Face-Off/Rahul Akerkar

By then Rahul had proved himself, some what. Jethro’s owner and a friend of his had spent time tutoring the eager Rahul in the art of cooking. "I had also run a couple of Indian nights where I would cook all the food and then dress up in a kurta pyjama and play the sitar." Yes, he was an old hand with the sitar — he first picked it up in Doon School, Dehra Dun and played for nearly 13 years.

By then the aspiring surgeon had also changed his mind about medicine.

Apart from learning how to skin a goose, the scalpel was set aside. In 1980-81, he applied to Columbia to do a masters in Biochemical engineering. And kept cooking. "It was hell on the hours. I’d take my homework with me and study fluid dynamic problems — much to the amusement of the rest of the staff of aspiringactors and musicians."

After a double major in Biology and Philosophy, Rahul got credits for a bachelor’s in Chemical Engineering on the way to getting his masters in Biochemical Engineering. He even did research for three years toward a PhD. And then called it a day.

"After a falling out with my adviser, I lost heart and decided I no longer wanted to do pure research." Instead he became the world’s most over-qualified computer consultant, importer of silver jewellery and real estate developer. "I really felt lost at that time."

Until a timer went off in his head.

"I decided on cooking. It had been the only constant in my life." But it was still touch and go. "I wanted to open my own restaurant but didn’t have the guts to do it in NY."

And that’s when he decided to come home?

"Then, I was not sure what home was. I never felt Indian or American." He soon found his feet, though. "Unlike the States, everyone here gets serious very quickly. And that peer pressure helpedme too."

Then came Just Desserts.

In more ways than one. He did the desserts for the jazz club for a while, ran a successful catering unit, The Moveable Feast and fell in love. "I met Malini at Just Desserts and I guess we ended up getting ours."

Food has always been akin to love for Rahul. In April 1992 on the opening day of Under The Over, he also proposed to his wife.

So why up and go to Bangalore?

"Our lease was running out and by that time Protima (Gauri) had said, in her true fashion, `Come and take over my place (across the road from Nrityagram) in Bangalore,’." Mumbai’s loss became Kuteeram’s gain. "I would not be doing what I am if it were not for the time spent with her. It reinforced the belief that if your heart tells you that it is right, then do it."

And they did.

They ran 10 rooms on 10 acres and doubled up as the accountants, electricians and plumbers. "We had no rules. Lunch would be a five-course meal and dinneran eight-course meal."

"But we were always living hand-to-mouth and when our contract ended we decided we needed to get on with our own lives. We had given ourselves till March 31, 1998 otherwise we were going to move to the States. A month before our deadline, Malini came across Vintage."

A year later, the iffy Hyderabadi restaurant was replaced by Indigo — a fine-dining experience with interiors to die for.

In between swimming all the major channels in the world, architect Bijoy Jain had connected with Rahul. "He had the same ideas as we did. You could say Indigo looks like 101 other restaurants but we wanted something that would stand the test of time. It looks fresh now and will look fresh five years later."

Just like the food. Rahul is going back to the basics — when it comes to the method. If a sauce needs to be simmered overnight, so be it.

"These methods have evolved over time. It has to do with the chemistry of cooking. You should be able to tastethe layers upon layers."

Pages from the diary of a restauranteer:

He hates: "People saying the food is not authentic. Of course it isn’t but only by virtue of the fact that it is western food cooked in India by Indian cooks — done with local ingredients and by local hands."

He loves: "The sea, beaches, anything to do with water." Scuba diving since 1984, he helped set up the first club at Breach Candy.

Personal preference: "I’m a poor eater. I would eat cornflakes half the time. I like to cook when there is an audience."

Worst disaster: "Once I was slicing potatoes with a meat slicer at Jethro’s and sliced off a piece of my middle finger. They stuck the piece back — I went back to cook with a taped-up hand. The next day, I was cleaning the stove and slipped. The stove tops cut my chin and lip. I was back to the same emergency room. The next day, I was behind the bar, stirring five gallons of Bloody Mary mix. My spoon knocked a piece of the jug clean out and five gallons of tomato juicespilled all over the bar area."

He regrets: "Not being to culinary school. It keeps me from calling myself a chef."