He is India’s coolest and most exciting chef-restaurateur. So what makes the ‘toast’ of India’s eating out scene tick?
IF YOU’VE EATEN AT MONKEY BAR, FATTY BAO, OLIVE OR TOAST and Tonic, you have possibly tasted one of his creations – just like Lady Gaga. Yes, he’s cooked for her. He’s even fed Masterchef’s Matt Preston a five-hour meal when he was in Bengaluru on a personal visit. Chef Partner at Toast & Tonic, The Fatty Bao & Monkey Bar and Executive Chef at Olive, Chef Manu Chandra graduated from The Culinary Institute of America, New York, after which he apprenticed with an impressive range of high-profile kitchens, including Le Bernardin, Gramercy Tavern and Jean-Georges. He worked with Michelin-starred Chef Eyvind Hellstrom at Bagatelle, Norway, in the early 2000s. By 2004, he was back in India, working with restaurateur A.D. Singh as chef de cuisine at Olive Beach, Bengaluru. Manu was acknowledged as one of the most promising and talented young chefs in India by both The New York Times and Time Magazine. Monkey Bar, India’s first gastropub brand, conceptualised by him, has made it to Conde Nast Traveler UK’s Gold Standard List a few years ago, as well as Time Out London, Singapore and Hong Kong’s best new bars in the world list. But enough of that. Here’s the cool, self-assured chef on a gentle simmer.
Americano or filter coffee? Filter Coffee. I start my day with a filter coffee.
Chocolate or vanilla? Chocolate.
Hot showers or cold? Hot.
Paratha or dosa? Dosa. Possibly because of the one-fourth Tam-Brahm blood in me.
Planned or spontaneous? Spontaneous.
Pedantic or creative chaos? Creative Chaos.
Stay at home or party? Stay at home.
Savoury or sweet? Savoury.
Bengaluru or New York? New York.
This story is from the March 2017 edition of The MAN.
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This story is from the March 2017 edition of The MAN.
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