Sipping casually on his favourite classic Gin Martini, 31-year-old Sidhant Lamba, the owner of the recently launched restaurant Amreli at Hotel Diplomat, makes a few urgent calls before he sits on a backless wooden stool, designed by himself specially for the restaurant. Managing and developing a flourishing interiors business comes naturally to Lamba since he’s been involved in it for years now. At Amreli, however, he’s like a clueless, curious child, trying to learn the ABCs of the restaurant sphere—a line of work, he confesses, he knows very little about.
Stepping onto the black and white checkered tiles at Amreli—a name that comes from one of the 26 administrative districts of Gujarat—the interiors catch your fancy in a jiffy. One is almost compelled to notice the effort that has gone into each corner of the space that could easily pass off as a museum—only, this one’s been done up tastefully with colours and character galore. Exhibiting some of his favourite collectables, Lamba’s interest in art is patently evident. Before you can ask his favourite from the visuals on display, the adroitly rendered painting of Snoopy, his beloved dog, who he considered family, immediately calls... er... barks out to you. “That is indeed my favourite piece and that’s why it finds prime space on the main wall of the restaurant. The other works too have been sourced from artists of repute. My mother, who has enjoyed collecting art for years now, passed on the interest to me. When I decided to open a restaurant, I deemed it only right to showcase them in all their distinction,” says the young restaurateur.
Moving on from the interiors to the other attractive aspect of any restaurant—its food—Lamba has made sure that his lack of interest and skill in the kitchen is made up for by bringing on board a chef who knows his food well and better than anybody else. So, when he got Chef Sabyasachi Gorai to conceive the menu, Lamba found his new baby in safe hands. The specials at this new multi-cuisine casual yet chic dining space are Crispy Filo Raan and Egg Appam, although the chef recommends other dishes like the Roasted Pepper and Quinoa Salad and Paneer Korma too. “I have all my meals at Amreli and am most distracted when I feel a guest is discussing the restaurant at the other table. I admit trying to find out what’s happening there, not out of an intention to pry but to get genuine feedback. This is my first restaurant and I am learning each day. I want it to work really well,” says Lamba, who on days when the foot fall is low, finds himself begging to God to intervene miraculously. On better days, he just looks up, smiles and gets down to business.