Chef Varun Totlani: 'I take my chef's knife everywhere'

Varun Totlani, the executive chef at Masque in Mumbai, consistently ranked as India's top restaurant for five years, shares his culinary insights and preferences. Totlani champions Mumbai as the world's premier food destination, a sentiment echoed by his deep affection for Trishna, a restaurant he has frequented since childhood for its exceptional seafood.

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Trishna in Mumbai. They have served the city's best seafood for as long as I can remember. I have eaten there since I was a child and the quality is still just as high.

His personal culinary journey includes childhood memories of watching cooking shows and urging his mother to recreate dishes. Totlani's dream restaurant, Paradox, a cocktail bar, is already a reality, offering a blend of ambiance, music, drinks, and food, with a menu heavily featuring fire-cooked elements. He also revealed his constant companion: a chef's knife, which he takes everywhere, even on vacation, ready for impromptu cooking.

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My chef's knife. I take it everywhere, even on vacation. You never know when you might need to cook.

When discussing ingredients, Totlani singles out black cardamom as the most underrated spice, praising its ability to add unparalleled depth to both sweet and savory dishes. Conversely, he expresses a weariness with the ubiquitous presence of truffle, suggesting it has become overused across various culinary applications. He also finds biryani too complex for home preparation due to its numerous ingredients and steps.

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We must stop putting truffle in everything – from fries to ice cream, dips, and chocolate.

Totlani's beverage of choice with Indian food is a chilled Thums Up, the classic Indian cola. He also suggests Riesling as a surprisingly good pairing for Indian cuisine, acknowledging it might be an unconventional choice but one he enjoys, even with street food like vada pav.

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Black cardamom. It adds a depth to dishes that few other spices can match, whether it's sweet or savory.