Should a chef become a "global brand"?

The best chefs, in my not so humble opinion, are those who dish up hearty, flavourful food, the plates creaking under the weight of substantial comestibles. They let their food speak for itself, and practise their art in specific locations, presiding over the stove as happy purveyors of Good Food.

Everyone knows that “food” is one of my preferred four-letter words. I spend most of my time eating, thinking about eating, watching food programmes or reading about food. I eat whatever doesn’t eat me, thanks to a very liberal home upbringing and strict parental rules about (a) not wasting food (b) not being too fussy about food. But I am not a cook and can’t go beyond the basics in a kitchen.

 Since moving out of home and hearth (and mom’s kitchen) a score and eight years back I have perforce been obliged to frequent restaurants of different hues, shapes and cuisines. Student cafeterias to roadside shacks, dingy dhabas to purveyors of fancy rubbish, streetside stalls to food courts in malls, my tongue has been tingled by a variety of tastes and flavours. Memorable meals there have been aplenty, and some humungously disgusting meals too.

I like quality and quantity in my food. A growing boy’s appetite and all that. So those twee concoctions offered by “World Famous Restaurants”, with a glob of yellow, green and perhaps brown, are not what I seek or like. I have dined in some of these WFRs thanks to the generosity of friends and family, and while I managed to keep a straight face and make appropriate appreciative sounds at the pink Nike-like swoosh cuddling two perfect beans, the digestive system looked askance at me and raised several questioning eyebrows.

 Most of these WFRs are helmed by chefs who have earned A Name. They are a brand burnished through love for good food, (sometimes) education at renowned culinary schools and a consistency of quality that only happens through sustained hard work at the stoves. These WFRs are not cheap. But their fame spreads through word of mouth and the happy sighs of fatted diners who have had their fill! Most of these "brand chefs" are content to ply their trade at one single location, be it in a bustling city or in sylvan countrysides.

However, some of these chefs go rogue and decide that they want to become Global Celebrities. So, they (a) spread their wings (b) experiment with their food, and (c) get on TV food shows. The single-location restaurant spreads like a rash in the “culinary capitals of the world” (some of which, like Mumbai, are questionable). These outposts are helmed by staff "trained by world famous chef ABC". The World Famous Chef visits his culinary empire, checks that the staff is following his instructions and takes off for the next cooking show.

The skills of a good chef do not travel well. The fame of a chef is not enough to justify high prices and gushing hurrahs for a restaurant unless the chef is cooking himself. I will pay $$$ for a meal cooked by say, Paul Bocuse. But certainly not for a meal cooked by a “chef trained by Paul Bocuse”. It’s like seeing the Eiffel Tower replicated in Las Vegas. Not The Same Thing! I would rather that the chef developed his own name using the skills gained from Paul Bocuse.

A good chef needs to allow his brand’s mystique and aura to develop over time. A "Gordon Ramsay" restaurant in Marine Drive, Mumbai, may add a certain cachet to Marine Drive, Mumbai. But you are not eating a Ramsay Meal. Though you are paying for his brand value. The whole chain becomes an assembly line, with meals produced through a written list of instructions. This allows no space for a customer to interact with a Celebrity Chef (for which he or she is paying good $$$$), not does it allow the Chef to dazzle with his skills, to come up with an impromptu riff on a piece of meat that makes the customer feel special!

There are exceptions of course. Particularly when its a cuisine that goes global rather than a chef. We all know the Chinatowns all over the world. There are famous restaurants which have opened branches in different cities. But it's the food here that is the brand. And perhaps the place of origin. These restaurants can be pricey, but they serve that valuable purpose of reminding us of home, which is priceless!

So, remember, not all Chefs can be global brands. Some are best in their home markets only.

And while you wait for the next smoked offering from your favourite chef, remember what the Great Foodie Baxicius said: “Molecular gastronomy just so much gas.”