4 ms·
It's hard to find "authentic Indian" food anywhere, not even in India. There is a lot of intra-regional and inter-regional variations and interpretations of dis
by blueblisters 5y ago
It's hard to find "authentic Indian" food anywhere, not even in India. There is a lot of intra-regional and inter-regional variations and interpretations of dishes, even the popular ones. Indian cuisine and recipes were never standardized - they were prepared according the availability of ingredients and the recipes were passed down by word of mouth or never escaped household, unlike European or even East Asian cuisines. Even the relatively recent phenomena of restaurants, street joints and highway dhabas experiment a lot with ingredients and preparations.
I think this is also perhaps partly why Indian food has not established itself in the fine-dining scene in North America and Europe, yet people get shocked when they see a dish priced at $16+ in a local Indian restaurant (the preparations are elaborate and laborious).
- rosndo 5y ago> I think this is also perhaps partly why Indian food has not established itself in the fine-dining scene in North America and Europe European fine-dining scene hasn’t entirely ignored Indian restaurants, UK has 8 Indian restaurants with Michelin stars.
- raffraffraff 5y agoWhat I love to see, in an Indian restaurant, is a chef who is inventive. Sure, put Bombay Aloo and Rogan Josh on the menu, but let yourself go! Some of the nicest curries I've ever had were at a "fine dining" Indian restaurant where they served rabbit, venison and "street food" like pani puri (with a twist). And they did amazing cocktails. It was expensive, but who cares? If you went to a Michelin Star restaurant, would you expect a bog-standard Caesar salad, Chicken Chasseur and Black Forest Gateau (all made "the traditional way")? Nope. You'd want the chef to surprise you. Why should any cuisine limit itself to "Mama's cookbook"?
- op00to 5y agoI’ve gone to an Indian fine dining restaurant in Manhattan a few times - it is very close to the office, but VERY expensive. The food was exactly like the cheap Indian food cart outside the office. Good whisky though!
- rosndo 5y agoIndian Accent on Manhattan is absolutely incredible, a modernist take on Indian cuisine. Great food, great cocktails. After covid forced them to close in London, I’m happy to fly across the Atlantic just to eat there.
- mft_ 5y agoProbably depends on your location: there are several ‘fine-dining’ high-end Indian restaurants in London, for example.
- VieEnCode 5y agoNot true for London, there's now quite a lot of Indian fine dining: https://www.thehandbook.com/london-guidebook/posh-indians-londons-best-indian-fine-dining/ https://www.thehandbook.com/london-guidebook/posh-indians-lo...