By Tanvi Girotra
I’m not a food critic or an expert on this subject but I’m just another Dilliwaala who takes her food very seriously. After years of experience that has considerably added to my knowledge and waistline, it is safe to say that I know a good restaurant when I eat at one. One of the most important things that I’ve learned through my experiences is that every dish tells a story. A story of the things that went into creating it – the creativity, hard work and passion of everyone involved in making a German grilled bratwurst, a spinach and ricotta filled ravioli or a simple bruschetta, with perfection.
We all expect good service and value for our money but in our quest for having a perfect meal or making an impression on the people sitting in front of us, we forget that the kitchen at any restaurant is not Emerald City and the chefs and waiters aren’t little elves who spin out a scrumptious meal at the whip of a wand. It takes more than you think and when we take time to notice the effort and sheer passion of a restaurant’s staff, it means more to them than you could imagine.
Ayesha Kapur {to the left}
Ayesha Kapur has been working with DIVA for the past two years as the Head of Operations. She was a part of the internet space for sometime before DIVA happened as a result of sheer boredom at her previous job. “Ritu {Dalmia} and I had a couple of common friends. I was looking for a different opportunity and she was looking for someone to help her open a new restaurant. And so it just happened. I have no formal training, experience or any degrees in this sector but that’s one of the greatest things about DIVA – we don’t look for educational degrees when we hire. We want people to be driven by a special kind of passion that comes straight from the heart.”
Unlike most restaurants, you will find Ayesha and Ritu personally overlooking everything that’s going on, conversing with their customers or just being a part of the entire hustle bustle. “It’s these small things that go a long way. We like to be involved and be a part of our guests’ experience.” Extending this personal touch across many restaurants is no easy task. Ritu Dalmia, the master chef and vision behind the DIVA chain has been in the business for the past twenty years, facing many successes, some failures, but definitely leaving an imprint in the food community circuit and in people’s hearts and palates. The DIVA in GK2 M Block market is a strictly Italian, formal dining restaurant, incorporating a more casual cafe on the ground floor. Latitude in Khan Market serves a wide range of dishes from around the world – from Prawn and Kokum curry to baingan and even salmon dishes, all in one menu. Café DIVA in N Block market is a high-energy-all-day-café-restaurant, complete with a live kitchen and a wood fired oven for the perfectly right kind of pizzas. The Cafe at ICC in Chanakyapuri boasts of home style Italian cooking at its authentic best and is like a home away from home for a number of its European customers. DIVA Piccola, the newest addition in Haus Khaz Village, is built in the style of a Trattoria with a simple yet invigorating menu.
When asked what it takes to run such a well-known restaurant, Ayesha has a lot to say. “The people who come in only see 40% of what goes on. Making good food involves a number of things that people don’t really see. Purchasing, ordering, rooming, maintenance, training, staffing – everything contributes to that two hour food experience for our customers. We have more than 280 suppliers in the city, all providing us with both basic and special items. Sea food, cheeses and special oils are all carefully picked to go with our specific dishes. For example, our pumpkin soup needs a very different kind of pumpkin oil that we literally buy abroad and put in our suitcases to get back home.”
“Another big challenge we face is with staffing our personnel- whether it’s hiring or training or just keeping them up to date with everything on the menu. For a lot of people the contents of our menu are new. For this very reason, we conduct weekly training and as a result, we are known for our service and the helpfulness of the staff. And then again, who can evade Murphy’s Law, especially in India. The unexpected should always be expected. For instance, this June, we didn’t have electricity or water for more than three days in one of our restaurants. Another time, a table of customers with kids broke 9 glasses. There are days when everything just seems out of place. But it is the dedication and commitment of our team that pulls us through these messy situations and we go through it all with a smile on our face!”
In order to do good work and get appreciated for it, it’s important to have an inspiration- something that keeps you going, that makes you want to wake up early in the morning even after a hard day at work. Ayesha’s inspiration is food itself. She thinks of it as a therapeutic experience. For her, food is and has always been a part of a very intimate experience that she feels most of us have lost touch with. “I grew up in a household where lunch was not just a meal but an affair. It was unimaginable to get excused in the middle for a phone call or something. Food time was sacred but today, in most homes it has become a very run of the mill ritual.”
When asked what her favorite thing about her job is, she responds without hesitation. “The people I get to meet everyday. Everyone that comes in to eat, all the people I work with, my interactions and conversations – where else can you find the time to do that?”
And while she may not be as involved in the kitchen, she believes that’s where all the magic happens. “There is a very close relationship between the front and the back. Neither could survive without the other. Our task everyday is to make sure everything goes smoothly at both fronts.”
Good food comes with great passion, and it’s endearing to see that Ayesha holds this relationship as sacrosanct and extends the same to her customers, making every meal an experience.
As my nani would put it “Khana toh sab se ban jata hai. Par pyaar sab nahi daal paate”. {Everyone can cook food but not everyone is able to add the special ingredient called love}
