Editor’s Note: The new kitchen code
The churn that the pandemic caused in the hospitality business about four years ago has led many chefs and bartenders to turn entrepreneurs
When it first opened with just eight seats at a narrow counter, Kavan Kuttappa’s Naru Noodle Bar in Bengaluru was reminiscent of being at one of the handkerchief-sized fresh sushi spots in Tokyo’s old Tsukiji Market before it was gentrified. No-frills service but fantastic, fresh food that left you so satisfied. Two years on, Kuttappa has added space for 12 more diners and a few dishes other than ramen, but he still insists diners reserve their spots on Monday evening for lunch or dinner during the rest of the week, show up on time, and leave their children at home. It’s a bold move in India where people in the hospitality business are expected to bend over backwards to accommodate customer demands, no matter how outlandish. But they are demands Kuttappa can make since he’s put his own money where his mouth is and planned every detail of the business himself.
The churn that the pandemic caused in the hospitality business about four years ago has led many chefs and bartenders to turn entrepreneur. Rather than stay in the kitchen, they’re jumping into the business side of things and are planning, funding, setting up and managing their own café, restaurant and bar businesses. These chefs and mixologists aren’t just changing the stakes of creative entrepreneurship; by limiting the number of seats, insisting on reservations, serving set and tasting menus, and paying personal attention to little details, they are also moving dining culture in India in a new direction. The risks are high, but so are the rewards, as we find in our cover story on chefs and bartenders who mean business.
Also read: When chefs don the entrepreneur's hat
Keeping with the idea of breaking patterns and making changes, Rohit Brijnath contemplates the nature of competition and the recent modifications to off-court coaching rules in tennis. We have a review of Gen-Z sensation Sally Rooney’s newest book Intermezzo and of Sujit Saraf’s Island, both of which explore ideas of change and belonging. We’re also announcing an open call for our 2025 Fiction Special, for aspiring short story writers—and plenty of other reading to relax with this post-Diwali weekend.
Also read: Bartenders shake up the business
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First Published:2 Nov 2024, 08:30 AM IST
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