Editor’s Note: At the fine dine table of happiness
What makes Chef Alain Ducasse so special is the large-heartedness every hospitality professional must have
Long before I got around to editing lifestyle magazines, I was the grandson of a restaurateur. My granddad ran Mughlai restaurants in Mumbai, famous for their paya and nihari, among other things.

The food was served family style in large serving bowls, with a dollop of fat (read: ghee) or a sprinkle of pudhina in the name of presentation. If you liked a particular dish, you helped yourself to a second, more generous helping, and enjoyed it to your heart’s content.
That’s why my first few experiences at fine dining turned out to be such a disappointment. The bite-sized pieces of food were exquisite to look at, but never enough for me to feel satiated or happy.
At the opening of the Taj Mansingh’s Indian fine-dining restaurant, Varq, in New Delhi, I was served an all-time favourite, haleem: a complex stew of wheat, lentils, and meat, best enjoyed as a one-pot meal. Only, this one came in the form of a dollop on a soup spoon!
By now, I was able to express myself more confidently, so I told the chef honestly, “The haleem tastes fantastic, but don’t you think this Western-style plating takes away the soul of an Indian meal?” The chef smiled, and I went home with a small box of haleem all for myself, which I devoured at breakfast the next morning… to my heart’s content!
Over the years, I’ve grown to enjoy the experience modern-day gastronomy brings with it. As a powerful editor, I’ve thrown my weight around some of the toughest chefs: I remember getting three Michelin-starred restaurants in the Flanders region of Brussels (the area in the world with the largest concentration of starred restaurants) to cook us three all-veggie meals. “We have so many vegetarians who travel with their chefs; they don’t want to eat a side salad when they visit your restaurant,” I reasoned. The feature turned out to be a big hit.

My socialist-tinged upbringing always questioned the pricing of the meals.Would I pay as much for this food if I were not invited? Are restaurants artificially creating demand by blocking tables and saying they are full up till the next season? Does dining at a starred restaurant carry more show-off value than gastronomic delight?
These questions continue to nag. But I admit I choose to patronise fancy fine dine restaurants in two situations: out of curiosity, or when the meal is meant for someone special and the place will add to it.
Our cover star today could well be called the man behind the entire jamboree. Chef Alain Ducasse, now 65, was the youngest chef to win three Michelin stars for a hotel restaurant at age 33. I’ve had the good fortune of dining at Louis XV in Monaco, still a three-Michelin starred restaurant, and I remember being greeted by a “butter concierge”. Good food was aplenty, but delight was in no short supply either.
What I respect most about this master chef is his sense of humility. He will never be the star, his food will always take centrestage. His sauces will never overpower a dish, his ingredients will. And, God forbid, as big a name as he is, you will never see him on a drama-driven cooking show that could give Ekta Kapoor’s soap operas a tip or two.
He will lead his businesses with the generosity of a large-hearted hospitality professional whose main job is simple: to make people happy. Just like my grandfather told me he did many years ago.
Also in this issue: Rajeev Masand on how Bollywood “defanged” the Indian paparazzi.
Indian Youtuber Shlok Srivastva aka Tech Burner and Tejas Patil aka Elementec debate: is Amazon’s recently announced option that will allow users to change Alexa’s voice to that of a loved one—including an ex or a relative who has passed—cool or simply creepy?
And in the light of America’s abortion problems, HT Brunch team member Karishma Kuenzang highlights another issue Indian girls face: judgemental gynecologists!
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From HT Brunch, July 9, 2022
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