With great skill comes great responsibility, and in the culinary world, that is only magnified. While on one hand it is important to cook keeping in mind the ever-changing dining trends, one also has to find ways and means to stay true to the passion that got them into the business to begin with.

Chef Manu Chandra feels just that. The Chef Partner at Monkey Bar and The Fatty Bao (Bangalore, Mumbai and New Delhi) and Executive Chef Olive Beach, Bangalore, he has a lot on his plate, but then his appetite justifies that.

It is the era of experimentation and indulging in good food. Despite the myriad options available, from the business aspect, sometimes there is a need to stick to the tested and tried. The skill sometimes lies in creating the obvious in a more interesting way than cooking something out of the box.While Chef Manu explains the reasons behind the rising trends, he also shares the reason behind having a bowl of french fries on the menu.

“We are currently in the thick of food trends. With various verticals specializing in cuisines like Modern Indian, Regional, Asian and many more, it has already moved up a notch. To add on to it, the prevalence of focussing on the experiential aspect is quite fantastic for the general evolution of the restaurant industry,” says Manu.

“The demand for better food is now increasing as the consumer is ready to experiment and has greater willingness and propensity to spend”, he explains. “Customers seek a lot more places when they decide to dine out and therefore, there is a need to not only cater to their choices but also feed the sentiment. This millennia is hungry and have a disposable income that they like to spend on good food and a good experience that is making them indulge on a very large scale.”

It is these factors that have led to restaurants upping their game. “Once you get into the restaurant business, you are in it for the longest time. It is a large space that is indistinguishable. Hence, it is important for each restaurant to stand out and stick to the ground in order to survive. The customer’s expectations are high and therefore it is the cumulative output of experience, proficiency and execution that helps in maintaining a stable restaurant ethos,” he adds.

One of the best ways to engage customers is to constantly innovate. While some can afford do that, there are others that need to stick to the theme and ‘safe foods’ to maintain the decorum of the restaurant.

“There is a large awakening as far as tastes are concerned. But if we talk about a place like Monkey Bar, that has a ‘chilled out’ ambience, we need to keep in mind the mode of the product and focus on the tried and tested, hearty dishes. But at the same time, it is important that they are well put together into the overall experience of the place.” While the new generation is all ready to try all-things-new, there are many that want to fall back on the comfort food.

He adds, “One has to put safe food on the menu. Sometimes you have to be completely averse to experimentation because the demand is for that one bowl of french fries. This is a part of the package and comes with the F&B establishment and execution. There is definitely a conflict when you must swallow your ego and focus on the commercial aspect versus the passion. You can’t really help it but let things be because you must stick to the sanctity of the place.”
He compliments those who constantly focus on changing menus based on seasonal produce. “It is admirable when restaurants make the most of the seasonality and the local ingredients. For something like this to be successful, you need a strong Chef in your kitchen whom you can trust and who can constantly innovate.”