Indian Accent in New Delhi is at no. 77.
By Raif Karerat
WASHINGTON, DC: The World’s 50 Best Restaurants guide unveiled its vaunted listfor 2015 during a London gala as antagonism toward its voting methodology simmered and news of the ceremony’s imminent move to New York City in 2016 proliferated on the social media.
One Indian restaurant landed inside the top 50, respectably slotting in at No. 10. Eponymously called Gaggan, it is the Bangkok-based brainchild of Kolkata-born Gaggan Anand, who has somewhat literally made a name for himself by concocting regional Indian cuisine using modernist cooking methods.
“Liquid nitrogen, smoke and dehydrated ingredients add theatre as well as texture and [flavor] to the chef’s creations. Lamb chops are given a molecular makeover with smoked whisky, spherified yoghurt and mango chutney, while the humorously named ‘Green with Envy’ sees green peppercorn chicken kebabs combined with coriander foam,” describes The World’s 50 Best Restaurants website.
Missing out on the top 50 was Indian Accent of New Delhi, which notched No. 77. According to its website, Indian Accent strives for an ultra-contemporary feel while chef Manish Mehrotra’s cooking entails “an eclectic marriage of world food and Indian culinary philosophies that results in wacky-sounding but sublime, intelligent dishes. Dishes such as duck khurchan cornetto, golden garlic raita and [chili] chutney, or a dessert of fresh tandoori figs, desi daru reduction, and daulat ki chaat, are intricate and unusual, but beautifully executed.”
Overall, American restaurants lost in stature compared to last year’s standings. The only new American restaurant on the long list was Estela in New York City, at No. 90. Alinea in Chicago was down from No. 9 to No. 26. Daniel in New York City dive-bombed to No. 80 from No. 40, while Coi in San Francisco plummeted to No. 75 from No. 49, with Manresa in Los Gatos, California, making it at No. 100, a far cry from the No. 62 position of yesteryear. Jean-Georges, Momofuku Ssam Bar, and Marea were omitted altogether after making appearances in 2014.
According to The New York Times, many chefs have long denounced the awards behind the scenes, saying that the judging is arbitrary, not credible, and susceptible, to corruption. They have implied the scales can be easily tipped by governments that are willing sponsor free trips and meals for journalists while others do not and point to the fact that judges are not required to prove that they have eaten in the restaurants for which they cast ballots.