How China Garden and Red Hot Chilli Pepper pioneered gourmet comfort dining

Kolkata: In the universe of quality dining, Gourmet Comfort may sound like an oxymoron, but it is actually a thoughtful strategy. A desirable niche for passionate restaurateurs of fine repute, who seek to weather the onslaught of multi-dimensional competition. In order to create a winning spot in the hearts of genuine and not superficial food lovers.

But first, let’s try to define Gourmet Comfort, in a customer centric fashion. Gourmet, clearly because the thinking and execution is premium in origin and execution. Also, blessed with defensible originality and a liberal dose of authenticity. Comfort, because the experience is a much-desired repetition, not a Northern Lights kind of exceptional occurrence. Which also means that the cuisine is steeped in timeless nostalgia which travels across generations  and also relatively easy on the UPI, compared to the obstinately perilous Five Star pricing.

In an Oriental eatery context in urban India, clearly not Mainland China because it thrives on assembly line consistency, a few degrees short of exclusivity. Bar-B-Q, Ling’s Pavilion, Golden Dragon and Nanking are pure play comfort, staying consciously away from auras of sophistication. Also not Royal China, Hakkasan or Yum Yum Cha, deeply distinguished, but privy to clearly new age sentiments and a dash of posturing. House of Ming, Pan Asian, Thai Pavilion  and Chinoiserie, amongst a whole host of five star notables, are usually in a mode of constant reinvention, subject to the worldview of the latest Head Chef, from Shanghai or Dubai.

This is exactly why China Garden ( Nelson Wang and family) and Red Hot Chilli Pepper ( Manash Borthakur and Co) must be credited with the curation of this genre of Gourmet Comfort, through relentless tenacity and an obsessive allegiance to quality. There may be others in this bracket and there should surely be many more, but let’s reiterate the basics. In spite of opportunities and funding, both brands have stuck to deeply structured expansion mode. Not succumbing to the trap of Indigo Deli and even Royal China, whose quality fluctuates like a pendulum. The iconic Roast Chicken of the former is best served at Palladium Mumbai while the Cheung Fung of the latter reaches unmatched heights only at Fort Mumbai. There is a reason why Michelins are awarded to locations and not brands as it is usually impossible to escalate bespoke skillsets across geographies.

China Garden is available in a few Indian cities and also ventured to Kathmandu, Nepal. From personal and anecdotal experience, each branch of expansion was clearly cuisine dictated and not VC instigated, the difference being amply evident in delight. The original version at Kemps Corner in Mumbai offered the same gravitas as the newly minted Gurgaon edition, with the family ensuring due diligence in consistency. Passion and integrity play a crucial role and there can clearly be no substitute for proprietary and not managerial supervision.

A similar compelling tale is being etched by Red Hot Chilli Pepper, which turned 25 just recently. Originally from and still entrenched in Calcutta with wings spread to Guwahati and parts of the USA. An expansion strategy based fundamentally on the creator’s prerogative to ensure exquisite tradition and creativity, not blindly chasing the route maps of customer wallets. The delectable experience of the original Ballygunge outlet replicated, with thoughtful elan and fertile imagination. Loyalists emerge from the inspiring past, the throbbing present and the provocative future - generations converging for sublime Oriental fix with diligent sincerity. Just like Nelson Wang’s China Garden, a peer in such matters of stately craft.

In the hurly burly of social media onslaughts, quality dining is indeed an avoidable casualty. As the transactional motivations of empowered influencers often overwhelm the aesthetic assessments of the genuine gourmet. This is no trivial matter, in fact an affront to the core tenets of civilisation, as we adore it. As food is clearly in the same eclectic league as music, movies, theatre, literature and much else of culture. Culture, popular or invitational, being an invaluable viagra for future generations.

China Garden and Red Hot Chilli Pepper must be lauded for flying the path, not seeking convenient alternatives in the face of continual turbulence. Truly, an inspiration for purveyors of culinary craft who are sincere about balancing integrity with profits, however rare the breed may be.

Much deservingly, salaam to the wonderful folks who brighten not just our palates but indeed our lives. By unifying eras with the irresistible adhesive of digestive acumen. Gourmet Comfort Dining is a lovable philosophy, way beyond just a successful business model. May the breed multiply.