The wide hall of 1911, reminiscent of a dark wood royal court, leads into a pastel attachment on its western end, overlooking lush lawns of The Imperial. As we sat down for a meal under the high-vaulted ceiling, a pleasant October sun filtering through the glass windows, the connections between Indian and European histories were evident in the structural design of the brasserie. This realization was only enhanced when we tried a range of reinvented classics designed and curated by the hotel’s executive chef Philippe Agnese and fusion dishes from their new autumn menu, from an Indian version of the Regal Caesar salad to a paneer-sabudana burger.
Reinventing classics
“In the initial phase of revamping the 1911 menu, we observed that our guests deeply appreciated timeless classics,” says the chef, laying out his vision for 1911. “With this in mind, and staying true to The Imperial’s legacy, we introduced Indian-inspired twists. Each dish incorporates local ingredients, traditional cooking techniques, or regional dining customs, offering a fresh yet authentic culinary experience.”
Food is best accompanied by stories, and chef Agnese had many to tell us, from his adventures in Indian and French kitchens for more than four decades. He talked at length about his elaborate process of cooking a classic French onion soup—a bestseller on the 1911 menu. In a special pot, white onions are cooked in butter overnight until they turn into a jam-like consistency. In the morning, this jam is simmered in water and brought to a boil, which is served to the guests later with shavings of Gruyere afloat: the fleshy bits of white onion married to butter add a delicate sweetness and the perfect seasoning and a portion of the cheese add a tangy rusticity to this most appetising soup.
A fusion like no other
Even as the onion soup at first felt difficult to outdo, the next courses proved otherwise. The menu lists a Regal Caesar Salad, one of the more hotly anticipated dishes on the autumn menu for us. Served in a bed of the freshest romaine lettuce in the city, arguably, this take on the classic adds crispy, achari cubes of cottage cheese along with a generous smattering of chickpea croutons hiding between the lettuce; the leaves bathed in a zesty saffron garam masala dressing. The range of textures in the dish, from crunchy lettuce to soft cottage cheese and the surprise of chickpea croutons in between play together as a memorable culinary symphony.
The spirit of spotlighting interconnections in our foods in India and Europe across time and borders, which is the defining impetus of this revamp, is most evident in the fascinating ten-finger burger. With a distinctly Indian sabudana and cottage cheese ten-finger wide patty lathered in dips of ground spices flanked by crispy lettuce, it’s a lesson in food-design invention. “By maintaining the same weight and ingredients as a classic burger but elongating its width and reducing its height, we’ve ensured that every bite offers a perfect blend of all the components, delivering a harmonious taste experience,” says the chef.
Chef Agnese’s secrets
Chef Agnese respects the produce most of all. In his first week at The Imperial over a year ago, he overhauled the kitchen and brought in a new clutch of pure, organic spices along with the finest produce of fresh ingredients. “We’re constantly working with local organic farms to develop the best produce for our needs. Fresh produce is subject to season and weather periods, therefore planning ahead, discussing with growers, etc. is as technical and exciting as cooking,” he tells TMS.
Having researched Indian palettes and spices extensively, he has been able to also elevate timeless traditional dishes on the menu. The Laal Maas is tender and adventurous, served in a deep red curry with the most conscious blend of spices, royal without unreasonable demands on the palette. The Malabar Lobster Curry, is another favourite on the menu.
But perhaps the most captivating curry on the main course menu is the Stuffed Gucchi (mushroom) Paalak from Kashmir. In a pool of silky paalak curry sits a morel mushroom stuffed with a filling of cottage cheese and spices. Each dip into these three curries offers an odyssey across the flavours and spices of India. “Working with spices is a constant learning process. Spices options are so vast and combining them is as complex as a maze, hence it makes our possibilities endless. Having said that, we only work with premium spices, as sometimes less is more,” says the chef. That these curries are not served with the usual flour naan has a reason; naan hardens in open air, therefore the chef decided to blend three different flours to make his own. These reinvented breads remain soft and soak up the rich layers of flavours from the curries.
Arriving in a season of change, as the first hints of winter nip at the heels of the capital escaping from an intense heat wave, this autumn menu has something for everyone. So on your next trip to the lanes of Janpath, stop by the majestic white facade of The Imperial and as the winter sun dapples the black and grey cobbled stone at your feet, settle down for a heartwarming meal. Our verdict is that the new menu at 1911 is not to be missed.