Fans of
Sidart
are in for a very special treat this July thanks to a chef collaboration which will see India’s most acclaimed and awarded top
Chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian
Accent Restaurants visiting Auckland to join forces with award-winning chef and restaurateur Sid Sahrawat.
 |
| Sid & Chand Sahrawat & Manish Mehrotra, Indian Accent, New Delhi |
With
more than 20 years of culinary experience, Chef Manish is widely
regarded as the most exciting modern Indian chef in the world today. He
is set to join Sahrawat in the kitchen for two nights only, on July
17-18.
This once in a lifetime chef collaboration is part of the
Elemental
AKL presented by Auckland Tourism and Economic Development and is also a feature of Ponsonby’s
Eat Drink Love Ponsonby. Elemental AKL is a new region-wide festival illuminating
Tāmaki Makaurau during winter from 1-31 July 2019.
Hailed
as one of the top chefs in India – and globally – Manish Mehrotra and
Indian Accent have helped put modern Indian food on the gastronomic
map, showcasing inventive Indian cuisine by complementing the flavours
and traditions of India with global ingredients and techniques.
Opened
in 2009 in New Delhi to significant acclaim for its ground-breaking
approach to contemporary Indian food, Indian Accent New Delhi has won
several awards and global recognition, including being 
the
only restaurant from India on the World’s 100 Best list since 2015. It
has been awarded the Best Restaurant in India by Asia’s 50 Best
Restaurants (Asia’s
50 Best Restaurants 2019), every year since 2015 and is one of
Time
Magazine’s, 100 Great Destinations in the World.
Indian Accent subsequently opened in New York in 2016 and in London in 2017 to critical and popular acclaim.
Sid Sahrawat
and wife Chand met
Manish and dined at Indian Accent in New Delhi when they were in
India last December. It was after this meeting that the couple decided
to invite Manish to Auckland and offer Sidart diners a first-hand
opportunity to sample his culinary creations.
Sahrawat says it is an honour to have
Manish and his team agree to come to Auckland to collaborate with the Sidart crew.
“Our
dinner at Indian Accent in December was by far the standout experience
for us during our two-week trip in India and I’m really looking
forward to working in the kitchen with a chef who I have huge
admiration for. It’s going to be a dining experience like no other.”
“Chand
and I are so proud of Auckland and we can’t wait to show Manish around
our stunning city and introduce him to the many incredible food
offerings we have here in Tāmaki Makaurau that makes us such a diverse culinary destination.”
Chef Manish describes his cooking style as "inventive Indian
cuisine" and says he can’t wait to create Indian food with an international accent in Auckland.
Chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent says,
“We are excited to present Indian Accent food for the first time in
New Zealand and are looking forward to working with Sid and Chand during
the pop-up at Sidart. I hope diners will enjoy the food and the
experience.”
Manish adds,
“I am also looking forward to trying local cuisine, exploring the ingredients and learning something from it all.”
The
chef collaboration takes place over two nights, on July 17-18. It
comprises of six canapés and a six-course tasting menu for $250 per
person,
with a glass of Louis Roederer or a non-alcoholic Seedlip cocktail on
arrival. Wine matching is available for an additional $100 per person.
Sid and
Manish will each be responsible for three canapés and three main
dishes. Some dietary requirements will be catered for – diners need to
contact the restaurant to check before booking.
