Gastronomy sounds as if it should be a science, but after talking to the talented cuisiniere, Snigdha, I was left convinced it is an art – just look at the enticing pictures! Currently serving up her vibrant pop up menu at the Anise bar at Cinnamon Kitchen - a beautiful location with Indian and Moroccan décor - Snigdha’s preparations have already earned her recognition from Time Out: “I was delighted to have made it onto their radar despite being a temporary restaurant,” she told us. “My proudest accomplishment to date really is all the love I’ve been getting from customers.” Indeed, Snigdha’s keen experimentation with “the complexity of Indian flavours and the simplicity of European ingredients, such as her Gin-infused Rasam and raw oysters,” gives her an attractive, avant-garde edge. “I also added an interesting twist to traditional fish and chips when I did my very successful pub menu at the W B Yeats,” she continued. “I substituted Bengali fish and mustard peas to produce a wasabi-style feel. It was true to both India and Britain, and even inherited a transnational quality. That opportunity really stoked my passion for preparing a la carte, main dishes, and was what got me attention from a quite a few, respected food critics. I was especially happy because the food was selling itself; I’d not put any effort into extraneous marketing.”
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As with all great pieces of work then, Snigdha’s cookery is not just there for show (though her venison with chocolate sauce does sound very impressive): “what really grabs me about the process” she went onto explain, “is the moment when all the flavours come together in exactly the right way; you create that perfectly balanced, lovingly prepared meal. The food needs to taste and smell as beautiful as it looks. I remember once, I was given a beautiful Bourbon, and the sauce I ended up making with it turned out so exactly right that I just stood there, for what seemed like minutes, relishing this dream concoction! It’s the small elements that make the fantastic whole.” In this way, the appeal of Snigdha’s dishes is not just that they are colourful, modern fusions, or even multi-ethnic; it’s that they are ultimately transcendental. This is the essence of the young chef’s signature, where the piquant of her culinary variety comes from her spiritual fervour itself. So - why not go E.A.S.T of what you’re used to and come Eat At Snigdha’s Table?
