Desi restaurants going overseas to cater not just to diaspora but to global audience

When Rohini Dey, former McKinsey consultant and World Bank economist decided to launch Vermilion, an Indian-Latin restaurant first in Chicago and then New York City, she was looking at what she felt was an unmet market niche. It was the mediocrity that passed off as Indian cuisine abroad that spurred her into action: the $8.99 all-you-can-eat buffets; the predictable, mushy, overcooked fare, swimming in oil and nuclear food dyes; and the clunky table settings amid faded visuals of camels and the Taj Mahal’ convinced her about the appetite for honest and genuine fare with a desi twist.

So Dey began to learn the ropes of running a restaurant, embarking on tasting trials with over 14 chefs. “It was a challenge incorporating both familiar Western ingredients — ribs, steak — and provocative combinations that got us noticed. I think our unique Indian and Latin combination both resonated and made us stand out,” recollects Dey, who set up her upscale restaurant in Chicago in 2004, and then in Manhattan in 2008.


Eight years on, the opportunity for Indian cuisine on the global stage has only got larger, and a clutch of chefs and restaurateurs — either from India or of Indian origin — are seizing the day. According to the India Food Services Report 2016, jointly released by the National Restaurant Association of India and retail consultancy Technopak: “With an increase in globalisation, consumer awareness and openness to Indian spices and flavours, a surge has been observed in Indian food service brands entering and successfully establishing themselves in the international arena.

And the trend of Indian cuisine gaining popularity around the world is expected to gain momentum in the next few years, creating opportunities for entrepreneurs and established Indian based restaurant chains to expand internationally.”

Twists in Tastes

Indian cuisine is becoming more contemporary and the players are fine-tuning their approach in terms of taste, flavour and presentation to cater to a wider consumer base in geographies such as the US, the UK, Canada, South Africa, Middle East and Malaysia, which have a large Indian-origin population, without being restricted to the diaspora,” says Ravindra Kumar Yadav, associate vice-president of Technopak. He adds that celebrity chefs like Sanjeev Kapoor (Signature India & Middle East) Vineet Bhatia (Rasoi Europe & Middle East), Vikas Khanna ( Junoon, NYC & Dubai) and Gaggan Anand (Gaggan, Bangkok) have been working hard in changing the perception of Indian cuisine internationally and have made the cuisine popular by opening their own outlets.

“One of the biggest challenges is to replicate the flavours of Delhi amid a very different culture and ensure that the menu appeals to New Yorkers and Indians who were born overseas and grew up there,” says chef Manish Mehrotra of fine dining restaurant Indian Accent which opened its doors in New York City early this year.

Even as he finds himself working with ingredients such as beef and foie gras, which are not available to him in India, and incorporating a lot of seasonal produce into his menu in New York, he is excited about the new style of global Indian cuisine that is becoming popular in one of the world’s top foodie cities. “I have been taking traditional and authentic Indian dishes and flavours and combining them with different ingredients and presenting it all in a more modern way. The clients at our New York restaurant can identify and feel more comfortable with our menu,” says Mehrotra who is readying to launch an Indian Accent in London next year.

Vikas Khanna, New York’s award winning and Michelin starred Indian chef, restaurateur and food writer, too believes that constantly changing menus and keeping them trendy is the key to success for Indian cuisine in a global context. “Our menus are constantly changing. In New York there is so much opportunity to bring new local ingredients to tasting menus. We bring a new ingredient and then apply an Indian touch to it. It may be in form of technique, spice mix, sauce or a presentation factor. Local is the new global in our pantry.

Our clientele is totally mixed,” Khanna told ET Magazine about his highly acclaimed Junoon Restaurant in New York, which has also recently opened its doors in Dubai. He adds that Indian food has come a long way in America in the last two decades with a whole transition to trendy and upmarket. “We are trying to bring a lot of regional Indian cuisines in our menus.”

Foreign Locales

At the same time premium restaurant brands from India such as Farzi Café and Punjab Grill are spreading their wings abroad, according to the India Food Services Report. Zorawar Kalra, founder of Massive Restaurants that runs Farzi Café, opened an outlet in Dubai early this year and is upbeat about the Middle East. “It was a challenge getting the right location for our restaurant in Dubai, but already in a few months Farzi Café has become one of the hottest outlets in town,” claims Kalra. With his post-modern and molecular Indian cuisine from across regions of India, he is now planning more restaurants across the Middle East, Europe and America as well.

“We will take Farzi Café and our other brands Masala Library and Pa Pa Ya to more overseas locations before the end of this fiscal year.”

Celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor who has opened his brand Signature by Sanjeev Kapoor in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Doha, will soon be setting up shop in Muscat and Riyadh. “Indian cuisine will become the most popular cuisine in the world due to the huge variety and exotic flavours that it offers. Our objective is to make it palatable to international audiences without compromising on its originality and distinct flavours. We are also adapting to latest cooking techniques, balancing spice levels as per guest profiles and using plating techniques of an international level,” Kapoor said. Besides Signature, his other brand The Yellow Chilli has a master franchise arrangement for opening 30 outlets in Saudi Arabia, eleven in UAE, five in Oman and four in Qatar apart from other operational restaurants. “We have made a foray into US. Now, our team is working hard on making our presence felt in Europe, Australia and APAC,” Kapoor added.

Rohit Aggarwal, director, Lite Bite Foods, an Indian F&B retail company, has opened Zambar, a modern concept restaurant offering south Indian cuisine in Abu Dhabi. “We are looking at a target group of not just overseas Indians but also the locals,” Aggarwal told ET Magazine. Another brand from the group, Punjab Grill too has three outlets in Abu Dhabi with a new one planned in Dubai in early 2017.