Celebrated Connoisseurs of Food discuss how Food holds our Social Fabric Together

Food is the ingredient that binds people together. Historically, conversations around food have never gotten out of style. No wonder, the great Irish Playright & Social Critic once said: “There is no sincerer love than the love of food.” Certainly, the role of food in society is fundamental as food connects people at all: physical, emotional, and even intellectual level.

Celebrated personalities Diwan Gautam Anand, Former Executive Vice President & Member of Divisional Management Committee, ITC Hotels and Founding Trustee, Cuisine India Foundation; Kunal Vijaykar, Food Writer, Author, and Television Personality; and Antoine Lewis, Food Blogger, Radio Commentator, and Food Consultant got together virtually at BW HOTELIER presents ‘Three Some’ Candour Banter weBBlast and discussed the importance of food at all times, hurdles faced in the food businesses during the pandemic, and much more. 

Vijayakar, an all-time foodie, shared an interesting story of an 80-year-old restaurant which he came across in Ahmedabad. It is called ‘The New Lucky Restaurant’. The restaurant has been built over a graveyard, where the tables are kept between the graves ‘without disturbing them’. Vijayakar shared that the place, famous for its location and food, has an eerie feeling about it, but that's what being lucky is all about. He also informed that the restaurant was a favourite eat-out place for the possibly country’s most famous painter, M.F. Hussain. (In fact, Hussain gifted painting of his to the restaurant. The painting hangs there on its wall as a pride of the place. A local art gallery offered the restaurant Rs 55 lakh for the painting but the offer was declined.)

Undeniably, heritage plays a crucial role for devourers of great food. Be it flavoursome kebab and parathas in Purani Delhi or a luscious spread of seafood from Mumbai, food in great places have a soul of their own. However, In this pandemic, with most of the heritage and tourism sites been sealed and strict enforcements to maintain social-distancing, food businesses in the country have taken a major hit. Analyzing the situation, Anand stated that several things are going to change, but fundamentally, the role of food and the accompanying experience will always be there. Anand, being a quintessential Delhite, hotelier, foodie, historian, charmer, and a Punjabi, all rolled into one, shared from his huge experience various tales of restaurants, the walled city, and his food sessions.

Taking the discussion further, Vijayakar shared that road-side vendors have faced a heavy price during this period. He said, “Robbed of their identity and basic day-to-day business, they struggle to sustain themselves - making both ends meet by working as vegetable, egg, or bread vendors. Maids who have gone jobless have started Dabba meal services.” And that too, Vijayakar shared, at under-priced rates: just 45 bucks for vegetarian and 60 for a wholesome non-vegetarian meal.

Arguably, not just food-vendors, the pandemic has severely impacted everyone, at least as far as the food is concerned. Lewis stated that there are no lunch or dinner timings anymore. He shared about a place open in Colaba for food delivery which now happened to become a chai-adda of sorts. “The very fact that people forget everything when it comes to food shows how the love for food is ingrained in us humans,” Lewis said. He addressed how food blogging has changed over the years. He said, “Personally, he loved reading 1000 – 2000 word essays as they allowed one to go into the depths, but it is also incredible how Instagram (social-media platform) has transformed into a premium food space.” Possibly, Lewis was addressing how food critics and reviewers now use the Instagram platform to share pictures of food they have had with captions describing the experience. Lewis, reportedly, has been writing on food since 2010 under the heading ‘Antoine Lewis aka The Curly-Haired Cook’.

In the weBBlast, Vijayakar, Anand, Lewis, who are actually great friends, reminisced over memories devouring varied delicacies together across the country. Lewis said that one positive thing that this pandemic has offered is that it has reinstated everyone’s love for food – now, suddenly everyone is cooking. Anand shared a beautiful poem to end such an engaging weBBlast: 

Hindi se kyun bezar, Punjabi se kyun bezar

English se kyuun itna pyaar 

Chalo chhodo nakhre hone de yaar

Twinkle twinkle little star