Ritz chef flies into Mumbai

The master chef from L’Espadon, Arnuad Faye is in Mumbai this week, serving up L’Espadon dishes at the Zodiac Grill at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower.

Not only is L’Espadon one of the rare two-Michelin-starred restaurants in the world, but it is also where Dodi Al-Fayed and Princess Diana last dined before their fateful crash in 1997. The elegant restaurant lies inside the Ritz Paris, owned by Dodi’s father, Mohamed Al-Fayed.

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The master chef from L’Espadon, Arnuad Faye, who joined the restaurant in 2007, is in Mumbai this week, serving up L’Espadon dishes at the Zodiac Grill at the Taj Mahal Palace and Tower. He previously worked at the three-Michelin-starred The Relais Bernard Loiseau in Burgundy.

He is serving a five-course menu through the week. Dishes on it include Perigord-style Green Asparagus with Egg Yolk Ravioli and Lobster in Sage-flavoured Ragout. “What I’m serving is French cuisine, traditional in taste, but very contemporary in presentation. I have kept it simple and authentic. I want our Indian guests to experience the same food that they would get if they were in L’Espadon,” he says.

While he has used some local products, the truffles have come from Perigord, a truffle area of France.

And the secret to getting Michelin stars? “You need to be passionate, creative, have a dedicated team and most importantly, use good quality products. In France, the focus is shifting to the products that are used. If they are not good, no cuisine can be any good,” he signs off.