Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan: India is our favourite culinary destination!
With a seven-course meal up their sleeves, these masterchefs cooked up a storm while visiting Bengaluru
Chefs Gary Mehigan, George Calombaris and food critic Matt Preston recently concluded their India tour with a visit to Bengaluru on Sunday. While Calombaris couldn't make it to the city. Preston and Mehigan pulled oft a seven-course dinner with the help of the former's sous chef. The duo also conducted a masterclass.
Heading to the Garden City right after Mumbai was a "wow" moment for Preston. "The city is so great and green! It has a really good vibe," says the chef, who came to the city in 2019.
Ask them about their favourite places to visit in Bengaluru, and Preston replies, "We've eaten some of the best dosas here. I recently visited chef Manu Chandra's restaurant Lupa and loved the pizza there." Mehigan, on the other hand, couldn't stop raving about The Rameshwaram Cafe. "I had the ghee podi idli, dosa and medu vada over there with a piping hot cup of filter coffee. Loved it!" Ask them how they decide where to eat when visiting the country, and Preston shares,
"Usually in other countries like France or Italy, you go to a restaurant because they have three stars. In India, it depends on word of mouth - a sense of community that is so diverse — which is beautiful."
In the city, the chefs prepared a seven-course meal dinner on Saturday, which consisted of dishes such as Smoked Eggplant Tzatziki with Pita Bread by chef George Calmboris, Lemon Ricotta Ravioli by chef Gary Mehigan. Arabian Gulf Prawns with Finger Lime Butter Sauce by chef Matt Preston and more. Addressing the guests at the dinner, the chefs chimed in unison: "India is our favourite culinary destination."
Naturally, we ask what their favourite Indian food is. Turns out it is dal-chawal and aloo tikki for Mehigan. "I also love the flavours of tandoor, be it for meat or vegetables!" he adds. Meanwhile, Preston vouches for Hyderabadi cuisine. "You get a range of flavours in Hyderabad," he shares and reveals, "I know for a fact that George is obsessed with panipuri!"
The celebrity chefs were a part of the jury in the show Masterchef Australia for 14 years. Speaking of leaving the show. Preston says, "For 14 years, I was only talking about food, and now I get to travel the world and talk about anything I'd like on my radio show."
However, they agree that the show is addictive even today due to its format. "We wanted the show to be solely about the contestants with no other drama involved. I think that's what gets people hooked to it," shares Mehigan and Preston chimes in: "People were rooting for their favourites and would support them openly. In fact, I think India was our largest audience, and Australia ranked around the sixth spot! The show has a huge impact on the Indian audience."
