A host of Udipi restaurants and a variety of Nizami biryani centres was what Hyderabad boasted off until a decade back when the city became the IT capital of India, a food revolution was started that introduced the offshore recipes to the people of the city offering a gamut of delicacies that changed the experience of luxury dining in the city and one such connoisseur of food is Shankar Krishnamurthy, the director of Fusion Hospitality Private Limited which runs six
outlets in the city. Shankar Krishnamurthy who has 25 years of experience as a chef feels that Hyderabad has come a long way when foreign delicacies where only restricted to five star hotels and the people in the city are becoming more demanding and experimental with their food habits. “People are travelling to different countries and acquiring various tastes. They come and want a similar experience in their own city. Even the foreign expats nowadays feel at home with the kind of food we offer,” says the ace Chef. The city now boasts of Italian, Lebanese, Mexican and Oriental restaurants proves the growing demand of variety among the people. “It was mostly Indian and Chinese eateries before. Even the Chinese served has been patented as Indian-Chinese because it is so different from the original version,” says Shankar who added that the Indian habit of adding garlic and chili to each and every recipe kills the taste.
In the demanding food business, there is a tug of war between the fine diners,
tiffin centres and the crop of American fast food joints. However, the entrepreneur feels that the tastes and likes and dislikes of the general public depends on the market palate and is highly subjective and ambiguous. “It is hard to compete with restaurants like Paradise who serve food on a mass scale or the
McDonalds and Subway sandwiches that has brought in a cultural change
but every one has their own niche. I am happy targeting 700 to 800 per day as
long the customers are satisfied,” added Shankar who also believes that the food should go beyond the menu. “We keep changing my menu to avoid
monotony and add the personal touch. I try every new dish in the kitchen
which is scrutinised and based on customer feedback we finalise the list,”
says Shankar. Though cities like Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore suits various
gastronomic delights, Hyderabad is also catching up fast. “Earlier a Hyderabadi
used to spend around Rs 250 per visit to a restaurant and nowadays they don’t
hesitate spending Rs 800 to 900 and also number of visits has increased. In
Hyderabad dining out is still synonymous with celebration where as cities
like Mumbai it has become a necessity,” says Shankar who has initiated luxury
menu like the authentic white Christmas and Oktoberfest dishes, which was
never done in Hyderabad before. Chef Shankar who started Fusion 9
in the year 2003 along with his wife Maya Shankar and their Delhi partner
Arvind Kaila feels that it is India’s growing population that has acted as a
catalyst in bringing about the food revolution. “The biggest challenge in
India is that you have to have a separate list for the vegetarians and non vegetarians. The western countries have about 40 items on the menu whereas in India you need at least 60 to 65,” says Shankar. This master entrepreneur who wants to start a Greek restaurant in the future is happy catering to his niche audience who understands and appreciates food. “Authentic recipe, quality ingredients, a strong of understanding of the aroma, flavour and texture of food and absolute dedication is the secret mantra behind the brand Fusion Hospitality Private Limited,” says Shankar.
sohini@expressbuzz.com