“I try to make Indian cuisine at a higher level, so it can be appreciated by people across the world. I want to try to do something different. You want it to look good, to taste good, and more importantly for the guests to have a good time.” The pride of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, le Rasoi restaurant is a specialist in “evolved” cuisine, a cuisine associating the pleasures of taste with spectacular presentation. But in reality, Vineet Bhatia’s cuisine is impossible to sum up; you have to taste it to believe it. With unparalleled interpretations of Indian food, spices are present but delicate; they don’t strip the dish of its personality, rather, they discretely bring the flavors to the next level with gusto. This magic instantly goes to work, making for contemporary fusion cuisine that is surprising, subtle, and sophisticated. It’s a culinary adventure that culminates in the grilled lobster with curry leaves, Kichidi risotto with broccoli, spiced lobster juice, and bitter cocoa powder. A true taste explosion!
This dish came to be in the Rasoi’s first incarnation in London, somewhere around February 2005. One night a Rasoi regular, who had fallen for the charm of Vineet’s cuisine right from the start in 1993, engaged him in conversation at the counter. The customer spewed praises about Vineet’s cuisine, before confiding in him that the Chocomosa experience, created in 1994, still moved him to that day… This experience of samosas completed by chocolate could only leave one breathless. In the same excited motion, the customer asked Vineet Bhatia to turn the idea upside down and use chocolate in a savory dish. The chef took the challenge. A few months later, the cocoa powder lobster took on a whole new meaning. Today, the dish can be tasted at le Rasoi. Red and black tones compose the restaurant’s enrapturing and warm ambiance. The spaces between each table are large enough to keep a certain level of intimacy, making the location a perfect spot for meeting up with friends or love interests. In the daytime, daylight lights up the restaurant’s tables, while a large table is installed on the veranda. It almost feels like you’re outdoors! In the kitchen, the chef is committed to making this moment unforgettable, or rather, extraordinary
Leave a Reply