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Photos By:: Adil Arora
 Chef Sujan, Chef de Cuisine Olive Bar and Kitchen and Olive Beach, Delhi and Mumbai has been the 2011 & 2013 National, UK finalist and 2008 & 2009 London chef of the year finalist. He returned to India last year and has been focusing on improving the Menu constantly at Olive-revamping the existing Menu to carve out the summer Menu with about 70% changes in the existing one.
Armed with all the modern techniques known to or even evolved by many of the celebrity chefs-like Sous Vide Cooking (placing the food in a vacuum in a water bath with pre-set temperature to get the desired final cooking temperature to cook uniformly), Liquid Nitrogen, Modern and Molecular Gastronomy, he has crafted the dishes to be light and refreshing on the palate for summer. His experience in international cuisine, especially modern European, has helped him innovate several techniques hitherto not known to many chefs. His diploma in WSET Level 2 Award in Wine and Spirit also helps him use wine in his cooking when required.
So what are the changes he has planned? ‘ I am using a lot of new vegetables and also root vegetables and white asparagus. They are difficult to procure but we are airlifting squash, American  Kale grown in India and parsnip from Ooty,’ he says, adding,’ I am also changing the variety in meats. For instance, we are using the rump of lamb in place of rack. We cook it sous-vide and then grill-in fact 70% of my cooking is sous vide, including fish. Short ribs and sirloin of beef have been added. We are making an ossobuco style dish where we use lamb instead of the standard veal. I am still using home cured salmon but the garnish is lighter. In fact instead of vinaigrette we use a lighter version for the summer menu to keep the dishes lighter.
‘The Menu has been redesigned and has 6 pages-each listing the Starters, Salads, Soups, Vegetarian section, Fish and Meat and desserts which are much lighter now. We have no more fondant which used to be considered a Signature dish here earlier. But I feel signature dishes must also be changed.’
‘Presentation has also been changed- Each dish and plate is like abstract art- summer menu should be joy. It took me a month to put everything together. Besides, everything here is fresh and handmade including the chips to cheese’.
 He is very upbeat about the kitchen he is eventually getting to. ‘This king of food needs a special kitchen for which were are importing a lot of equipment. We are getting a texturiser from Europe. I am setting up the kitchen in the European standards. I want to make this flag ship restaurant the best casual fine dining restaurant in India.’ Good news is that prices have not been changed.
Chef Sarkar believes in having different flavours in every dish. If he has goat cheese in one dish he would use goat curd in another. Charred vegetables have an interesting combination of vegetables with a bit of burnt vegetables sprinkled as spice to give an interesting presentation and texture.
One wishes Chef Sarkar and Olive Bar and Kitchen to be recognized as the best casual fine dining destination restaurant. In a run to that title, the consumers can expect great food without increase in prices.
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Subhash Arora
Tags: Chef Sujan Sarkar, Olive Bar and Kitchen, Olive Beach |