Travelling Gourmand

Encouraging his Indian diners in trying something unique and different each time they dine, restaurateur Ashish Dev Kapur seems to be a man on a mission.

- Mehul Reuben Das

Running a restaurant is not easy. There are critics that you have to impress, customers and diners you have to take care of, talented chefs who tend to go wild in their quest to create something truly unique. Now imagine running four of the country’s highest rated restaurants, along with a chain of one of the most successful Pan-Asian, casual dining restaurants. Seems quite a task, doesn’t it? Not for Ashish Dev Kapur, co-founder of Whisky Samba, Dimsum Bros, The Wine Company, and Antares, among many other ventures. We had a chat with him, over a rather well made old fashioned. Edited excerpts:

Alcohol seems to be very central to the dining experience in most of your restaurants. Why is that?

We are in the business of providing a short vacation to every guest at all our restaurants. It’s an overall sensory experience and we believe in enhancing every element of the experience to its fullest. As far as liquor is concerned and the aspects around it, we are proud to have expertise in that definitive area. We want our guests to associate us with a great night of dining out, complemented by the best wine or whisky the city has to offer.