The All In One Ultimate Restaurant List Interview: Rashima Bhatia

The Indian dining scene has changed dramatically since Vineet Bhatia first arrived in London in 1993, when the choice was limited to little more than all you can eat restaurants and curry houses of questionable quality. In 2004 he opened Rasoi, which won a Michelin star in 2006, but the journey there wasn’t easy. Rasoi is at number 45 on our list, up eight places from last year.

“From very early on he faced rejection at every corner” explains Rashima. “Everybody told him he was crazy for what he was trying to do, like why do you want to puree dahl and make it into a sauce? This came from close quarters too, even family who didn’t understand why when everyone wanted to become a doctor, he wanted to clean dishes and serve food”.

In 1988 Vineet started working for the prestigious Oberoi Hotel Group in India, first as a trainee chef, then as chef de cuisine. But even there his ideas weren’t welcome. “They said ‘don’t mess with this, you don’t need to put lobster in the tandoori masala because that’s not real Indian cuisine.’ That was the reason he left India, because he thought it would be easier elsewhere.”

Initial plans to be part of the Cinnamon Club were scuppered due to delays, and Vineet set up his first, eponymous restaurant in 1999, however within three months it was forced to close. In April that same year he helped to open Zaika, and during his time there he became the first Indian chef to ever receive a Michelin star. More critical acclaim followed after the opening of Rasoi, including Best Newcomer at the Tatler Restaurant Awards and three AA rosettes. Vineet became renowned for using no more than three spices per dish, and employing modern techniques that pushed the boundaries of what Londoners knew of Indian cuisine.

“What really helped was the Michelin star because it added credibility to his work. It suddenly made people think well, this outside body is recognising his talent, so he must be very good” says Rashima. She believes that nowadays Rasoi sets the benchmark for others to follow. “A lot of Vineet’s work has been replicated, which I think has led to a vast improvement in terms of the restaurant scene. Now you have a good eight to ten restaurants that are chef-led, where there’s a thought process to every aspect, from when you walk in to what you’re sitting on, what you’re surrounded by and how you’re being served.”

The Bhatias are now involved in several other restaurants around the world, among them Rasoi by Vineet in Geneva, which in 2009 was also awarded a Michelin star, making Vineet the only Indian chef to hold two stars.

In terms of favourite dishes, most customers choose the tasting menu. “80-90% of our diners like everything to be taken care of, including wine. However I have not been able to take the home smoked tandoori salmon or the chocomosa off the menu.” The chocomosa is a typical example of Rasoi’s cooking style, a chocolate samosa with a dark chocolate and cumin fondant, a chocolate and avocado kulfi capsule, panacotta and a chocolate and menthol milkshake. A diner recently reported that the dessert has been copied in a restaurant in Kerala, of all places. With their 10th anniversary looming next year, Rasoi are still very much pioneering modern Indian cooking in the capital