Swiss meets India: This unique dinner in Mumbai celebrates locals ingredients

Hersquos a head chef at the one Michelin star awarded IGNIV in Bangkok and shersquos a chefpartner at EKAA awarded No 93 in Asia by Worldrsquos Best Restaurants 2022 and they are coming together at JW Marriottrsquos Romanorsquos at the Four Hands Dinnermdash A symphony of starsmdashnext week The collaboration by Chef David Hartwig and Chef Niyati Rao with Executive Chef Dane Fernandes holds the promise of a remarkable evening of gastronomic delights And innovation Yes pleaseAhead of the dinner Sunday midday got a peek of the menu Its the concourse of native and unique global ingredients on their way to create something fascinating Think smoked sturgeon and caviar cregraveme fraiche goat cheese and cucumber tomatillo duck dumpling butternut squash kimchi and sesame kimchi broth pearl tribal rice pickles mango tarte and more If one goes by Hartwig and Raorsquos work it sure is to elevate the art of food through presentation as wellIgniv SkewerSet in Romanorsquos elegant ambience the dinner seems to push the boundaries of culinary artistry but Hartwig thinks otherwise ldquoThe menu isnrsquot about pushing boundaries The chef community the world over is about inclusiveness and we donrsquot see boundaries between continents countries or even cultures The boundaries in this context for me mean new things from this collaboration of Swiss combined with Indian ingredients which is rare to seerdquo he tells us over email A meal at IGNIV is like visiting friends who want you to experience the best time and make you feel at home and thatrsquos what Hartwig will be showcasing heremdashhis skills from Schloss Schauenstein in Switzerland and his time in New York with founding chef Andreas CaminadaFor the last two months the three chefs have been collaborating over WhatsApp calls Recalling a funny incident on these calls Fernandes tells us about Hartwigrsquos surprise when he was told therersquod be two menusmdashvegetarian and nonvegetarian ldquoIs it that important he asked us We laughed and replied its the most important thing in India Small nuances such as thismdashsomething we take for grantedmdashcan be a completely alien practice for someone elserdquo says Fernandes who is all for promoting emerging talent from our own country ldquoThe synergy and creativity that can emerge when great culinary forces come together is just exquisite and pricelessrdquo he addsTuna Cucumber TortalinoThis would be Hartwigrsquos first time in Indiamdasha country whose culinary culture he is fascinated with ldquoI had told Chef Dane that Irsquod like to organise a Four Hands Dinner with someone local None of the Indian chefs I know of work in India Thatrsquos when Dane introduced Chef Niyati to this collaboration On our weekly calls wersquove been trying to ensure that each dish is special and we have paid attention to the detail of each ingredient to complement each otherrsquos dishes Irsquom particularly looking forward to the main coursemdashthatrsquos where therersquos a fusion of our dishesrdquoAn important aspect of this multicourse dinner is that it is crafted using ingredients that reflect the distinctive styles and influences of both chefs This for Fernandes who hails from an agricultural family is very crucial He feels that giving each ingredient its due in a course is a work of culinary brilliance that allows one to indulge in a sensory journey that transcends traditional dining experiencesDavid Hartwig Dane Fernandes and Niyati RaoFernandes has been Raorsquos mentor for some time and she says she is honoured to have landed this opportunity to indulge in the artistry and passion of Chef Hartwig that allows for a remarkable fusion of flavours textures and culinary craft I am particularly kicked about working with kimchi an ingredient not native to either Swiss or Indian cuisine so it would be interesting to see it feature in a course Pairing it with butternut squash can be quite something she addsOn his trip to Mumbai Hartwig is looking forward to exploring the street food scene ldquoIrsquom excited to visit the local markets and experience their fresh produce and to see what Chef Niyati is doing since she has access to great local ingredients and has detailed knowhow of themrdquo he signs off