Standing up for food: Cutting out seating in a restaurant is clever, but Indians will not have it

A 'no-seats' fine dining restaurant by a highly acclaimed Japanese chef in Tokyo had to happen. Minimalism, after all, is a leitmotif of Japanese aesthetics and many bars already follow that mantra. More crass entities have gone to the extent of mooting no-seat planes - an idea that has predictably not taken off - and Indians are familiar with no-seat toilets, but the application of such a norm is far from universal.

The logic of using that principle for restaurants, of course, is obvious: less space, less overheads, high turnover and higher profits, provided the restaurateurs are smart enough to keep margins low and depend on volume.

The only things that are de rigeuer for restaurants are food, chefs and diners, so cutting back on the other variables is definitely worth a try. Already, there are restaurants without menus, serving a single, famous dish; some have also decided to do without cutlery and crockery.

Therefore, eliminating chairs is a clever gambit and a brave one too, as eating is one of the main human activities traditionally done sitting down. Doing away with tables or lights could be tricky, though.

Not all types of cuisines lend themselves to standing patrons, as many of them need a longer time to be prepared and presented. Japanese and even Chinese food, however, do not fall into that category as they are complex without necessarily being time-consuming.

Some types of Indian food can be brought to the table pretty fast, but their consumption inevitably requires facilities for diners to stretch and even belch, as meals are inevitably leisurely and extensive. As standing-room-only eateries are not quite conducive to such postprandial exertions, any speedy adoption of this Japanese idea by upmarket Indian restaurateurs is unlikely.