The sophisticated eating styles, variety and the influence of Jazz music particular to the southern belt of America draw Chib to the place. Also, New Orleans is famous for soul food which Chib is very eager to sample. “My wife’s an American. My father-in-law and she are always talking about these fantastic soul food preparations. Fried green tomatoes, Mussalata sandwiches, Jambalaya— so much to choose from,” he adds. However, Chib chooses Sydney for a multi-cuisine trail. “There are loads of restaurants in Sydney. It is also the place where Chef Tetsuya Wakuda of Tetsuya’s is. It would be a dream to train under the master chef,” he says.

NACHIKET SHETYE
East, Kemp’s Corner
Chef Nachiket Shetye chooses Paris for the opportunity to work under any of the chefs there. “They are constantly reinventing themselves; despite being people with ideologies they are humble and open to suggestions. What excites me is their exploration of old techniques for new stuff: for instance, there are chefs making caviar out of fruit, jam out of vegetables — retaining the flavour of the old, but in a contemporary way. Also, older French chefs made heavier preparations using butter and cream, today’s chefs in Paris are doing the same recipes in a healthier way,” he says. Besides being a mix of old and new, Paris is also a place which offers a phenomenal choice. “When I went on a wine trip with friends in October last year, through Burgundy,

Alsace in France, and the Mosel regions in Germany (where Rieslings come from), we walked into these three-star Michelin restaurants and interacted with the chefs, and the food was brilliant. They had so many options for food, even for the vegetarians in our group,” says Shetye.

MATAN SCHABRACQ
Zenzi, Bandra
“I would immediately hop on to a plane and leave for the Pampas (fertile grasslands in South America) in Argentina. Then I would treat myself to a nice big steak,” says Schabracq, hungry even at the thought of this. “Argentine beef is one of the finest in the world. Argentina is the world’s biggest consumer of beef too.” Although the chef serves Mediterranean food to the city, he feels that at the end of the day, all he wants to eat is a steak brushed with loads of fat. “Imagine being on the Pampas, basking in its natural beauty and indulging in the best steak on the planet,” he says.

ANANDA SOLOMON
Executive Chef, Taj President
The swish, designer restaurants in New York is what Chef Ananda Solomon opts for. “I have been on eating jaunts to New York many times. I would say that many times is not enough.” It is his idea of perfect eating because it means so much more than stuffing the belly. He explains, “The approach to eating out is incredible, they are trendy but not snobbish.” Talking about places like Charlie Trotter’s, Gordon Ramsay and Tetsuya’s, Solomon says, “Not just their food, their menus are also very creative and well-designed. These places have an exclusivity that is rare to find. At the same time, they have something for everyone. Fine-dining in New York cannot disappoint.”