With more restaurants opening up their cooking areas, diners are
encouraged to watch their meals getting fixed. Rakesh kumar delves into
how and why open kitchens are getting popular
Gone are the days when kitchens were relegated to a corner of the restaurant and considered a place to be hidden away from their customers. However, with different trends of lifestyle ushering in, the wall between the kitchen and the diners has dissolved, leading to the concept of open kitchen, which is the latest trend in restaurants.
"Although the concept of open kitchens is recent in India it is fast catching up. Open kitchens are replacing traditional dining spaces at homes and are becoming increasingly popular in restaurants across the country," said Nilesh Dey, executive Sous Chef of the Taj Mahal Hotel Delhi.
In an open kitchen restaurant food is prepared in plain sight, either behind a counter or right in the middle of the dining area. However, the million-dollar question is how and what led the open kitchen to become a culture that is catching on so fast. Whether it is the daily dose of fast food horror stories that led modern customer to want transparency, open kitchens are here to stay. No space
In the past, restaurant customers would prefer food to appear from behind closed doors, with no indication whatsoever about how it has been made. Moreover, open kitchens were once part of mostly small urban establishments that didn't have the space to support a "back of the house". Now, one can find them in a five-star restaurant too.
"These days consumers have become more conscious about their food," asserted another chef. "They want to know how this is being cooked, who is cooking it. They want to see the freshness and quality of your ingredients, the health and safety steps you're taking. They're consuming this food. They want a comfort level."
The concept was once limited to fast food chains like Domino's Pizza, KFC, TGI Friday and Subway. In these restaurants customers could see the tossing of dough and making of pizzas, all of which gave them a fresh feeling. Most of these chains have opened with a smaller and more centrally located kitchen, which incidentally has proven to be more energy efficient. The restaurant franchise with the most locations worldwide, Subway has always assembled their sandwiches in full view of the customer, and even their bread ovens are completely visible to anyone in front of the counter.
Food safety
With food allergies on the rise, one hears every other day news related to food and food poisoning. Moreover, with concern about allergies, people would much rather see their food being prepared.
Live entertainment
Among the variety of reasons that open kitchen restaurants are so popular, the major of course being health, cooking shows with celebrity chefs are gaining popularity. Customers appreciate the effort of a well-prepared dish and they really look forward to the opportunity to see the chef working in person. An open kitchen restaurant supplies that opportunity.
Ask the chef
These days, after placing the order, one won't have to merely wait for your order. One can also ask the chef for a recipe, reward him with a thumbs-up or even ask him to hurry up. "Very often customers love standing and watching the food being made. Another advantage is that you will always know what's cooking with the fragrance surrounding the cafe," said one of the chefs of five star hotels.
Gone are the days when kitchens were relegated to a corner of the restaurant and considered a place to be hidden away from their customers. However, with different trends of lifestyle ushering in, the wall between the kitchen and the diners has dissolved, leading to the concept of open kitchen, which is the latest trend in restaurants.
"Although the concept of open kitchens is recent in India it is fast catching up. Open kitchens are replacing traditional dining spaces at homes and are becoming increasingly popular in restaurants across the country," said Nilesh Dey, executive Sous Chef of the Taj Mahal Hotel Delhi.
In an open kitchen restaurant food is prepared in plain sight, either behind a counter or right in the middle of the dining area. However, the million-dollar question is how and what led the open kitchen to become a culture that is catching on so fast. Whether it is the daily dose of fast food horror stories that led modern customer to want transparency, open kitchens are here to stay. No space
In the past, restaurant customers would prefer food to appear from behind closed doors, with no indication whatsoever about how it has been made. Moreover, open kitchens were once part of mostly small urban establishments that didn't have the space to support a "back of the house". Now, one can find them in a five-star restaurant too.
"These days consumers have become more conscious about their food," asserted another chef. "They want to know how this is being cooked, who is cooking it. They want to see the freshness and quality of your ingredients, the health and safety steps you're taking. They're consuming this food. They want a comfort level."
The concept was once limited to fast food chains like Domino's Pizza, KFC, TGI Friday and Subway. In these restaurants customers could see the tossing of dough and making of pizzas, all of which gave them a fresh feeling. Most of these chains have opened with a smaller and more centrally located kitchen, which incidentally has proven to be more energy efficient. The restaurant franchise with the most locations worldwide, Subway has always assembled their sandwiches in full view of the customer, and even their bread ovens are completely visible to anyone in front of the counter.
Food safety
With food allergies on the rise, one hears every other day news related to food and food poisoning. Moreover, with concern about allergies, people would much rather see their food being prepared.
Live entertainment
Among the variety of reasons that open kitchen restaurants are so popular, the major of course being health, cooking shows with celebrity chefs are gaining popularity. Customers appreciate the effort of a well-prepared dish and they really look forward to the opportunity to see the chef working in person. An open kitchen restaurant supplies that opportunity.
Ask the chef
These days, after placing the order, one won't have to merely wait for your order. One can also ask the chef for a recipe, reward him with a thumbs-up or even ask him to hurry up. "Very often customers love standing and watching the food being made. Another advantage is that you will always know what's cooking with the fragrance surrounding the cafe," said one of the chefs of five star hotels.
