Generally, if we ask any chef on why did they chose to enter the food business or what inspired them to be a chef, the answer would always be they loved food and loved spending time cooking in the kitchen along with their mother or grandmother but for Chef Adwait Anantwar who became a fame with Mohalla Restaurant in Dubai and is now flying high with his creativity at the Indo-Japanese restaurant ‘INJA’ that replaced Indian Accent at Hotel Manor in New Friends Colony in Delhi was always the energy and the process behind doing something creative and to get away from studies. Excerpts from the interview: 

Inja is a very different as compared to others in the same space. What was the inspiration/idea behind curating a fusion concept restaurant?

The whole Idea was to be different and incomparable. True story, I hate being compared as I was compared a lot while growing up and I am sure it happened to a lot of people in the generation I’ve grown up. So, just the drive to be different was the initial thought behind creating a new concept which led me to do INJA. 

Why Indo-Japanese as a fusion?

During my professional journey I was very intrigued by Nikkei cuisine which is actually a mix of Peruvian + Japanese/Chinese cuisine and that made me think if these different cultures and cuisines can come together why not Indian and Japanese. 

Who do you target as the customer?

Anyone with a curious and open mind. 

What’s your specialty cuisine and how did you saw the response for Inja in Delhi?

As I mentioned earlier I am professionally trained in Indian cuisine but I consider cooking as a skill, it’s like playing guitar you can switch genres if you have the understanding of the skills. Initially, I had conceptualized this concept for Dubai and I was very skeptical about doing it in Delhi. Yes, Delhi is a difficult market to please but I must say I have met a lot of people who really appreciated what we are doing at Inja. And, there’s no denying that anything new takes time to find its Audience. 

How do you decide on the menu and how do you bring seasonality to it?

Doing Indo-Japanese is a difficult task. It’s not a 50-50 balance as Indian and Japanese cuisine and honestly I myself can’t put a definition to the cuisine I do. It’s the thought processes which I have built in my professional career,  the flavors which I have experienced growing up and the food I have ate during my travel, it’s a mix of all of that. As of yet, no, I haven’t worked on the menu keeping in mind the seasonality of ingredients but it is a beautiful that requires a lot of planning which I am working towards. 

You have worked both in India and UAE. What difference do you see in food pattern and customer eating style?

I guess Indians are well travelled and have explored a lot and they understand creativity so I don’t really see much of a difference in the eating patterns.

It’s is seen that Indian customers have become very experiential these days. How are you handling such customers at your restaurant?

The more the experiential attitude, the better for us, as Inja is one of its kind of an experience. We have a lot of storytelling about every dish as there is some kind of Idea behind every dish. 

What was the reason behind collaborating with Hyatt in Mumbai?

Chef Rahul heads sesame and he is always been a supporter and well-wisher of the cuisine we do at Inja. It’s nothing but his love and respect for INJA  and that’s why we decided to do it and I sincerely want to thank him and the whole team of Hyatt Centric Juhu for arranging this. 

How have you designed the menu for this special collaboration?

It’s the first time I am ever showcasing my food in Mumbai so these are all my favorites which we have put on the menu. 

How’s the chef-driven restaurant different from others in the biz?

Chef driven restaurant are nothing but the chefs idea of doing food in a certain way hence the food is so certain kind. These are the restaurants where you go to eat what chef wants you to eat and hence it has a lot of explanation and storytelling which is all part of the experience that gives diner an insight on the cuisine.

Tips you would love to give to young chefs.

Have Patience, Gain skills and work as if it’s your own business and try to develop your own thought process. Read as much as you can and if you are not into books like me watch videos and travel.