Fusion, fad, and focus: Indian celebrity chef Sikka serves food for thought in ‘world’s food capital’ Dubai

Dubai: Fusion food enthusiasts believe variety is the spice of life. And noted Indian chef Marut Sikka believes UAE is the world’s most natural choice for fusion food.

“Dubai is a cosmopolitan city, a global hub, and at the center of things, so it is natural that ingredients come from various parts of the world and make a natural case for fusion food in its own way,” says the chef, who curated the menu at Taj Exotica, Atlantis Palm, as part of India’s diamond jubilee celebrations organised by the Consulate General of India, Aman Puri.

The function blended Sikka’s food offerings beautifully with some soulful classical music through live performances by the Malhar group. While the traditional roots were being kindled with passion, just like Sikka’s love for food, the tall and hefty Punjabi took pride in India’s history explaining his visit to Dubai. “My work has always been Indian food. I love to showcase our extraordinary culinary legacy from India, one of the oldest civilizations in mankind.”

Going from past to present, the next obvious question is about the modern fad of mixing and matching culinary trends in the fusion food culture.

Contrary to the perception that chefs disapprove of such things, Sikka is open about it and forthrightly puts Dubai in the context of the query. “Wherever I go, I head to the local supermarket as the first thing to do. I visited one at the airport, too, here, on arrival. You have potatoes from one country, and tomatoes from another. Dubai is the natural platform for the purest and most traditional food as well as fusion at the same time. How many places in the world have this kind of position that Dubai has? Maybe one or two more but more one than two. It is just that Dubai is brilliantly placed.”

Marut Sikka has authored books and TV shows, set up award-winning restaurants, and created meals for America’s former president Barack Obama, and India’s former prime minister Manmohan Singh. He is a graduate of Chemistry and sees science to justify the fusion of food concepts further.

“In the olden days, people cooked with localized ingredients. If you are from Rajasthan (a dry state mostly), you would cook with what is available in flora and fauna. But over the years, rains came in and vegetables started growing. Also, it became famous and people started doing it with new techniques and flavours. In a few years, what is fusion food now becomes comfort dishes for us.”

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Though there are not any plans yet for Dubai from a personal career perspective, the mention excites Sikka. “Who would not want to come here? It is a land of opportunities. We talked about food being sourced from everywhere. Dubai is the food capital of the world!”

But Sikka denies there are any plans in the making. Asked if he has a vision or preference for any cuisine or the kind of operation he would like to associate with in Dubai, Sikka admits he has yet to put thoughts together on this. “I have never seen a city that evolves the way Dubai has. Whatever you do, can become very old in the space of six months. So you need to keep pace. There is a lot of thought that needs to go if you have to stay relevant. Whatever I do has to be spectacular in this multicultural environment.”

Yet, Sikka says he is “a purist. If you ask me about molecular gastronomy or new-age things, I cannot do that. However, the path I take to cook butter chicken, for example, will be a longer one to make it better, to create the best butter chicken. I would rather take that route than more matter-of-the-moment things.”

The affable chef and son of an army man are also forthright on the challenges he faces. “Social media has made everything visual. In the olden days, I would give you very good food, but it need not look good. Today it has to look better than how it tastes. So now I have to make something that looks good and also tastes well.”

While Sikka puts his thoughts together on his Dubai operations, he could do well with some help on the social media aspect of promoting his food. Fans, please note.

• This writeup is contributed by Kumar Shyam, a Journalist, and Writer in Dubai