Your dining experience so far has been about sharing a space with strangers but this food boutique has cracked the code on how to make it more personal. ABHEET GUPTA tracks the crew down in Shahpur Jat to know how they do it
Bespoke services are no longer limited to fashion and design, restaurants are now innovating their services to provide a customised and personal touch. Or so one would believe going by the experience at HolyBelly Food Boutique in Delhi’s Shahpur Jat area. For you have the chef personally attending to a maximum of four guests.
The food boutique deals in British and French cuisine, meant to be savoured in style and privacy. Of course there are the quirky messages like “kiss the cook” and “don’t get steamed up” nailed to the walls. “We don’t believe in the concept where 40 people sitting around you are chattering at the top of their voices. Instead we provide you with privacy for as many hours as you want and make you feel special as we (the chefs) serve guests ourselves instead of waiters,” emphasised Rishi Bharadwaj, the head chef of the food boutique.
Right from the mouth-watering starters to the toothsome desserts, every item makes one want more. The alchemy of flavours makes this gastronomic experience a real deal. The starters basically involved canapés, which are small and decorative food consisting of a small piece of bread, puff pastry, or a cracker topped with some savoury food held with fingers and often eaten in one bite. One of the most delicious canapés was made using herbs, lavash, burnt grapes and charred vegetables tossed in garlic and red pepper aioli with pea shoots.
“Canapés may seem common to most but basically involves creativity. We come up with a different type of canapé everyday as it can be experimented with,” said Chef Aman, the business partner of the HolyBelly.
The main course offered some lip-smacking vegetarian and non-vegetarian surprises like feta and spinach tortellini, steamed snapper and pan-seared chicken. The finger-licking feta and spinach tortellini was basically a home-made pasta stuffed with spinach and ricotta served over zucchini, garlic and tomato sauce. The steamed snapper was served with Dijon-braised leek, pea and mint puree and raw mango sauce, making for a nice kick.
The most enjoyable part of any gastronomical experience is the dessert and HolyBelly’s treats are not just luscious but make one forget everything else. The last course of the day involved the chocolate ganache made of pure Valrhona chocolate garnished with finely chopped pistachios and sprinkled sea salt to balance the bitter-sweet flavour. The presentation of the food was creative enough to say that it was art served on the platter.
“Since it’s a food boutique, we customise the menu according to the requirements of the guest. If they you inform us beforehand, we can make your time here magical,” added Chef Aman.
The brew can be customised according to the demand of the customers just like the food. They serve imported drinks on-demand like French wines for special occasions. Generally, green tea and black coffee are served as beverages in the menu along with palatable chocolate truffle balls made using 70 per cent Valrhona chocolate, lime juice, honey and coco powder.
Asked about adopting a concept of the Chef’s Table, Chef Rishi said, “We wanted to experiment and try out a clutter-breaker. Our guests thoroughly enjoy their time here and sometimes even stay for long hours. Once, a couple came over at 9 pm and stayed till 2 am.”
They even cater to medium-scale events like pre-wedding and post-wedding gatherings but now are aiming for a bigger platform. “We have successfully managed events with a gathering of 200 people and everybody loves the food and arrangement. Now we are planning to take a wider step into the world as if we can manage 200 people, then why not 400IJ” emphasised Chef Aman.
Though new to Delhi, the concept has been around in other parts of the country, albeit in different forms. Hopping Chef, the uber-luxury dining service in Mumbai that started in 2017, connects people with gourmet chefs to hire for dinner parties. It has Shantanu Gupte from the culinary TV show India Unlimited, Aditi Keni (formerly with Vancouver West in Canada) and Ajay Thakur (formerly with Olive Bar & Kitchen) on staff as part of its services. The plates are priced from Rs 2,500 to Rs 10,000. It has a website and app to check the roster of chefs and choose from the available menus based on cuisine and dietary preference. The team is trained and brings its own crockery and kitchen equipment. They are accompanied by bartenders, servers, cleaners and more. Food aficionados, the disruptors are here.