THE MICHELIN DRAMA

Is it all 'Yes, Chef', or is there more? Is it a lot of pressure, or are there goofy moments too? What really goes on in the kitchen of a Michelinstar restaurant? Six Indian chefs, who now run their independent establishments but have at some point been a part of one such kitchen, share their experiences

-  SAMREEN TUNGEKAR

HIMANSHU SAINI

Chef, Tresind Studio, a two-Michelin star restaurant in Dubai

“Tresind Studio recently ranked no.13 on the global stage in the World’s 50 Best List, and we’re so stoked. We’re motivated to make it to top 10, but the journey to come where we have has been a long one. Growing up, we’ve seen Indian Accent always being the flag bearer of Indian cuisine, and we’ve all followed the footsteps of chef Manish Mehrotra. In fact, I was in the kitchen when Indian Accent initially became a part of the Asia’s 50 Best, so I know the feeling of being a part of a team that’s so motivated and disciplined. With Tresind Studio, the goal has always been to create a menu and journey through different landscapes of India. As a Michelin kitchen in Dubai, Indian guests are my litmus test, because we can’t get away with doing just anything in front of indian guests. Tresind Studio is a small restaurant – it’s six tables, dinner only, and with a setup like this, we have to be more focused. Maintaining the meal’s pace is of utmost importance – it’s a two-and-a-half-hour experience so every six to seven minutes, eight minutes at the most, there’s a plate in front of you, so you don’t get bored, you don’t kill your appetite, you go with the flow. Chef Manish had once said that great service can save bad food, but bad service can’t even save good food – and that’s what the Michelin kitchen is all about.”

NIYATI RAO

Head chef & partner at EKAA, Mumbai