CHEF
CHEF VIVEK SINGH | BY RAJ GILL
Chef Vivek Singh is one of the most successful and respected modern Indian chefs in the United Kingdom, with four renowned London restaurants to his name—the authentic dining experience of The Cinnamon Club, the City’s Cinnamon Kitchen, Covent Garden’s Cinnamon Bazaar, and most recently Cinnamon Kitchen Battersea. Chef Singh’s refined approach to Indian cuisine changed the perception of Indian food in the UK. His success and reputation have continued to grow with the publication of six cookbooks, media appearances, and a regular guest slot on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen. Vivek is celebrating the 22nd anniversary of the Cinnamon Club, and Raj Gill had the honor and privilege of joining him for lunch. Tell us about your journey. I grew up in a coal mining community in Bengal. Like most boys in my generation, I had very little exposure and involvement in the kitchen. It wasn’t until after I completed hotel school and began an intense chef course that I was exposed to various cuisines and ways of cooking. This experience opened my eyes to a world of possibilities and journeys that cooking could bring. In 1997, I moved from the Oberoi’s flight kitchens in Mumbai to the Grand Hotel in Calcutta, where I was fast-tracked to become the Indian chef of the
Oberoi’s flagship Rajvilas in Jaipur. I moved to London in 2001 when the Cinnamon Club was born! How did you get into the industry? Becoming a chef began with my love of good food but was a happy accident; it was more by chance than by design or fate. I spurned family expectations to follow in my father’s footsteps and become an engineer by going to catering college and pursuing a passion that originated from reading Escoffier, Marco Pierre White, and Charlie Trotter at an early age. How has the pandemic changed the restaurant industry in London? Over the last 20 years, I have faced several challenges, but none as great as Covid-19. I’m grateful to be here, and I have kept most every member of the team. One thing the pandemic proved is how adjustable the hospitality industry is. Many restaurants, including ours, set up a range of at-home meal kits during the lockdown. We were so lucky with their popularity with our loyal fans, and we still offer them today. However, setting it up felt like brain surgery! The whole industry has had a slow recovery from the pandemic, as we are still feeling the effects two years later; rising costs and rents are an industry-wide problem, and we all want to support our staff the best we can.
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How do you conceptualize your restaurants? Each restaurant reflects an aspect of me. Being slightly contrary, cheeky, and irreverent to tradition and customs, we are forever looking to challenge perceptions and push boundaries. All Cinnamon restaurants somehow carry this ethos of challenging the status quo. The Cinnamon Club, at the time of opening, was itself an effort to liberate Indian food from the straitjacket of tradition. As it became popular, we wanted to concentrate on using good quality seasonal ingredients in our cooking, letting each component speak for itself rather than drowning them in heavy spices or sauces. As we became more comfortable in the industry, Cinnamon Kitchen was born to make the high-end Indian food adventure more accessible to a broader, younger audience that wanted interaction, recognition, and theatre in their dining experience. Cinnamon Bazaar now reflects how we live and work, a 24-hour, all-day, all-night buzz with an energy that is so typical of an Indian bazaar. In a way, they all have a reflection of my personality. Who or what was the inspiration behind the aesthetics and menus in your restaurants? We have worked with numerous designers for each venue, but with each locale, the designers listened to our briefs and added twists to deliver spaces integral to Cinnamon’s signature
