Memorable Meals
By Sanjali Nirwani April 16, 2020 2 Comments

1. Your favourite cuisine?
Japanese – Hands down! My journey with Japanese food is quite interesting. I had a chance to visit Japan in 2004 for a Tennis tournament when I was in 10th grade. I was very fascinated with the local cuisine then as during those times I don’t think there was any exposure of the same in India. The buffet used to have a large spread and it’s funny the time I saw Wasabi I thought it was green chutney and gulped down a huge chunk! (Only to feel the fire in my mouth a few seconds later :p). At that time I liked the Teppanyaki cuisine & Ramen but did not grow much of a taste for Sushi or Miso soup.
My love of it started in Barcelona where I did my MBA in 2012. Being a diverse city, the sushi culture was booming. I had a teammate and a close friend from Japan who had invited us home and he and his wife had planned the most authentic meal for us – from hand rolling sushi, tasting caviar from Japan, Matcha Tiramisu for dessert and free flowing Sake !

The thing with Japanese cuisine is that the quality really matters as they mostly use fresh ingredients. Now whenever I can I try to get my hands on some good Japanese food.

The next on the list would be Thai & Indian.

2. Your favourite dish at home?

Rajma Chawal! Best with Raita & onions. This is the ultimate comfort food and can never go wrong with it.

3. Which cities in India and/ or abroad would you rate as best for foodies?
In India I would choose New Delhi. Nothing can beat Mughlai cuisine – it is so rich in flavours and so wholesome. The old city has some amazing delicacies and street food. But what I like most is the variety of cuisines now available in the city. Favourite hubs are Qutub Area, Khan Market in Delhi and 32nd Avenue in Gurgaon.

Abroad my pick would be San Sebastian located on Spain’s north coast in the Basque country. It is home to countless Pintxo bars, michelin star restaurants and gourmet shops. A group of us international students had done a Pintxo Crawl which was quite a gastronomic journey for me. Basically we visited 10 bars and tasted 3-5 items per bar. A pintxo is a bite-sized form of more popular Tapas with super interesting ingredients such as wild mushroom croquettes, anchovies, different types of cheeses and toppings.
It is definitely worth a visit for any foodie!

Very high on my list is also Israel (There is a Mahane Yehuda Street food market in Jerusalum which was amazing) , Singapore (Ramen and Surinamese cuisine) & Bali (for its plant based and vegan cafes).

4. If you had a choice of starting a restaurant in any city which would these cities be?
Already have restaurants in Delhi & Ahmedabad being two foodie places of India. Next I would choose Goa as there is growing tourism and a lot of people are looking for authentic cuisines. Goa itself has such a huge cultural heritage and its own plantation that it is easy to go completely LOCAL. Something very sustainable with zero-waste is what I would look at.

Abroad I would choose Amsterdam. I have lived in the city for two years and it has a very international and vibrant vibe to the place. The city is also very dense so something innovative in the heart of the city will work well.

5. Your most memorable meal or meals?
Had the best lunch at Din Tai Fung – A Tawainese Michelin star chain restaurant in Singapore last year.
In Tel Aviv, Israel – There is a restaurant called ‘The Old man and the Sea’ at the Jaffa port – Basically you can have unlimited salads, falafel and breads. I
took a Gastro cooking class with Javier Munoz in Barcelona where we made a meal for 5 hours – It was so tasty just cos if all the effort of cooking it.

6. How would you celebrate a Romantic meal with spouse or girl friend?
I think the best meals are those made from scratch at home. So for me the best meal would be where we cook together at home with a glass of wine.

7. If you were told you could plan your last meal what would it be like, what kind of setting and whom would you invite?
By the beach with fresh seafood and BBQ and live music! Would prefer this probably on a remote island in Thailand.
If it was my last meal, I would probably like to spend it with my mom!

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About Author

Sanjali Nirwani

Sanjali Nirwani studied at IESE business school in Barcelona. She worked at Philips in Amsterdam and Bain and company in Gurgaon before founding Unlocked Cafe in Ahmedabad and then her second cafe at Delhi -NCR. Interview by Ankita Sharma @teekhidalmakhni