Food: US-based chef David Myers has expressed his admiration for Indian cooking and his desire to introduce its flavours abroad.
“What I love about India is the culinary style in which they blend the flavours and spices. I also took inspiration from the same and found the cooking style to be extremely incredible. I would love to take this overseas and experiment with it in my way,” he told Patriot in an exclusive interview.
Chef David was in Delhi recently to unveil his gastronomical brilliance at his restaurant Adrift Kaya in JW Marriott, New Delhi Aerocity. He opened his restaurant in 2022 in partnership with the hotel management there.
He shared his enthusiasm for visiting India. “I have visited India multiple times, and the culture, colours, and vibrancy are very exciting here. I love it. The food is something that I look forward to, and it was a very enriching experience to open Adrift Kaya,” he said.
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When asked about challenges in presenting his cooking techniques to Indian food enthusiasts, he responded, “I think the biggest challenge is bringing in the right quality of ingredients directly from Japan. Considering we launched Adrift Kaya right after Covid-19, a lot of our time and effort went into identifying the right vendor partners and building relationships and networks. We also found that guests in India are extremely well-traveled and understand the palate and food.”
Chef David introduced several new dishes this time. “For the new menu, we created items like sumi grilled Otoro with truffle and caviar, spicy vinegar fried chicken, also known as the Tebasaki, and tempura red snapper with black vinegar sauce,” he said.
He added, “I am blown away and amazed by how the Indian chefs are cooking and how they are experimenting. I do not believe that they lack anything in terms of cooking; rather, we should be learning from them and their style.”
He also shared his fondness for dining in India. “I have always enjoyed dining at the Indian Accent restaurant in New Delhi, and it has always been amazing to experience Chef Maneesh’s menu,” he recalled.
“I got the chance to experience Old Delhi and some of the lesser known spaces and tried out their food. I did try and incorporate the burst of flavours in some of my dishes at Adrift Kaya,” he added.
Chef David described the diversity of Indian cuisine as remarkable.
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“Indian cuisine’s diversity is remarkable, with each region offering unique flavours and traditions. The extensive use of spices, like cumin, turmeric, and cardamom, creates bold and complex flavours. The importance of food in religious rituals and festivals adds depth to its cultural significance. Additionally, the emphasis on balance and harmony in meals, such as Ayurveda’s influence, is particularly fascinating,” he said.
When asked how Indian culinary traditions can influence the American food scene, he responded, “I think the biggest influence can be the fact that most of the population is vegetarian and how we can create an entire base of cuisine that is vegan and vegetarian.”
“I think India is one of the countries that does vegetarian cuisine so well, and it will be a massive achievement for us to take this back to the American food scene,” he said.
