“The Greatest Form Of Entertainment In India Is Eating Out. It Surpasses Bollywood”

From cooking at guests’ tableside to plating in customised crockery, the dining experience of tomorrow will be enhanced with increased interaction around food, and the use of science and some theatrics

- Zorawar Kalra

Restaurants, fine-dine or casual, are the largest source of entertainment today. An average Indian spends a sizeable portion of his/her gross disposable income on eating out, which makes the food market 40 times bigger than Bollywood.

Considering the statistics, the Indian fine dining scene is going to evolve consequentially in the next five years; starting with great presentation and service.

Modern techniques

We’ll see more modern techniques being used not only in the kitchen but also on the dining table. Customised crockery (bespoke and dedicated crockery for certain or all courses), will become a significant trend. There will be more interaction around food, between the chef and the diner, in the form of tableside service. Multiple dishes will be prepared and plated on the diner’s table as opposed to the time-honoured tradition of wheeling out food from the kitchen. Bespoke cutlery and mechanical cutlery that moves are going to be some of the elements that will uplift the segment and the fine dining experience in the immediate future.

To further the fine dining experience, restaurateurs will have to focus on basic things like lighting and AC. The affects air conditioning and lighting have on a dining experience, and the diner is immense. Sometimes, you might be in the most beautiful environment, but if the AC is not working, you’re not going to enjoy the experience at all. Similarly, very dark or very bright light will not work either. Investing in research and development, stafftraining and reinventing the menu every now and again are the essentials of a fine dining experience.

Theatrics