PEAKLIFE

By Neha Mehrotra

The co-founder of Food Matters Group, Gauri Devidayal, talks about her journey as a restaurateur, her passion for culinary innovation, and the evolution of the dining scene in India.

1. Was becoming a restaurateur always your dream? What motivated you to leave your job in finance and take the plunge to start The Table?

No, not at all. I’m a lawyer and a chartered accountant by professional qualification. It was actually my husband, Jay Yousuf, who had the idea of opening a restaurant. He had just returned from San Francisco, which is one of the best cities for dining, and he felt there was a big gap in Mumbai back in 2008. I was initially only helping with the financial and legal aspects, but then I found myself getting more and more involved. Eventually, I decided to take a sabbatical and focus on The Table. It’s been 14 years since the jump, and our shared love for good food has driven us to create all the brands we have to date.

2. How would you say the food scene has evolved in the country since “The Table” launched in 2011?

For the wide range of Indian flavours and ingredients, India has always had an incredible variety and food history to offer, but as far as the dining culture and offerings in non-Indian cuisines, we’ve come a long way since 2011. When I look at Asia’s 50 Best, or leading publisher’s India Top Restaurant lists and awards, the spread has shifted from being just a Delhi-Mumbai-Bangalore scene to now including Goa, Jaipur, Chennai, Kolkata and plenty more. I’ve seen a dramatic shift in Mumbai alone, from diners now being curious about regional foods to dessert bars, experiential dining spaces and world-class cocktail bars. We’ve definitely come a long way.

3. You introduced the ‘Farm to Table’ concept in Alibag back in 2012, before it became a buzzword. What inspired you to adopt this approach, and what challenges have you encountered along the way?

The Table was hugely inspired by San Francisco, which is where the whole idea of farm-to-table dining came to life with the likes of Alice Waters and Chez Panisse. When we began, we were hugely dependent on our vendors. I had a farm in Alibag where we used to grow produce for our personal consumption anyway. One time I had a lot of leftover spinach, which I just dropped off at the restaurant kitchen on my way back from the farm. The next day, the chefs asked me where I had gotten that from and whether I could get more. They said it tasted fresher. That’s when the penny dropped and I realised I could grow produce for the restaurant there. So I enlisted the help of an urban farming specialist to help me prepare the farm for a sustainable, chemical-free process of growing our own produce. Today, we supply about 1300 kg of produce from the farm to The Table and Mag St., which includes tomatoes, broccoli, spinach, beetroots, radish, basil, coriander, lettuces, edible flowers, mango, passion fruit and more.

4. The Table has won Wine Spectator’s Award of Excellence for six consecutive years. What does this recognition mean to you and your team?

This award highlights our steadfast passion for wine and commitment to excellence. Our recently revamped menu under the newly appointed Chef-in-Residence, Chef Will Aghajanian, is fun, fuss-free and wholesome. Our wine list embodies the same vision: we want wine connoisseurs and regular patrons to turn to The Table every time they want to try homegrown Indian wines and to make the restaurant an approachable space for far more customers to get introduced to drinking wine. We’re trying our best to break the stereotype that wine is only for snobs. I work very closely with our resident sommelier, Akshay Magar, to ensure that we are always doing justice to domestic and international palates.

5. Mag St. has recently launched a new outlet in Bandra, Mumbai. Why did you choose Bandra as the location for your latest outpost, and what can patrons look forward to on the menu at this new spot?

Bandra’s been on our destination list for a long time, but it’s one of the trickiest neighbourhoods to find the right property. And, when we finally did find a property we loved, we took the plunge. The restaurant offers a seamless transition from a morning coffee haunt to a go-to lunch destination, cocktail hour ritual, surefire date pick, or favourite dessert spot. We wanted 10-foot windows to bring in natural morning light, and as the only Mag St. that we’ve designed ourselves, we wanted the bar to be a highlight. Bringing over the Mag St. magic to the suburbs has already shown results, with the outlet becoming a bustling choice for residents, tourists and celebrities. Signature dishes such as Mag St. Handcut Truffle Fries, Lobster Rolls, Wasabi Prawns, and various pizzas and curries reflect the team’s dedication to bringing comfort food with a global twist. The menu is designed to take diners on a culinary journey, with influences from Vietnamese pho and Neapolitan pizzas to American-style steak & fries and Burmese curries.

6. What culinary trends and types of cuisine do you foresee gaining popularity in the near future?

When it comes to trends, pop-up experiences are already a great way to showcase chefs and bartenders around the country and this will only grow. Supper clubs are another format that is growing in popularity, as it’s a lower-risk way of testing your product on the market. While there has always been a question about the future of fine dining, we are seeing a growing number of tasting menus being developed that are more experiential than the traditional format of a la carte dining.

In terms of cuisine, there will certainly be a greater discovery and acceptance of regional foods from around the country. Homegrown everything is the trend now; whether it’s cheeses, chocolate, coffee, alcoholic beverages, etc., chefs are increasingly working with brands and producing from their own backyards. Bakeries, too, are becoming a popular and growing product segment. Cocktail bars are coming into their own as an experience too, as are experiential spaces that are curating amazing programming, like Magazine St. Kitchen.

7. As a restaurateur, what is your vision for the next few years?

If I knew that, things would be a lot easier! Honestly, we’re doing everything at our own pace and having just opened a restaurant, we just want to pause, consolidate, refine and then see what else is out there. The business of a restaurateur is very opportunistic, especially in the premium space, so whenever something comes up and we feel like we have the bandwidth, that’s usually what drives the next project. Regardless, these are very exciting times for the food and beverage industry in India.