India’s luxury hotels are putting chefs’ roots on the menu

A couple of months ago, over 150 litres of water were sent by road from Punjab to The Leela Palace Bengaluru — accompanied by vadis, rajma and Amritsari aam paapad. All this, just to capture the flavours of Punjab as faithfully as possible for the hotel’s new regional popup series.

Called Citrus In The Spotlight, the ongoing series is helmed by Executive Chef Simran Singh Thapar, who opened with a Punjabi showcase — the first in the line-up. “Hotels bring in external specialists to showcase their culinary skills. We decide to look for talent within our hotels, and this is how Spotlight came into play,” he says. The concept is simple: each month, one in-house chef presents food from the State they come from. The result — themed menus shaped by over 100 chefs.

So far, their popups have showcased cuisine from Kongu nadu, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand, and Simran intends to take Spotlight to all Leela properties across the country.

Interactive elements

At Vivanta Chennai, IT Expressway — under the umbrella of The Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) that helms Taj properties — a recent Rajasthani food festival had Chef Pankaj Meghwal from Umaid Bhawan Palace, Jodhpur, at the forefront. Pankaj brought with him traditional sweets, and the menu comprised dishes such asMathania mirchi murgh ka soola cooked in a traditional clay oven; murgh Jodhpuri, churma, and more.

Simran also brought in mini pressure cookers to serve mutton curry, and designed family tables to make the Punjabi popup experience more intimate. “The water was brought from Punjab to ensure dishes like the rajma maintain their authentic taste. We also got homemade masala prepped in Amritsar, and set up an entire pickle pantry, an element that featured in all pop-ups,” says Simran. He explains how every household has pickles and chutneys through the year, and for the first event, they started prep almost one-and-a-half months in advance, making khata meetha achar, gajar gobi shalgam achar, green chilli with mustard oil, and a range of chutneys, salads, and relishes.

For the Uttarakhand popup, Chef Jashbeer Singh, sous chef, Jamavar, sourced ingredients such as jakhiya, bal mithai, and stinging nettle from the State, whereas Chef Hitendra Singh, sous chef at Citrus, brought jowar flour, ker sangri, seer fish, and khichiya paapad from his hometown, Udaipur.

Exchange of flavours

The trend has propelled an exchange of chefs within hotel branches across the country. The concept of in-house chef-led popups at IHCL aims at showcasing the “magic of our celebrated kitchens across India and beyond to our guests, allowing them to experience authentic flavours from other regions without having to travel,” says Ian Dubier, area director, Operations, Tamil Nadu, and general manager, Taj Coromandel, Chennai.

Recent popups include the Sri Lankan Odyssey at Vivanta Chennai, IT Expressway, that was curated by Chef Prasanna Rathnayake from Taj Samudra, Colombo. “His menu transported guests to Sri Lanka with dishes like the Jaffna-style crab curry, kalupol chicken curry, egg hopper with sambal and kiri hodi, among others,” says Ian, adding that in a similar fashion, Thomthong Sungkaha, also known as Chef Lily, of Taj Holiday Village, Goa, brought in her signature flavours to Chennai’s Taj Wellington Mews.

At The Chambers at Taj Coromandel, Chennai, the Rendezvous – Conversations and More series, that launched in 2021, took this concept further with immersive evenings. “Guests sat down to curated five-course dinners by chefs from IHCL hotels across Gurugram, Goa, and Hyderabad,” explains Ian.

Focus on regional

At Renaissance Bengaluru Race Course Hotel, Excutive Chef Ho Chi Ming says they wanted to provide their cooks “a stage to display culinary history and home cuisine.” He adds, “Our chefs’ enthusiasm for highlighting Himalayan and Uttarakhand cuisine was incredibly motivating. They procured essential ingredients from their hometowns in addition to creating authentic menus.” The chefs are now cross-hosted across their parent company Marriott’s 158 hotels spread across over 42 cities.

Upcoming popups at IHCL include chefs from Southern Spice and Golden Dragon from Taj Coromandel, Chennai, taking their South Indian and Chinese menus respectively to Bengaluru and Kerala. Cuisine from the South ranks high on the list with several menus based on cuisines from Tamil Nadu, Chettinad and Andhra Pradesh, and more.

At the Southern Spice popup at Taj Palace, New Delhi, Chef M Rajendran from Taj Coromandel, plated the flavours of Tamil Nadu, honed through years of working across Chettinad, Thanjavur, and Chennai. Rajendran’s menu featured dishes such as royyala iguru, prawns simmered in a rich coconut, cashew, and Andhra spice blend, kozhi melagu curry, chicken in a fiery black pepper and fennel gravy, meen pollichathu, and more.

Personal stories and recipes

How do the chefs ensure that these popups are different from those led by external chefs and home cooks? Kiron Kumar, director, operations, at The Park, Bengaluru, says they kickstarted in-house popups three years ago. “They are creative laboratories where our chefs are encouraged to break boundaries, explore new ideas, and craft new dining experiences. Unlike popups hosted by external chefs or home cooks, which often showcase individual expertise or niche styles, our internal pop-ups are deeply collaborative and rooted in the identity of the hotel itself,” he says, like their popular ‘The Forgotten Greens’ pop up, which reimagined indigenous greens in modern dishes.

“The creative ownership is where the biggest difference is found,” says Ho Chi Ming, who plans on showcasing South Indian and East Indian cuisine in the future.

One for the team

Moreover, these events serve as a powerful tool for team development, says Kiron. “By challenging our chefs to think differently and work outside their comfort zones, these events stimulate creativity. They also foster a sense of pride and ownership,” he adds. Upcoming events include a celebration of Cantonese cuisine, and a reinvention of classics from around the world.

The coming weeks at Sheraton Grand Pune Bund Garden Hotel will see chefs exploring regional and seasonal flavours. The Tamil Table by Chef Shankar Devendra will showcase recipes from his grandmother’s kitchen, coastal seafood, and classic Chettinad spice blends, and the Winter Menu will celebrate Maharashtra’s seasonal ingredients.

Sagar Kulkarni, director, Food and Beverage at the hotel, says these events were introduced two years ago. “In-house popups focus on authenticity and storytelling, whereas visiting chefs bring fresh perspectives, innovative techniques, and unique interpretations of global cuisines. By hosting both types of experiences, we combine the best of both worlds.”

At The Leela Bengaluru, upcoming Spotlight popups in January will spotlight food from Coorg, Hyderabad, and the Malabar region, and while Simran led the first one and created a framework, he is hopeful of this trend picking steam. “You can represent any cuisine: each individual has their roots, home rituals, and skills. Food is just one part of these meals.”

Nidhi Adlakha