At the last MFW, Chef displayed his
global gamut with mastery over
Moroccan cuisine. An executive chef
who actually cooks and not just
commands, he stands behind a live
tation i hin o t ta in that o
like lava down pearly mounds of
couscous. The show-stopper is his
dessert “tableau”- that’s what it
is. Chef G and his new pâtissier,
Selvaraj Fleck, splash, dash the
“canvas,” a half-ton slab of marble,
with “paints” of creams, mousses
and coulis, embellished with pastries,
ro t ro
an a
to r at
“desserts of vast eternity” (pun on
poet Andrew Marvel unintended).
The ladies clap and coo with ecstasy.
Thus Chef G artfully surrounds
himself with damsels.
When his deputy Chef Balaji’s
traditional banana leaf meal Ela
Virundhu, unveiled as part of MFW,
proves thunderously popular, Chef G
decides Sunday lunch at the hotel’s
Dining Room restaurant be dedicated
to Balaji’s sapada comprising about
28 “courses” that dot the contours
of a blazing green banana leaf.
Audaciously Chef G has waiters
swish around in crisp white sarongs,
doling out curries, traditional style,
from steel vessels -- all this at the
scarily chic Dining Room. More
maverick still, he wishes to dispense
with cutlery. “The food must be
eaten traditional style, with your
n r t han
th ta t an
the experience entirely,” he avers,
smiling boyishly. The chef who has
hitherto had Chennai’s considerable
expat population eating from his
hands now has them eating with
their hands! It isn’t usual for expat
chefs in these parts to conserve
and celebrate rather than corrupt
ethnic culinary culture with that
om a nt n o r n
superiority.
94
Too often I’ve had to combat the
stratospheric egos of chefs.
R r hin y iff r nt thi ta nt
doesn’t unbelt reels about his
pedigree: Cordon Bleu, Michelinstarred training, etc., etc. Chef G
is self-cultivated. Like any true
artist, actually. “We put our hearts
on the table,” he says. A sharp
min too
r y to ff t tho
clever creations.
At the Brunello Wine Dinner
sophisticated compositions betoken
technical dexterity and imagination.
Lush sweet potato and leek soup is
smartened with a slap of smoked
cumin jalapeño yoghurt. There’s
traor inary a ara
n o r
seed-and-edamame risotto and
i
r a t ith
on omm an
nn an ra
r it
salad. For dessert, Chef G and
ti i r
a on i
an i
pumpkin panacotta accompanied by
an arch cardamon crumble, witty
oran t t r an m
affron
basil frozen yoghurt.
If Chef G and his deputy Chef
Balaji harmonise like a double violin
concerto, then Chef G condu