The Art Of Constant Arrival

After drinking vodka in Vladivostok and avoiding horsemeat in Bishkek, chef Alex Moser finds himself scouring India for ingredients

- Sonal Shah

Chef Alex Moser arrived in India on a Saturday last year, to begin cooking up a food plan for Andaz, the new hotel by Hyatt in Delhi’s Aerocity. “On Sunday,” Moser recalls, “my boss took me to Gurudwara Bangla Sahib’s kitchen where they cook 25,000 meals daily. Wow!” The burly 34-year-old chef takes a rare pause for breath, but his ever-present grin doesn’t falter. “At that time, last year, we had the refugee issue,” he continues, alluding to the charged debate in his home country of Germany, “we were talking about how to help, what to do—but 25,000 meals—it was mind-blowing.”

“Then my boss said, OK, next step, Old Delhi—straight into the meat market, the spice market.” Moser pauses again, leaning back in his chair at our table at AnnaMaya, the restaurant and food hall at Andaz. “I was like, are you serious?”