Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
Tags:
Journalism of Courage
At 51,Rahul Akerkar displays the quiet assurance that can only come with long-term success. We meet him at his flagship restaurant,Indigo,for an espresso before heading out to the Gateway of India for a walk in the morning sun. The chef and owner of Indigo looks nonchalant despite having had a busy couple of years the deGustibus group opened Indigo Café,a catering service Moveable Feast last year,the 25,000 square feet Tote on the Turf and,last month,another branch of Indigo Delicatessen at the Palladium in Lower Parel. We will open a few more Delis in areas such as Bandra and Powai, he says.
These openings have been impressive since the projects were executed and planned during a slump in the industry in the aftermath of the global recession and the 2008 terror attacks in the city. We took on investors and thus financed the projects through equity sales as well as through debt, says Akerkar,the businessman. He doesnt mind having a smaller stake in a bigger pie,and maintains that he has always had investors and therefore doesnt mind that his share has been diluted. Referring to the ambitious expansion that they have undertaken,he points out that,If it were left to me solely,I would have stopped after Indigo,but my investors wanted to see their money put to use. Akerkar multi-tasks between speaking with us,dealing with phone calls and pointing out small changes at his restaurant,even telling the bartender his collar was done incorrectly. He explains that he cant open another Indigo purely because it requires too much attention to detail something that he feels might explain why there arent that many high-end stand alone restaurants.
As we saunter towards the Gateway,he nods towards the Taj hotel and says that he spent his first night with Malini there. He likes sailing but points out to the filthy green hue of the sea and a couple of patches of oil,citing them as the reason he doesnt sail much in Mumbai. A keen diver,Akerkar is a qualified instructor and recently took his two daughters,Amalia and Shaan,aged 11 and 16,to Oman and Sri Lanka to learn the sport. When asked which is easier running several restaurants or being a parent he wryly smiles,saying restaurants. Kids are tough to run; they run you. Im the disciplinarian and put limits whereas Malini is more lenient. The couple met when Akerkar ran Just Desserts for a few months in partnership with AD Singh of Olive fame; I took a shine to her and kept inviting her and her boyfriend home for meals. She finally dumped him.
Asked about the recognition he has received through awards,Akerkar points out that while he appreciates each,his only grouse is that it gets absurd at times when awards are given to almost every establishment. While Akerkar seems reassured,he admits that restaurant reviews still affect him but he reads them with a pinch of salt. Its always terrible to read something nasty about your work,but you can tell by the writing style and the tone of the review whether the writer understands what he or she is doing. He gets defensive about new establishments getting slammed for teething issues; though diplomatic,one can easily read his (perhaps justified) contempt towards food critics.
Twenty years on,Akerkar should naturally be proud of his achievements,but shows no sign of complacency. More self-assurance,as he willingly poses for the camera and lets us know that one of his quirks is to get a line of strangers to pose with him in the running man stance everywhere he visits. The only moment he loses his composure is when a flock of pigeons fly into his face,startling him.
Good Eats
* Bhel Puri
* Vada Pav
* Thaali at Thackers
* Dim Sum at Royal China
Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram
