Twice Michelin starred Chef Vineet Bhatia has introduced the new shared plates menu — Earth, Land and Sea at Ziya, The Oberoi, Mumbai’s popular modern Indian restaurant.
Business Traveller India exclusively spoke to Chef Vineet for insights on the new curation. He said, “We have taken away the formality of having the fixed structure of a starter, a main course, and a dessert so that guests have the freedom to dine the way they like.
“The new menu consists of three different segments which is the Earth, the Sea, and the Land. When it comes to the Sea, it is all about the seafood; the Land section features red meat and poultry and Earth comprises the vegetables and lentils to name a few.
“So, if you look at the menu, you will realise that it is all broken down into an easy and understandable set up where you can actually control or dictate how you want to eat. So basically, the whole menu has been designed keeping in the mind the concept of sharing.”
A few delicacies from the Earth section include Green lentil spinach soup, kachori; charcoal edamame samosa, ragda, coriander raita; Paneer makhni tadka; Kofta, fenugreek sauce and subz Jaipuri.
In the Sea section, there is charcoal prawns, pindi hummus, chilli chutney; Kochi prawns, uttapam, coconut chutney coconut crisp; coconut lemon-grass chilli seafood stew and Malai-Kashmiri chilli lobster, rosemary-tomato pijja among others.
The land segment includes chicken bhuna, salli potatoes; chicken makhni; ghee mutton roast, spinach upma and lamb seekh akhroti, almond aloo tikki.
On the subject of incorporating immunity-boosting dishes in the menu, Chef Vineet said, “It has always been the case. People are looking at how the western world has started consuming creations like turmeric latte and organic dishes, but we have been implementing it for ages now. Unfortunately, we don’t really appreciate what we have or don’t really showcase it. We have been using organic greens, the pulses, and super grains all on the menu.”
The F&B venues across the hotel are ensuring high-standards of sanitisation and hygiene issued under The Oberoi Group’s health and safety programme.
When asked about the future of dining in India, Chef said, “Every restaurant has been hit. Certain pockets of the world have bounced back, a lot better and stronger. As far as the Indian market is concerned, it has been severely hit. It will take time to recover. But as things start to normalise further, we will experience various changes. You will find shorter menus, to the point service, minimum contact, and QR-based services to name a few.
He further adds that people who have been agile and nimble in these hard times are the ones who will be able to sustain themselves.
