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This Son of the Czar of Indian Cuisine Talks of His First-of-its-kind Bistro Restaurateur and the czar of Indian cuisine, Jiggy Kalra, endorsed this aspect of fine dining for last 40 years.

By Punita Sabharwal

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A few years back, Charles Michel, a Franco- Colombian cook, worked on a study which showed that an aesthetically designed platter tasted better. Perhaps due to the efforts which went behind it, or maybe because it satisfies our sense of sight along with the senses of smell and taste. Restaurateur and the czar of Indian cuisine, Jiggy Kalra, endorsed this aspect of fine dining for last 40 years. Continuing the legacy, his son, Zorawar Kalra, puts extra emphasis on art of plating, making the simplest possible dish look enticing enough to think twice before eating.

With Farzi Cafe, a first of- its-kind bistro in India, Zorawar achieved such panache. He says, "Till few years back, when we thought about dinning out, Indian cuisine was at the bottom of our list. This trend intrigued me. Being an Indian and knowing its food well, I take immense pride in our cuisine and its legacy. I believe it isup to us, Indians, to make an effort to elevate Indian food, reintroduce it to the world in its modern avatar, retaining its traditional roots, while bringing it back "in-vogue' and making it "cool'and relevant for today's generation, across age and demographics; thus, the origin of Farzi Café."

With the inception of Massive Restaurants, a company which aims to develop India's premier brands of restaurants, Zorawar plans to deliver an evolved Indian cuisine to today's well-travelled and much exposed diners, who are constantly looking for newer and fresher experiences. The idea is to create an unparallel dining experience, being innovative while retaining essence of the cuisine.

Talking about keeping pace with a changing market, Zorawar hares, "Consumer interest and oyalty is fickle in today's age of excessive choices.

To ensure that constant interest in your product and brand is mintained, it is imperative for us to innovate continuously. It is essential for us to tread the unbeaten path. Alongside, we also keep a close watch on evolving culinary trends, guest preferences as well as advancement in technology, which enables us to cater an unmatchable experience to our guests and also an opportunity to directly reach out to them to talk about their experiences and expectations." The company is currently focusing to create near perfect fine dining experience through its exclusive restuarents- a signature Masala Library by Jiggs Kalra, Made in Punjab, the SmartCasual. Dining Restaurants, Farzi Café, modern Indian bistro concept and modern pan- Asian bistro concept Pa Pa Ya and MasalaBar, offering a cutting edge, postmodern bar experience, across 14 locations in India.

Punita Sabharwal

Entrepreneur Staff

Managing Editor, Entrepreneur India

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