The Flavours of India, in the Antarctica

There is an old saying that the way to a man’s stomach is through his heart. Atul Kochhar, the first Michelin-starred Indian Chef, did attempt to do exactly that on the 11-day New Year Antarctica expedition.

On 27th December, Chef Atul Kochhar embarked on his second mission to Antarctica, to cook for a special group of guests to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity. Atul had also taken this treacherous journey to Antarctica last year and on his return had said; “never again.” However, his quest and urge to support the hospital has given him the motivation to return with The Q Experiences. Specially commissioned to tickle Indian palates, it was The Q Experiences’s Founder Vasim Shaikh’s brainwave that turned out to be a master stroke for us. Every day as Atul Kochhar would come to the restaurant on Deck 3, he would be greeted with a deafening applause. Both Indian and French guests drooled over his preparations. When I talked to him on Deck 3 after he had delivered his Masterclass on the top deck, he shared his insights about his brand of cooking. He said “India has progressed in the culinary sphere. Today, more diners in India appreciate and understand food well.” Atul talked about how it is the flavourful oils which divides and enriches Indian food. The daily fare he dished out for the luxury travellers were beyond compare. He shared how during his earlier stint on the Antarctica expedition, he realised that his Indian guests were bereft of genuine Indian fare. This made him sit back and think. And voila, he decided to experiment with different types of khichdi. His varieties of khichdi and his innovative take on Indian food left co-travellers drooling for more. Atul said that his trips to Kerala during his stint in hotel management gave him the uniqueness he is known for. He was born and brought up in the steel city of Jamshedpur. His father, a self-taught cook, was Atul’s role model. He recalled how his father chided him for not experimenting enough while he was in London. Till recently, Atul was the co-owner of Benares, an Indian restaurant he so lovingly created. Today, he is toying with the idea of opening two traditional Indian restaurants by the name of Mathura and Reeti Rivaz. A selfconfessed lover of Awadhi cuisine, Atul never misses a chance to experiment with kebabs and put to use the dum pukht style of cooking. He uses fresh vegetables and meat and loves to use southern spices and Indian oils to give you great taste. He creatively plays with the aroma at the same time.

Taking The Q

“While the world is your oyster, we handpick the very best of what this oyster has to offer. Our trip designers carefully handcraft exceptional journeys for you based on your needs, to give you an experience that you simply cannot forget.” This is how Vasim Shaikh, Founder of The Q Experiences, lured global Indian travellers to bite the bullet and explore the untested waters of the Antarctica. When he went on an expedition to Antarctica two years ago, Vasim discovered a new destination that needed to catch people’s fancy. Vasim, who has over two decades of experience in the travel industry, was initially based out of Pune. He later opened an office in Mumbai and it was here that he curated the Antarctica tour among many other such curated travel experiences. He wanted to give his Indian guests an experience of a lifetime. The fact that only 70 Indians had visited the Antarctica thus far was another attraction towards exploring this unknown continent. Given his eye for details and easy persona, Vasim comes across as a cool and laidback business person. “I prefer to stay in the background while my team functions with dedication and commitment,” he revealed. “The Q Experiences was founded to cater to private travellers. We realised that there are some experiences that these ultra HNIs wanted, but that cannot happen for them individually. They have to happen with like-minded people and in small groups,” Vasim proffered. Thus was born the Antarctica expedition of The Q Experiences, in concert with the French cruise company L’ Ponant.