Empire state of mind

In New York City, Indian food is making its mark as a cuisine that is modernised and contemporary, yet stays true to its roots

- VIR SANGHVI

One reason why New York feels like the capital of the world is that no matter where you are from, there will be a place for you. No Indian arriving in the city will feel out of place or awkward. There is enough that is familiar and reassuring.

As I watched the Indian presence in the city grow, I used to wonder how long it would be before Indians achieved the sort of prominence that they have in say, London or Singapore. I got my answer last week when I went back to New York after six years or so.

It has now happened.

Some of it has to do with the financial community which now includes prominent Indians. But you also find Indians in top positions everywhere, from the media to local politics to major corporations.\

How, I wondered, would this impact food and hospitality? The Taj had taken over the lease of The Pierre, one of New York's grand hotels. But that arrangement was dogged by uncertainty. The Pierre is controlled by a residential cooperative (the hotel has apartments as well as rooms) which can make life difficult for hotel operators. The Four Seasons, which ran it before the Taj, never made any money from the property, and finally gave up the hotel.