For a customer it is the entire experience that makes food gourmet. At its core, it’s the combination of quality ingredients and techniques that makes a dish gourmet. Gourmet could also be associated with innovation.
A lot of credit goes to the customer of today, who is well-travelled, well-read, not afraid of trying different cuisines and quite ready to challenge the palette with an assortment of tastes. Also, the advent of TV series like ‘Master Chef’ has exposed India to global cuisines. In today’s time, gourmet is no more restricted to fine dine restaurants and hence there are many cafes coming up with a similar kind of concept through which they are focusing on natural, sustainable and international ingredients and catering to a global customer rather than keeping the offering too niche. Another important point is plating. In a cafe, the plating and portions have to be wholesome and comfortable.
“We are doing lots of micro green products, a concept that is already very popular in western countries though it has several Indian products which people used to be conscious about in earlier days. Today, these items have become a big hit in Europe and we are trying to bring that theme together for people to enjoy in India,” says Vimal Verma, Director-Food and Beverage, AnnaMaya. “People from outside know more about our ingredients than we Indians. I never used to eat aloe vera but here we are serving aloe vera sandwich with western dressing of orange and micro greens – it’s an amazing connection,” Verma adds.
As such, gourmet is no longer a niche category but is fast becoming a mainstream segment, at least in larger cities. Also, online ordering is democratizing the process of ordering on-demand food. Fine dining is still restricted to a chosen few with people visiting fine dine establishments on occasions. Gourmet is now associated with ‘fun dine’. In fact, as more and more customers look for personalised experiences, it is imperative that restaurants buck up to provide it. It could be something as simple as accommodating a simple change in a dish. Warmth, especially from owners, also creates a lasting impression. Service has to be quick, unobtrusive and accommodating all at once. To put it succinctly, it has to be a living room experience both good taste and service.
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