‘I’m a junkie for ghar ka khana’

For restaurateur AD Singh, tasting and sampling new cuisines are part of the job. But his favourite ‘cuisine’, he insists, is ‘ghar ka khana’, which reminds him of flavours he grew up with. The man behind successful chains such as The Olive Bistro, Guppy by ai, Monkey Bar and Sodabottleopenerwala learnt to cook when he was leaving for higher studies, and his first chef d’oeuvre was scrambled eggs. Sitting at Olive Bar & Kitchen in Bandra, he generously shares with us the secret of getting that right and a list of must-visit restaurants for Indians travelling abroad. Bon Apetit!

Singh loves to try Indian cusines in foreign lands, like the Himalayan fried chicken at Madame Ds (left) and the bhel puri at Kricket (right) in London. Singh says that he doesn’t experiment much because his wife is not as excited as he is when it comes to trying new dishes. “And now with children, it’s all about eating where the kids are happy,” he says.

Singh’s favourite desi liquor is Feni, the quality of which has “gone up substantially”, over the years, he says.

The most popular dessert at Singh’s first restaurant Just Dessert, which is now closed, was Death By Chocolate. It was made by a Parsi lady called Willy Mehta. These days, we find variations of it – which smothers chocolate cravings with heaps of cocoa and clumps of butter – in many dessert joints.

Singh’s current favourite is piccante at the new Soho house in Mumbai. It is a tequila-based drink, ideal for a warm, breezy day by the bay.