San Francisco, August 15, 2017: Exotic cocktails made with Indian spices and elixirs. And dishes that have such diverse, unique and bold flavors that the staff actually has to guide diners, particularly in situations where many might not be familiar with the authentic dishes made and served with a contemporary style. A modern dining experience overlooked by industry veterans from India. And an ambitious menu in equally ambitious restaurants- Indian dining chains are currently having a wild moment in San Francisco.
Indian food accounts for less than two percent of the ethnic food market in the United States, but it still has the fastest growing rate. Courtesy, its aromatic, flavorful and un-parallel combination of food.
Indian cuisine, which remained largely ignored for decades is now being touted as the 'next-big-thing' with studies pointing that Indian food is potentially going to be one of the biggest trends throughout 2017.
An increasing number of Americans on Quora have shared that quality Indian food requires fine culinary skills, which makes it an expensive affair for an average American. But despite this, Indian food remains an unshakable indulgence and has finally engaged mainstream tastes.
Indian food is hitting all the right spots with the Western palates. Quora
In an article published in 2012 for Wall Street Journal, "Is Indian Cuisine Coming of Age in America?" the author Visi R. Tilak explored the reason why Indian food was becoming increasingly popular in the West. According to him, it was because of the expanding American palate, which was only becoming bolder.
Indian food's fast growing popularity can be attributed to the cuisine's unique flavors that are hard to replicate. After all, there are not many other cultures that use the same combination of herbs and spices that can be found in a typical Indian dish.
And at the hub of this entire extravaganza is the city of San Francisco!
From upscale joints, to major food chains and small cafes- they are all dwelling in authentic Indian dishes, but with a contemporary twist!
Whether you're craving for home-style recipes or inventive modern twists, San Francisco's Indian restaurants have lots to offer. With veterans from the industry in India overlooking everything that goes out, their chefs have trained in the North and South and all other parts of India, at Michelin-starred restaurants, at tiny local cafes and big industry names and of course, their grandmother's kitchens.
Irrespective of the style you prefer, Indian food is having a bit of a renaissance in San Francisco.
"We deep dived into Bengali recipes recently that my grandmother had passed down via my mother. This to me is far more interesting than fine-dining meals over multiple courses", said Anjan Mitra of Dosa.
Regional Indian cuisines comprise an early trend that is yet to establish deep ground, which is why ventures like Dosa attract an ever-expanding crowd. And the fact that South Indian cuisine remained largely unexplored till a few years back works well to their advantage!
Anjan believes the underlying strength of Indian food is to expose foreign cultures to the wonderful diversity of the Indian culinary landscape.
Dosa has established a niche by serving Indian food made with high quality ingredients. With dishes like Quinoa Uthappam and paler cauliflower rice, their impressive menu caters to gluten-free, nut-free and other dietary requirements. Anjan believes in the simple philosophy that delicious and healthy food finds an audience.
Dosa has established a niche space among the SF city diners. Quora
Of late, Anjan Mitra and his team have planned a trip for 20 San Franciscans to dwell in the regional Indian cuisine. Calling it The Great South India Food Journey, the 10 day trip will commence from November 25 and will cover Mumbai, Kochi, Periyar and Kumarakom. "There are plans to get the traveler exposed to local restaurants, but also to home cooking. Liam Mayclem (the Emmy Award winning radio and TV star) who I have known via the food scene in SF for many years will join us," he said, as reported by the Hindu.
With popular names like Aslam's Rasoi, Roti Indian Bistro, Babu Ji and Udupi Palace among many others, the city offers a multitude of graciously-spiced, slow simmered deliciousness spanning across the extreme corners of the city of hills.
Chef Sujan Sarkar, of Rooh, continues to charm the vibrant palate of San Franciscans with his progressive style of Indian cuisine, using a wide variety of local produce to his advantage. Upon being asked what's next, he added "Possible rabbit. And I want to use Bamboo rice which is healthy, with no starch. Black garlic is trending. I enjoy using it and activated charcoal in my experiments."
The chef, familiar to many for his leading role in Delhi's Olive Bar and Kitchen, offers a new interpretation of Indian Cuisine using ingredients one would not imagine, like ramps that are smaller in size than scallions and have a mild onion flavor.
Chef Sujan has previously worked magic in London (where Madonna dined thrice at his former restaurant, Almada), India and now San Francisco, is trained in modern European and French cuisine, the techniques for which hold strong in his culinary expression. His dishes "enjoy fresh ingredients and creativity on the plate. Rooh celebrates the innovative spirit of modern India", he told the Hindu.