CHEF Milind Sovani likes to buck the trend.
Growing up, Milind opted to join the hospitality industry instead of becoming a doctor or engineer, much to his parents’ consternation. They did support him in his decision, hoping maybe he would rise to the role of general manager of a hotel. Instead, Milind opted to become a trainee chef.
It was a decision partly out of defiance and an unwillingness to be part of the popular crowd, but it also reflected his delight for food.
“I love to cook. But I love to eat 300%,” he says from the comfort of his latest restaurant in Singapore.
Savoury Touches To A Once Unsavoury Environment
Bhoomi occupies the ground floor of the, until recently steamy and seamy, Orchard Towers building. Known for its floors of bars and unsavoury activities, it was swiftly cleaned up and the temperature in the building has dropped to levels more palatable.
Bhoomi was the first fine dining establishment to plant its flag in the building, though the reputation of the locale did push Milind to withhold the building’s name in his marketing collateral, opting for the more posh sounding 1 Claymore Drive.
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The two-storey restaurant is tastefully done up with decor reflecting parts of India, but set in fairly neutral tones. Despite leaning towards a more international look, Milind’s focus is on cultural authenticity.
The food served will come from the various states of India, with ingredients flown in and preparations true to the original methods handed down for generations.
Milind’s fascination for travel, sparked by his growing years when his father worked for the national railway and the family went on holidays to the far reaches of the Sub-continent, has intertwined with his love for cooking and food.
As he journeyed into a vocation of building and operating restaurants, his travels took him to many parts of the world.
While India offered a ready, and sizeable, market, it was not the easiest of places to conduct such a visible business.
So, Singapore proved to be a much safer and organised option, even if there were undue restrictions on manpower, heavy rentals and other cost implications to be managed.
Pushing For Authentic Indian Fare
Milind’s push for authenticity is not just to be different. He is concerned at the recent culinary trends where lines are blurred and origin stories are lost.
He views the trend towards fusion food with some concern. Too much of it for too long could prove detrimental.
“If the fusion experimentation goes for too long, we may lose our knowledge of our authentic cuisine.”
Milind is keen on preserving his heritage, and also exposing various types of Indian cuisine to an international audience in Singapore.
One of the main reasons why he likes Singapore is the openness of the population to new experiences. “One thing about running restaurants in Singapore — and this is a big positive — is the acceptance of new cuisines, of new things, of new dishes, generally, by Singaporeans is very high.”
Together with the well-heeled corporate types transitioning or relocating to Singapore offices, and the growing Indian diaspora who at some point will likely visit the Republic, the opportunities to have Bhoomi’s fare accepted and appreciated are quite high.
