Finding Heart In The Hearth

Acclaimed Indian-born chef Saurabh Udinia reflects on his adroit management of Revolver and Barood, his career and his worldly approach to the world of culinary.

- Ethan Kan

Over flaming charcoal and blistering embers, chef Saurabh Udinia turns pristine ingredients into succulent cuts of meat glistening with fat. He seasons his food with spices that recall the nostalgia of classic Indian cuisine, except under Udinia's hand at his restaurant Revolver on Tras Street, it morphs into something distinctly modern, contemporary and unabashedly bold. Udinia boasts a particularly impressive portfolio. He spent time in the renowned kitchens of Indian Accent in New Delhi under culinary director Manish Mehrotra, widely regarded as India's number one chef. He then left for Mumbai to help start Masala Library before moving to Singapore, where he set up his landmark restaurants Revolver and Barood, a Latin-Indian izakaya. Just as Revolver launches its new Bullet 9 spring menu, we pick Udinia's brains on how he manages two of the most exciting restaurants in Singapore and deftly moves between countries, cuisines and cultures as he has.

It has been about two years since you opened Revolver. How are you feeling about its reception so far?

I am grateful and appreciative of all the support and how Revolver has been very well-received. People have been so kind to us. Revolver is a unique concept and we put a lot of hard work into it, so it warms my heart to see it well-appreciated.

You opened Revolver in 2021 in the midst of the pandemic. How did you overcome the challenges of that time?

We just went with the flow. During that time, it was difficult as there were many restrictions regarding the number of people dining, no music, social distancing, masks, etc. But that gave us space to perfect our concept. We were serving a smaller number of people every day, and this helped us set the right standards.

How would you define your culinary philosophy?