Weekday Lounge Exclusive | Upgrading the veggie spread

Now, vegetarians have more than just bhindi, veg manchurian and capsicum pizzas to choose from when dining out. With restaurants experiencing a growing demand for vegetarian dishes, the selection is getting exotic.

Japanese restaurants, known for their seafood dishes, are capitalizing on the trend. Wasabi by Morimoto, at Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, specializes in Japanese fusion cuisine and pays special attention to their vegetarian options. “We have a great selection of vegetarian dishes,” says Vikramjit Roy, Wasabi’s chef de partie. “We import all of our vegetables from Japan twice a week—everything from mushrooms to the smallest broccoli. We don’t use any local ingredients at all,” he says. The menu at 19 Oriental Avenue, a pan-Asian cuisine restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel, New Delhi is being upgraded to include more vegetarian options. “We’ve been getting a lot of requests from our vegetarian guests for more vegetarian dishes,” says Vivek Bhatt, Executive Sous Chef. “We are keeping this in mind as we redesign our menu,” he says.