Hilary Armstrong assesses the wines and food at London's Trishna |
| Monday, 27 July 2009 | |
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The Bollywood glitterati are at home there; it's a favourite of Liz Hurley and her textile heir husband, Arun Nayar; and you may even find yourself sat next to the Indian cricket team over the signature butter pepper king crab. Yet the critically acclaimed restaurant is as basic as it comes: a scruff y spot, no place for airs and graces or even knives and forks. Just dig in and have a good time. Tackling the challenge of bringing this magic to the other side of the world is 25-year-old Just four years out of a business management degree, Sethi's CV is perhaps a little thin; his hospitality experience extending to a year spent in Delhi working for the Blue Elephant Group and for Bukhara at the Sheraton Hotel, followed by six months launching a friend's restaurant in Marbella, then back home to England to Zuma where he worked both in the kitchen and front of house. A chance meeting with the owner of Mumbai's Trishna a few years ago led to an agreement that allowed Sethi to bring the brand to London. So wasn't Sethi apprehensive about taking on such a project - and at such a time? "When we were planning Trishna, the economy wasn't as bad as it is now," he says with a nervous laugh. "What gave me confidence was taking on an established name with strong brand recognition. That helped create initial interest with the press. Starting out at my age without it would be hard. "We have the advantage of an existing customer base as many of the clientele at Trishna in Mumbai travel here frequently. Each restaurant promotes the other; it's a two Sethi has absolutely not made a carbon copy of the original. The seafood focus and coastal spicing remains integral, but in all other aspects including its chic, minimalist looks and £40-£45-a-head price tag, Trishna London is an altogether different proposition. "Trishna in Mumbai is more canteen-style, with the focus totally on the food. Guests are in and out within an hour," explains Sethi. "The market's different here. London customers are so savvy, you have to offer them everything they expect." This means exquisite cuisine prepared by head chef Ravi Deulkar (the former head chef at Michelinstarred Rasoi in London), great wine, smart service and, of course, knives and forks. Kiem came on board six months prior to Trishna's launch, a period he spent dusting off the wine books and "tasting, tasting, tasting". The result of his endeavours is an intriguing, sometimes eccentric, wine list of just over 100 labels. The list, assembled from around eight suppliers including Enotria, Les Caves de Pyrenes and H&H Bancroft, opens at £17.50 with an Indian Chenin Blanc from Sula Vineyards. At least half a dozen whites and reds are on offer at any one time by the 12.5cl glass ("I hate bingedrinking," sniffs Kiem) and the 25cl carafe. This by-the-glass section from £4.20 to £9.80 is central to Trishna's wine identity. "I'll start with something like a Pinot Blanc from Alto Adige by Elena Walch , and once it's established by-the-glass, I'll have it by the bottle and add something new by-the-glass. That's the philosophy and it's why we're selling a lot of Grüner Veltliner Smaragd," says Kiem. Albariño, Aligoté and Austrian Blaufränkisch benefit from the same policy. "I've put producers on the list who I think are extraordinary. Elena Walch, Ten Minutes by Tractor from Australia, Anselmi ... I like to taste something special, not commercialised, so you can almost visualise the winemaker when you drink it." Boutique producers and underrated appellations are a way for Kiem to pique his guests' interest while offering them better value. Thus, ever-popular Sancerre will likely make way for wines from smaller producers in Menetou- Salon or Reuilly, say. "Sancerre's expensive. In other regions, the winemakers have to work harder to get noticed. The name alone won't sell their wine." "I love to sell alternative grape varieties such as Kerner and Scheurebe, but people try what they know. You have to cut the Pinot Grigio at £20 and Chablis at £24.50. Our only Pinot Grigio is from Australia but it's £42 a bottle. Our only Chablis is a premier cru [Marronniers] at £39.50. They can have that or trust me to introduce them to something different." It's the same with the beer. The "house" beer, Cobra, sells well, but with the aid of a new beer and foodmatching menu, Kiem hopes to get away from the "curry and a pint" approach and introduce guests to Mexican Negr a Modelo with their lamb chops and Kashmiri chilli marinade or New Zealand's Monteith lager with their spiced squid. This quality control runs even to mixers, juices and coffee, all of which Kiem personally blindtastes. "Of course you can find cheaper products but I've decided I don't want to sell such products any more because it's not me and it's not how it should be," he says. Kiem's free-spirited approach is thanks to being given carte blanche over choice by Sethi and a few years away from the cellar. He's returned, enthused about what could be possible at Trishna. "It's four years since I worked as a sommelier so I've had to catch up again but it all came back quite quickly. "I've known most of my wine suppliers for a long time so it's more like a friendship than pure business. They, along with friends in the industry, gave me advice. You can't have all the knowledge yourself and if you know the right people, why not use their expertise?" It's this collaborative approach that defines Trishna's young team and will help see it through the tricky financial times. After all, with legions of fans, a national cricket team, Bollywood stars and one very special reputation, Trishna has friends in all the right places. Trishna, 15-17 Blandford Street, Marylebone, London, W1U 3DG. |
For the well-travelled gourmet, the name Trishna is synonymous with great seafood. The Mumbai destination restaurant is held to be one of India's - indeed the world's - best seafood restaurants.
