeshi chefs in London had “bastardised” Indian cuisine. We need a Larousse type standardisation of recipes they argued. Finally I said, that Larousse codified cooking techniques, but the 3500 recipes have been updated as the culinary world changed. I believe that cuisine evolves when we play, and we should encourage diversity, not push for homogeneity. As long as you are true to cuisine, innovation is the way forward. People at the event agreed."

"Tresind is inspired by Indian cuisine. They tweak it, and remain true to its essence. Thakkar Bhojanalaya is true to cuisine, seeks to preserve, and doesn’t tweak. Both have their place."

I ask Rahul if he wishes he had done anything differently. "I am a chef and a restaurateur, too, and used to ask – who am I really? My mentor Michael Romano, Ex Head Chef at Union Square Café, told me that this duality is my strength."

"I had some insecurity because I had never been formally trained at a culinary school like the CIA. Over time, with success, recognition and awards – the World’s 50 Best at Number 75 in 2007, making Asia’s 50 Best – this feeling went away."

"I wish I had paid more attention to the business side of things – you really have to watch wastage and leakages. I also wish I had done more pop-ups in collab, taken Indigo overseas."

"Alice Waters said – your heritage is passed down at the table. Food is more than sustenance; it fulfils a great social function."

"What dishes would I recommend at Ode? Every dish is on my menu, because it has earned its right to be there. Try it the way it is offered, with an air of curiosity. But I won’t stop you if you want to add ketchup. De gustibus non est disputandum – eat what you like – there can be no dispute about taste."

"My non-negotiables – I have a contract with the guest. I will give you the experience, the ambience, the service, and above all, the food that I promise you on my menu. Anything that comes in the way of this, is not acceptable, non-negotiable. Your contract with me, is simply, to pay your bill."

With an impish gleam in his eye, Rahul ends with a quote. ‘True hospitality is making someone feel at home, even when you wish they were’ – Anon.

Rahul’s first book – Biting Off More Than I can Chew: A Maverick Chef Remembers was launched in March. Look out for the review in this issue.

G-04, Raheja Altimus, Pandurang Budhkar Marg, Opp Worli Doordarshan Tower, B Wing, BDD Chawls, Worli, Mumbai 400018