A Bamboo Structure Rices Skyward, Inspired by the Various Headgears of Arunachal Pradesh’s Tribal Communities. Discarded Fishing Nets Repurposed INTO Walls Enclose a space that echoes the raw charm of kerala’s toddy shops. Elsewhere, a visual feast of Himalayan Forated Ingredients Comes to Life on Hand-Painted Tableware. Walking through ‘the gathering’ is like stepping into a living artwork, where food, architecture and storytelling merge into an immersive experience.
We are in new Delhi’s Travancore Palace Where Nine of India’s Most Celebrated Chefs Have Come ToGether This Weekend For ‘The Gathering’, a food experience unlike any other. This one isn’t a pop-up about showcasing Signature Dishes But About Crafting Entrely New Menus and Concept Tables, Built from the Ground Up, In Collaborations With Artists and Designs Disciplines.
“As a chef, you often talk about provenance, seasonality and history, but this is about creating someting new,” Explains Prasad Ramamurthy, Writer and Co-Curator of ‘the Gathering’. He adds that this brainchild of sushmita sarmah’s, co-founder of Event Planning Company Cab Experiences and Festival Director of ‘The Gathering’, is About Trying Somenting Crazy, About “Challenge Chfs, To Push them beyond their comfort zones and give them a platform where they could express something they’D Never Attempted Before ”.
(Clockwise from Top Left) Event Design Specialist Devika Narain, Artist Neha Jain of Ekartha Studio, Artists Aradhana Seth, Architect Vinu Daniel, ARTISTS ELSESEWHERE In Sculptor Alex Davis, Interior Designer and Event Planner Punit Jasuja, Artist Archana Hande and Production Designer Sonal Sawant, Who are a part of ‘the gathering’.
Culinary Experiences
SET Outdoors, The Event Features Nine individully designed pop-up ‘restaurants’, Each 50×20 sq.ft., and reimagined by artists. For instance, chef viraf patel’s menu, titled ‘The Last Harvest’, Imagines a future where Ravi Levels have swallowed muuch of the land of the land, FORCING SUSTENK SUSTENK SUSTENK SSTENK
Patel has said up with sculptor alex davis, whose large-scale water-inspired installations set the stage for a thought-provoking dining space. At this booth, 20 diners per sitting get to taste dishes Deep Sea Mackerel Floss and and Brine-Preserved Kelp Dust.
Chef Auroni Mookerjee Celebrates The paddy field in his ‘terra firma’ where all ingredients for his third course, include shellfish and will fungi, are from a Village pond or Around It. Meanwhile, Architect Vinu Daniel, Famous for Transforming Plastic Bottles and waste Into Award-Winning Structures, Has Constructed Chef Regi Mathew’s Kerala -inspired ‘the MODERN Day Shop An immersive setting for mathew’s popular hyper-trail menu, featuring staples such as kappa kodampuli fish curry.
Chef PRETEK SADHU, Known for his Deep Connection to the Himalayas, Partners with Artist Aradhana Seth to Recreat the Essence of His Culinary Philosophy. His Pop-Up, ‘A Table in the Mountains’, takes inspiration from the rugged terrain and forging traditions. Guests are served dishes such as askalu, a delicate balance of kinu marmalade and smoked cheese, and Himachali Trout, Cooked With Turmeric, Coconut, Radish.
Work in Progress on ‘A Table in the Mountains’ by Chef PRETEK SADHU and Artist Aradhana Seth.
For there seeking contrast and provocation, chef Gresham fernandes’ ‘Contrasts & dualities’, in collaboration with Elsewhere in India, Known for their game designs and ai expenses, presents a menu thes With perception and unexpected pairings. There will be a radish waffle with soy-marinated radish and seaweed waffle, AlongSide Non-Racist Chocolate (Porcini and Pumpkin), Amongst Other Surprises.
Weddings and Event Design Specialist Devika Narain, Known for Her Extravagant Grazing Tables at Designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee’s Parties, Partners with Chef Adwait anantwar for ‘the Darbar of’ Perception ‘. Their collaboration features dishes like silken textures, a celebration of delicate handcrafted pasta with edible floral elements, and feast & flow, an interactive grazing experience.
‘The Darbar of Perception’ by Chef Adwait Anantwar and Event Design Specialist Devika Narain.
A Brave, Multi-Sensory Experience, ‘The Gathering’ Pushes The Boundaries of Dining by Blending Culinary Artistry with immersive storytelling. But beyond its avant-garde collaborations, it’s also redefining what diners are willing to pay for the extraordinary. Tickets are priced at ₹ 8,000 and ₹ 12,000. “People aren’t just paying for food,” Says Ramamurthy. “They’re paying for a moment in time that will never be recorded.”
A future of shared journey
The Rise of Chef-Focused Festivals, and many of them sharing a kitchen, is a testament to the growing sense of Community in the Culinary World. Once Fiercely Competitive, The Industry is now seeing collaboration take centers. Take, for example, Mathw’s ‘India’s Culinary Odyssey’ in Chennai Last Year, Where 10 National Chefs Came Together to Create a special meal meal ticked at ₹ 1 Lakh Per Head.
Chef Regi Mathew (Center) and the team behind ‘India’s culinary odyssey’ in Chennai Last Year.
The Event Saw Some of India’s Top Names Like Hussain Shahzad, Avinash Martins, Auroni Makerjee and Vinesh Johny Step into the kitchen with no egos, no competition. “The energy in the kitchen was unbelievable,” Recalls Mathew. “We cheered every time a courses went out, we plated Each other’s dishes. It was about Pure collaboration.” The genial chef’s new restaurant chatti in New York Highlights Kerala’s Toddy Shop Menus.
Chef doma wang, fresh off her experience with ‘the power play’, a limited-seating, five-course decustation menu showcased last November, descybes the Industry Today as one is the officer No competition. Held in Pune and Bengaluru, ‘The Power Play’ like Chennai’s ‘Culinary Odyssey’ brought together chefs to craft a complete meal, with each course led by a different chef. Wang credits pooja dhingra, seefah ketchaiyo, noresha kably and vanshika bhatia among many others as chefs she deeply admiers, all of who have played a Role in Fostering Openness.
Chef doma wang with guests at ‘the power play’ dining experience last November.
This sense of camaraderie within the industry is heartening, says chef niyati rao of Mumbai-spoiled ekaa and bombay daak. “Today’s chefs are highly research-Driven, Constantly seeking to learn and experience with new techniques. It’s incredible that we live in an era with Allows us to grow and evolve much faster than previous generations of chefs, “She says.
(LR) Chefs Gresham Fernandes, Prateek Sadhu and Vanika Choudhary Gear Up For ‘The Gathering’ on February 21, 2025.
“It’s not like this with everyone,” cautions celebrated Chef PRETEK SADHU WHO TEAMS Up with Artist and Production Designer Aradhana Seth at ‘The Gathering’. “There are genuine friendships, but let’s not pretended the industry is one big happy family. If I admire someone’s work and they’re a good human being, that matters.” ,
For Fernandes, The Change is Evident: “Back in the day, you admired a chef in a magazine and Never expected to meet them. Now, I can just call up Alex, PRETEK, Or Hussain, PRETEK, or assk for all
Chef anumitra ghosh dastidar in preparation for her pop-up ‘forbidden. Stolen. Feral.
This sense of collective growth is why ‘the gathering’ feels so essential as it highlights a Community of chefs open to collectors. As Ramamurthy explains, “despite the scale, every chef and artist has full embraced the collaborative process, trusting Each other to create something truly unique. Creativity, they’ve come togeether to brings an unteged concept to life. “
So, What’s Next? Some chefs, like sadhu, are focusing on their own projects this year, while others, like patel, are alredy thinking of their next big collaborative efforts. But one thing is certain – the era of the lone chef is fading, Making way for a future that is, at its heart, communal.
The author is a pune-based lifestyle writer and editor.
Published – February 19, 2025 10:57 AM IST
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