‘We hope to reach more people through this Japanese food festival’

Harry Cheng Director Maido India

What is the objective behind hosting a Japanese food festival in Mumbai?

Seeing that India is an emerging market for Japanese cuisine, we wanted to create a platform to present Japanese culture and cuisine in a whole new avatar. Mumbai was the first choice as apart from the fact that maido is based here; Mumbaiites are more open to experimentation than the rest of the country. Through this festival we are aiming at a three-prong awareness campaign: approaching chefs from hotel management institutes, increasing knowledge and skills by bringing chefs down from Japan to interact with local chefs, and hosting events combining food and sake to create awareness about food and wine. b

What can one expect from the festival?

By keeping the festival open to public, holding the events at public places like the Mahalaxmi racecourse, and ensuring the events are priced reasonably, we are aiming to attract as many people from all walks of life possible to attend the festival. Next year, we are planning an even bigger festival, and have already signed up with a few sponsors to host it at a possibly bigger location, so as to reach out to a greater number of people. We are also planning to host the festival in Delhi next year, and also in Dubai.

Why has it taken so long to hold a Japanese festival in India?

Japanese cuisine is not as popular with people here, as is the case abroad and hence has taken a long time for the trend to catch up. Also, there is not much awareness of Japanese cuisine, which we are hoping to create through the festival.

What are some of the major problems hindering popularity of this cuisine?

Well, till recently, it was difficult to obtain quality supplies of Japanese ingredients, most of which have to be imported. Also, the Japanese government has to invest more to promote Japanese culture and cuisine in India, not only in terms of sponsoring festivals, but also by means of improving relations with the Indian government.

What steps do you suggest to promote Japanese cuisine in the city?

There should definitely be more interaction between chefs from Japan and India and Japanese cuisine should also be included as a segment in the Institute of Hotel Management syllabus. Awareness should also be created that Japanese food is not only about seafood; in fact 'Shojinryori' or a traditional Buddhist meal is 100 per cent vegetarian.

What has maido india and the Sake club done to promote Japanese culture in the city?

Every three months we hold a sake brunch, and there are numerous other events which we hold along with hotel management institutes like sushi contests, etc, where the winners are provided with a chance to train with an expert chef in Japan. This is the first major festival we are hosting in the city, although we regularly participate in other hospitality trade exhibitions like HospitalityWorld.

Finally, what are your expectations from the festival?

I always believe in the adage, "Expect less and deliver more". Thus, through this festival, we hope to reach out to a great many people and create awareness about Japanese cuisine, not only amongst the elite, but middle-class people too.