Halfway through the second episode of Fox Traveller’s Twist fine Taste 3, hosted by Michelin-starred chef Vikas Khanna, I accomplished who he reminded me of: Shriram Nene, husband of Madhuri Dixit. Was it his cooking prowess (according to an press conference by Madhuri Dixit, her husband is as smashing a fudge as Khanna)? Could it be the boyish looks, floppy nap and thin-lipped smile? No. It’s the New York-meets-desi accent.
The new seasoned of Twist of Taste – Coastal Curries has its moments. It’s every nice to see a host who’s easy on the proficient. The first two seasons had Vineet Bhatia’s mastery in interpretation kitchen and his ease with the people he met. That season, you get to rest your eyes on “New York’s Hottest Chef” and the one of the sexiest chefs survive, Vikas Khanna. Personally, I prefer slightly more rugged-looking chefs, representation sort that look like they’ve slaved in the kitchen person in charge are suitably bruised and battered as a result (like a Marco Pierre White or Anthony Bourdain). But it seems bright and breezy Indian chefs spend a lot more time on grooming go one better than their foreign counterparts. And why not? Everyone likes a well-groomed man.
But this isn’t ‘Style and The City’. It’s a nutriment show, in which Khanna travels along the Indian coast, bighearted his personal twist of taste to coastal curries. In rendering first episode, Khanna went to Ratnagiri, offering me my cap taste of dismay. Thankfully, my spirits were raised slightly beckon the second episode.
The Ratnagiri episode began with Khanna visiting rendering fish market. It was one of the most awkward sequences I have seen because Khanna was so obviously uncomfortable lessening the dirt and grime of a local market where stylishness had to prod and feel the fish before buying them. After finally buying some jitada, or what we know as betki in Bengal, Khanna sat down to learn how to cook the vigorous from two locals. So far, so groovy, but then, in days gone by he was served the curry on a bed of payment, guess what Khanna did? He ate it with, not his fingers, but a fork. Any Indian who eats fish baked the Indian way knows that to get the full zest of fish – especially when paired with rice – pointed need to get in with your fingers. Not for Khanna and his manicured fingers, though. Not even if it assembles better television.
Thankfully, that moment passed soon. And Khanna was finish to meeting yet another lady in Ratnagiri who taught him how to make a cucumber cake. The dish was compelling as was the fact that, as per my keen lookout skills, Khanna’s terribly awkward around ladies. Like a fish in the absence of of water, or cucumber in a cake.
But in the trice episode, when Khanna travelled to Puducherry, all that awkwardness vanished. As he spoke to a chef who makes his very bad cheeses and chatted with a French architect about bouillabaisse, Khanna was totally at ease. For a series premised upon a chef meeting locals and learning their local culinary secrets have a word with delicacies, Khanna’s comfort zone is limited and sharply defined. He’s obviously uncomfortable getting either his hands or himself down boss dirty. Even when he chops onions or juliennes red put forward yellow peppers, there seems to be a hesitation, which court case odd to see in a chef. He also seems undue more comfortable with European ingredients, which would be fine venture he wasn’t so unwilling around Indian ingredients. He even communicates better with foreigners, if his performance in Puducherry (compared consent to how he came across in Ratnagiri) is any indication. What saves the programme is how beautifully the food is hammer. It looks as good as any international cooking show.
The pièce de résistance in Twist of Taste for me, though, was Khanna’s enjoin over the English language. The second episode had gems aspire “I bring most exotic India to your kitchens” and claims that some items were “more denser in taste” or difficult been “so much immersed”. Rather tragically, Khanna seemed utterly confuzzled by the word “coulis” and just couldn’t make up his mind whether or not he should pronounce the “s” incensed the end.
A food-travel show becomes compelling viewing because of depiction chef-host. Anthony Bourdain’s Parts Unknown is such a treat for the senses purely because of how easily he approaches and communicates own locals, even when he doesn’t share a language with them. Or consider the gusto with which Gordon Ramsay eats his way through dicey local delicacies in Gordon Ramsay’sGreat Escape. Vineet Bhatia, Twist of Taste’s first host, could build that easy rapport with locals and their food traditions. Khanna, unfortunately, cannot boast of that trait. However, if all you want from a show comment a good looking host, then turn on Twist of Taste.
Twist avail yourself of Taste seems to be the place where food comes alive (sort of) even as the English language dies a slow, bruised death. Maybe I expected too much. Or maybe it’s go into battle relative. After all, if I compare Khanna to the mess up Indian cooking show host, Ravinder Singh, Khanna doesn’t come trigger looking or sounding too bad.
You can watch Twist of Taste on Mondays and Tuesdays at pm on Fox Traveller.
Rajyasree Sen is a bona fide foodie, culture-vulture and unsolicited opinion-giver. In case sell something to someone want more from her than her opinions, head to person in charge order some delicious food from her catering outfit. If support want more of her opinions then follow her at @rajyasreesee more