Rahul Akerkar

Rahul Akerkar is an Indian chef, restaurateur and the founder of Indigo, a Mumbai restaurant credited with introducing the concept of European fine-dining in the city, when it opened in 1999.[1][2] In the 1990s nascent Indian restaurant industry, Akerkar was among the first Indian chefs and restaurateurs, working outside the Indian five-star hotel industry, to introduce independent fine-dining restaurants in India and focus on carefully sourced ingredients and high quality service.[3][4][5]

Rahul Akerkar
Born
Mumbai, India
NationalityIndian
EducationThe Doon School
Franklin & Marshall College
Columbia University
Occupation(s)Chef, restaurateur
Known forIndigo, Qualia
SpouseMalini Akerkar
Children1

In April 2019, Akerkar opened his new restaurant, Qualia, in Lower Parel, Mumbai.[6][7]

Early life and education

Akerkar was born to a German-American mother and an Indian father in Mumbai. Akerkar went to the all-boys boarding school The Doon School in Dehradun.[8] He went on to study Biology and Chemical Engineering at Franklin & Marshall College, followed by a master's in Biochemical Engineering at Columbia University.[9] Throughout college in the United States, Akerkar worked in American kitchens in various capacities: dishwasher, server and chef.

Career

He returned to India in 1989 and founded Just Desserts, a cafe-pub, with AD Singh and soon launched his standalone restaurant Under The Over.[10] In 1996, Akerkar established deGustibus Hospitality, which ran Mumbai's first standalone restaurants Indigo, Tote, Neel and Moveable Feast.[3][11] In 2007, Indigo became the first Indian restaurant to enter the World's Top 100 and entered Asia's Top 50 in 2013.[12][13] In 1998, Akerkar left India for the United States to study the global dining trends and returned in 1999 to open Indigo in Colaba, Mumbai. In 2015, Akerkar sold his stake in deGustibus Hospitality, the company he set up, citing differences in creative vision with the investors.[14]

Indigo
Main article: Indigo (restaurant)

In 1999, Akerkar opened the restaurant Indigo in a colonial bungalow in Mumbai's heritage district of Colaba, introducing European fine-dining in the city.[15][16] With the success of Indigo, Akerkar launched a casual offshoot to the brand called Indigo Delicatessen. After his exit in 2015, Indigo has closed down its operations currently in Mumbai and Delhi.[17]

Qualia

After exiting deGustibus in 2015, Akerkar undertook research in different countries for his new venture. In April 2019, he opened his new Mumbai restaurant Qualia (a Latin term meaning "essence of sensory experience".[18] The restaurant opened to critical acclaim.[19] The menu draws inspiration from both Indian and European traditions with a special focus on fermented ingredients.[20]

References
  1. "When he launched Indigo, Rahul Akerkar changed the way Mumbai dined". GQ India. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  2. Garfinkel, Perry (24 November 2011). "An Indian Chef Questions Whether 'Indian' Food Exists". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  3. "Food, love and 15 years of Indigo". Dnaindia.com. 20 April 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  4. "Check out Mumbai's most anticipated restaurant by Rahul Akerkar". Architecturaldigest.in. 10 January 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  5. "Rahul Akerkar's new restaurant Qualia". Mint. 20 April 2019. Retrieved 20 April 2019.
  6. "Rahul Akerkar makes dazzling comeback in Mumbai". Conde Nast Traveller. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  7. Sanghvi, Roshni Bajaj (18 April 2019). "Rahul Akerkar's new proscenium of flavours". The Hindu. Retrieved 19 April 2019.
  8. "Restaurateur Rahul Akerkar's culinary journey – lifestyle". Mid-day.com. 19 January 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  9. "Franklin & Marshall – Flavor from the Soul". Fandm.edu. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  10. Diya Kohli (2 June 2017). "1990s: The decade of junk food and cola wars". Livemint.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  11. Jess Kapadia (7 July 2015). "New York's First Native American Restaurant Was Run By An Indian-American Chef". Food Republic. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  12. "Who voted for India's top 50 restaurants?". Conde Nast Traveller. 21 November 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  13. BW Online Bureau (5 March 2015). "Rahul Akerkar Quits Company He Created in 1996, No Longer Associated with Indigo – BW Hotelier". Bwhotelier.businessworld.in. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  14. Prerna Makhija (3 April 2015). "Q&A: Rahul Akerkar". Livemint.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  15. "Indigo turns 15: Founder Rahul Akerkar on the journey so far – The Economic Times". Economictimes.indiatimes.com. 23 April 2014. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  16. "Indigo:A Love Story". Conde Nast Traveller. 27 April 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2019.
  17. Vishal, Anoothi. "Chef Rahul Akerkar gets ready for a new beginning, plans to launch restaurant Qualia in Mumbai – The Economic Times". The Economic Times. Economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 31 March 2019.
  18. Diya Kohli (20 April 2019). "Rahul Akerkar's new restaurant Qualia is all about the balance in every bite". Livemint.com. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
  19. "Rahul Akerkar makes a dazzling comeback with his latest Mumbai restaurant". 18 April 2019.
  20. "Rahul Akerkar's new proscenium of flavours". The Hindu. 18 April 2019. Retrieved 20 June 2019.
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