Pic generated by AI for representational purposes only
What stays with you may not only be the taste of a dish, but the story behind it, the conversations you had, or simply how the evening made you feel,” added the 33-year-old.
They know what they want,” said Hrushikesh Prasanna Gokhale, chef-owner of Parallel—an all-day kitchen and bar in Baner. “The idea is to bring a new format and break out of the routine of a restaurant,” added the 28-year-old. “The idea behind our first chef’s table was to present Bengali food in a way that is not commercially constrained,” says Banalata Sen, who co-founded Breaking Basmati along with her brother, chef Abhimanyu, and author-food historian mother, Nandin.
Conversations and connections, stories behind recipes, thoughts that go into curating courses, and the joy of discovering new things. A chef’s table isn’t just about food in an intimate dining setup, but a glimpse into a chef’s culinary and creative process, people, ideas, and everything coming together. Some are using the opportunity to experiment beyond the everyday restaurant menu, others are viewing it as a way to tell stories, showcase a cuisine, or build a deeper connection with people. In Pune, too, chef’s table is taking shape in different ways to create experiences that go beyond the everyday. A chef’s table offers you something more personal than your regular restaurant experience. It makes you try new things and gives you new experiences. You don’t choose from a menu but surrender to one. It also takes away the dilemma of deciding what to order when restaurant menus begin to feel similar. People are also more educated in terms of food. For him, a chef’s table offers an opportunity to step outside the everyday rhythm of a restaurant, where demand, customer preferences and other practicalities of running a restaurant come into play. Apart from going beyond the conventions of a restaurant menu, one of the main purposes that Hrushikesh has behind curating a chef’s table is community-building A dish from Abhimanyu’s bengali-themed chef’s table that had seven-courses with eight cooking techniques A sense of intimacy is what distinguishes a chef’s table from a regular meal out. It’s where you become part of a more closely curated experience. For Breaking Basmati, a family-run boutique cloud kitchen in Tingre Nagar, chef’s table offers an opportunity to present a cuisine beyond the commercial limitations of a cloud kitchen. This format helps them bridge the gap between regular operations and direct interaction with people. “You don’t just come to eat at a chef’s table, you come for the experience. Years of cooking for family and friends translated into Mitwa Abhay Vandana curating his version of a chef’s table in Pune and other cities
Today, chefs are using the format to move beyond a conventional dining experience. “ Today, there’s a cultural diversity that exists in cities like Pune.
