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Today, the venue is Hemant Kishore’s kitchen at Belhaven Gardens. The aroma of raisins and freshly baked bread spreads in the room and beyond. Wheat flour is sprinkled on the granite and circlets of dough for empanadas are being flattened. Scoopfuls of beef and spinach filling are stuffed in them and sealed to be deep fried. Simultaneously, the oven goes cling and out comes a tray of oatmeal raisin cookies with white chocolate chips. After slicing the warm banana bread into fine slices and piling the cookies onto the wicker basket, Hemant drives his way to the new cafe, Etude de Chocolat (Chocolate Studio) at La Gallery 360.
A home to various art exhibitions and musical evenings, La Gallery 360 now has a new wing to flaunt. All those who drop in to enjoy art can enjoy quick bites from the cafe now. “There is no specific menu, I wake up in the morning and check the fresh ingredients available and prepare something as per my mood,” says Hemant who has a small herb garden of sorts at his home. Baby tomatoes, brinjals, chillies, basil and Ivy gourd dangle from earthen pots.
Park benches and wooden tables have been lodged outside the gallery and the food combo just costs ` 100 and today, it includes, a slice of warm banana bread, one white chocolate oatmeal cookie, a beef and spinach empanada and a cup of lemon tea or black coffee. “Since the menu changes daily, the prices may vary here and there,” he is quick to add.
For the last two years Etude de Chocolat has been delivering cakes for birthdays weddings and parties. “You choose from the sponge base available in seven flavours, the flavour of the pastry cream and icing, and whether choc chips, marshmellows, fruits or fudge make it as the garnish”
A CIA (Culinary Institute of America) pass out, there were days when all Hemant did was wipe a hundred cocktail glasses till they were spotless. With red glistening eyes, there were days when he had to peel and finely chop three sacs of onions! “When you are working in an Indian restaurant most of the cuisine involves onions based gravies,” he recalls his beginning days after which he has worked in several European restaurants including, Vermillion at New York and MGM at Las Vegas.
Cooking is one art that sure requires a lot of patience, too many cooks spoil the broth. Maybe that’s why Hemant has no assistant so far but it is not purely a one-man show. His mother, Nandini wakes up before him, and does the chopping and peeling. “He is a little short tempered when he cooks. Maybe because he is a perfectionist, he likes things a certain way,” she reveals.
Hemant now flits between his kitchen at home to the cafe at the gallery. Apart from this he is now working on a book about healthy street food. “Why cant street food be healthy,” he poses a question. “Lets take vada paav, instead of normal buns you can go for wheat breads and instead of deep frying the pattis you could as well grill it,” he adds.
Drop in at the gallery to see what’s on offer today, if you would like to know what you are heading up for then you may catch Hemant Kishore on his facebook page, where he posts the menu for the day! For further details contact, 8547213334.
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