Royal Challenge American pride presents The Big Forkers, are back with a new season, all set to entertain you with some astonishing places you can’t miss out on exploring. The Pioneer interacts with the hosts over an exclusive chat, bringing out some interesting insights.
SHIKHA DUGGAL
An irreverent, unapologetic, unedited, and occasionally politically incorrect cuisine show—The Big Forkers X Royal Challenge American Pride Soda—where the hosts assess, update, and occasionally reject their perceptions of what constitutes delicious food. It is launching a new season, and here are the exclusive excerpts from the interview with The Pioneer.
Could you share some of your most memorable food experiences from throughout the world?
Sid Mewara: For the past 15 years, I’ve travelled more than 300 days per year. As the son of a mariner, I have spent 46 years on the road and at sea. My culinary journey has taken me and my family to the gourmet temples of San Sebastian, Basque Country, Spain, where dining at renowned places such as El Bulli, Mugaritz, and Arzak was a revelation about the potential for food as art. The ideal Hainan Chicken Rice at a Singapore hawker center, as well as the unforgettable experience of sharing a flaming bowl of Thai-style Khao Soi with my girls at 7 a.m. in Chiang Rai. Last winter, I drove 2000 kilometers across five southern states, photographing every great meal along the way, owing to the community fostered by the Forkers dining club.
Shashank Jayakumar: Of all the nations I’ve visited, stayed in, or studied in, one of the most memorable gastronomical adventures was the Anthony Bourdain food trail I took from Barcelona to Granada in Spain. In my opinion, one of the best tapas bars on earth is “Quimet & Quimet” in Barcelona. The eatery’s “stage”set consists of two performers (chefs) standing on an elevated platform with approximately 3000 ingredients in the background from which they select. If there was a best technique of marketing, it would be the small plates that come out the counter, which are passed on by customers to those who have ordered them seated all over this tiny 100-year-old room. Everyone sees and smells what the other person has ordered; therefore, the majority of the menu items are reordered. Aside from this one recollection that comes to mind, there are the small hand cart eateries in the by alleys of Yulin in China, the Anatalyan feast at Ozcark in Istanbul, and the best meal I’ve had in the last few years at Marguerite in Singapore, where Chef Michael took us on an unforgettable journey.
Could you share a noteworthy learning experience you’ve had with world-renowned chefs?
Sid Mewara: All of our interactions with chefs have seemed like after-work hangouts. Chefs are a hardworking group who also know how to have fun, so we try not to take ourselves—or them—too seriously. It’s amazing how enthusiastic they are about discussing cuisine, even after a long day in the kitchen. Juan Mari Arzak was hilarious; I spent a fantastic evening trying to comprehend his chuckles into the early hours, despite my terrible Spanish. Isaac Toups of New Orleans was extremely passionate about the nose-to-tail movement, having spent the entire afternoon chopping down meat and teaching how to use the offcuts. Chef Michael Wilson at Marguerite in Singapore added fun and flair to both his menu and his interactions with clients.
Shashank Jayakumar: One thing I have always admired about chefs is their dedication to their “art,” and that is precisely what it is. I also believe it is one of the most interesting types of art, as it appeals to four of the audience’s five senses. How sensitive they are to each of those senses while conceptualising a meal is something I have grown to appreciate enormously over the past few years of performing the show. Many other chefs have one thing in common. A little conversation with some of these people before or after the meal elevates the supper from a meal into an event!
India’s culinary scene is continuously changing. What trends do you see forming?
Sid Mewara: Sushi and ramen are becoming increasingly popular in high-end dining, with some of the most renowned restaurants on top lists serving Japanese cuisine. Similarly, pan-Asian recipes with a significant Indian influence are emerging across the country. People look to our show for unbiased comments and insights, and we hope to help our audience make informed decisions about ordering and selecting restaurants through our shows and social media channels.
Shashank Jayakumar: The new India is a well-travelled one. This generation, which includes post-boomers, millennials, and Gen Z, has a global viewpoint and is open to learning from whatever they see. East or West, we appear to be bringing everything and gradually making it our own. To my amazement, I’ve noticed a smooth integration that a lot of these chefs are managing to do. Not all, but many of them. I admire how the chefs bring playfulness to the table, drawing inspiration from their personal journeys. I believe we are well represented to an audience at both stages of this change: one that is learning about the nuances of cooking and everything that goes into it (me), and the other (Sid), who is well-versed in what’s going on globally and is curious to see how India will adopt it.
What are some of the most important qualities of a pioneering chef in India today?
Sid Mewara: Aside from the conventional prerequisites for technical abilities and innovation, I believe chefs should delve deeper into their own history and culture. India, to me, is multiple Indias; we are not a homogeneous group, and we should celebrate our heritage in that context. Varun Totlani, for example, can draw more on his Sindhi ancestry, as Gresham Fernandes does at Bandra Born with his local roots. Additionally, pioneering cooks in India could use a minimalist ‘less is more’ approach. We don’t all need to overload the cuisine with 20 different ingredients. Instead, an emphasis on simplicity can result in truly extraordinary food.
Shashank Jayakumar: The bravery to experiment and the confidence to succeed. This is something that I believe several of the best chefs today have in common. Some chefs are returning to their youth to draw inspiration from the foods they ate as children. With their expertise, they are making this dish more accessible and pleasant to a wider audience. Then there are chefs who, although not doing exactly this, understand how to sell themselves, their cuisine, and any inspiration they may have. So a pioneering chef is someone who has bravery, talent, and can think beyond the box, and it certainly helps to have a strong marketing team behind them.
Can you describe a memorable cultural experience that inspired your approach to cooking?
Sid Mewara: My family and I are the products of a cultural kaleidoscope. My children are a combination of Kashmiri, Rajasthani, Marwari, Polish, Georgian, and German ancestry, born and raised in China and now residing in India with a strong American identity. Our home is a lively mix of these cultures. Home-cooked traditional Chinese food is a favourite, but it is now integrated into our lives in Goa. Our children’s school lunch resembles a Davos meeting.
Shashank Jayakumar: Of all the places I’ve been around the world, Phaltan has had the most impact on my cuisine. Farm to Fork is a well-known idea, yet I witnessed it being executed quietly as a way of life. The experience of selecting the goat for the mutton rassa curry and the spices for the masala made me conscious of each element that goes into my cooking, and it taught me to cherish every aspect of the cuisine I prepare. It also taught me how something as simple as the amount of water used or when salt is added to the food can affect the overall taste of the dish.
How do you strike a balance between classic recipes and integrating unique touches into your cooking?
This topic frequently provokes controversy in our Forkers Dining Club. In fact, we developed a pilot show titled Whose Dish Is It Anyway? The crux of the argument is that names have meaning, and authenticity is important. We must respect a dish’s origins while also realising that what is now considered traditional was once innovative. However, it is also vital to understand that many culinary traditions originated as innovations and evolved throughout time via trial and adaptation.
How do you handle the difficulty of bringing lesser-known regional foods to the forefront?
Sid Mewara: It has long been our goal to introduce lesser-known cuisines to a larger audience. From a Naga pop-up at The Leela in Bangalore to a Mizo cooking episode during our Bangalore season, we’ve emphasised distinct regional delicacies. During our Goa season, we featured Kunbi tribal and Gaud Saraswat Brahmin cuisine. Our Delhi season included traditional Delhi foods and Afghan cuisine. Through these initiatives, we hope to highlight the diverse tapestry of lesser-known cuisines, sharing their tales and flavours with a larger audience.
What can The Big Forkers viewers expect from the next season, according to the hosts?
Sid Mewara: This season marks our first venture into the north after six successful seasons. My childhood home invokes nostalgia, familiarity, and a sense of family. However, this journey introduced me to portions of the city I was previously unfamiliar with. We visited a North East Indian diaspora enclave, sampled migrant Muslim cuisine from Aligarh and Bihar, and even dined on Cameroonian delicacies in a nurse’s home. A home-cooked lunch with Nizamuddin’s Qawwals was the highlight. We also had the pleasure of hanging out with Vir Sanghvi in Bukhara and received crucial assistance from H.H. Priya Raje Scindia, who helped our Delhi production in every way.
In the age of social media, how vital do you believe it is for chefs to connect with their audience outside of the kitchen?
Shashank Jayakumar: Chefs being very active on social media could be a double-edged sword. They are not always the most pleasant people, nor are they the most quirky artists. That’s why many of them rely on influencers and agencies. Having said that, with an increasingly knowledgeable audience, it is critical that the chefs relate their story of how the meal came to be. Eating out is no longer simply about the food; it has become an experience. Mothers used to say yeh toh main ghar pe bhi banna sakti hoon (I can make this at home too) in restaurants, but this is no longer the case. And the chefs make this evident by visiting each table and explaining the inspiration, ingredients, and technique behind their creations. I feel like I have a layman’s understanding of food and am learning on the job. This is relatable to those who, like myself, are learning more about food.
