From Delhi With Love: Indian Food Fest Comes to Beijing

A very special Indian food festival is coming to the Raffles Beijing this month. Chef Ankit Sharma, Executive Chef of the famous Varq restaurant in New Delhi, will be bringing “a different dimension” of Indian fine dining along with him to our humble capital city. Chef Sharma and his three assistants will be taking the reigns at East 33 restaurant from January 27 to February 1.

Sharma’s Varq restaurant is a well-known Indian fine venue in New Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel. Chef Sharma will be wielding the cookery styles of grand master chef Hemant Oberoi, the renowned Corporate Executive Chef of Taj Mahal Hotels, Resorts and Palaces in India. By fusing classical Indian dishes with new innovations, Oberoi “reinvented the concept of Indian food” producing a lighter, contemporary interpretation.

Chef Sharma answered a few questions to let us know a bit more about what to expect from Varq’s “modern and renovated” Indian food concept.

Chef Sharma, what is your relationship with Hemant Oberoi?
Chef Hemant Oberoi is the coroperate chef of Taj Hotels. I have trained under him for the opening of Varq in New Delhi.

How long have you been cooking professionally, and what are some of your favorite dishes to eat or prepare?
I have been cooking for six years now. I love to eat and cook flavorful Indian dishes like biryani, haleem, and korma, and I also love to eat light oriental food.

Please tell us a little more about Hemant Oberoi’s “modern and renovated” Indian food concept.
Varq is a modern Indian gourmet dining experience, offering authenticity of taste and artistic presentation of food. The food draws inspiration from all the major regions of India, with their traditional recipes customized only for Varq.

What is the Varq restaurant culinary experience? How is it different from traditional Indian dining?
Varq is a very up-market modern Indian restaurant, which focuses on a luxurious dining experience. A traditional Indian restaurant doesn’t focus much on the presentation of food, generally serving simple bowl food, whilst at Varq, the food is presented in a very artistic manner. Each dish on the menu is customized for Varq and has been tried and tested and readjusted several times before the recipe achieves perfection.

What can we expect in Beijing when the Varq experience comes to town? How will it be different from Varq restaurant in Delhi?
The food would be exactly the same in Beijing as in Varq in Delhi, with intact and exclusive Indian flavour to tickle everyone’s taste buds.

Any special surprises in store?
The surprise goodie bag shall open only once we are in Beijing.

What are you and your chefs looking forward to about coming to Beijing?
The most important thing is to pamper the people of Beijing with traditional and authentic Indian food, and to showcase the Varq experience. We are also looking forward to learning about some interesting traditional Chinese food.