Kolkata's Social is inspired by city's hangout culture: Celebrity restaurateur Riyaaz Amlani

Q. Coming from a Parsi-Muslim house, how was your childhood and what delicacies did you enjoy?

A. It was full of food. We used to have a lot of festivals and celebrate all kinds of good food. At home, we used to celebrate all festivals, from Diwali to Holi to Eid to Christmas.

Q. Do you think today's generation is losing touch of traditional recipes, and how do you plan to incorporate them into your menu?

A. People do get distracted by new things. For a long time, people have been fascinated by the West because India, I think, has opened up so much in the last 20–30 years. But we are seeing a very interesting cultural shift. People, maybe 20 years ago, were kind of embarrassed of Indianness. But now, we have rediscovered ourselves, especially when it comes to cuisine, music, and our cultural heritage. I think we're rediscovering that, and we will take pride in it. We're happy to rediscover it. With Social, we are trying to revive old traditions- the Adda traditions, the coffee houses and the cabin cultures. So we are hoping to put that into a new perspective. And I think people are now happy to embrace.

Photo courtesy: Ayush Gupta/IBNS

Q. Stick to traditions or go with trends: What do you recommend for future restaurateurs?

A. We should have the capability to dip in and out of whatever we love. Our traditions allow us the nuance and complexity while the West allows us the technique.

Q. During the pandemic, the restaurant industry faced unprecedented challenges. Can you tell us about the strategies you implemented to adapt and stay resilient during these tough times?

A. The pandemic was an apocalyptic event for the restaurant industry. It was the people who carried us through it. There were people who decided that they wouldn't go home; they would live in restaurants. Be able to do whatever business they can; they will work in the kitchens and do deliveries on their own. Whatever little revenue they made, they contributed to helping us get through. They took pay cuts. So, if we are surviving today, it is because of the people who work for Impresario.

Photo courtesy: Ayush Gupta/IBNS

Q. Do you think India needs a Michelin-starred restaurant?

A. We do not need their approval. India is way more complex and they cannot deal with the complexity. For them, it's 5–6 different ingredients, but for us, it's 30–40 different ingredients with different styles and preparation techniques. So, we don't need validation from some other company and I think if they came to India, they would have the most Michelin stars anywhere else in the world because our food is that rich.

Q. Mocha, Salt Water Cafe, Smoke House Deli, Social, Anti-social... What's the next trick up your sleeve?

A. More of them. I think we are very focused on social and we want to get that brand to as many cities as we can because social is a flag bearer.

Q. What different ideas did you have for Social in Kolkata? How is it unique?

A. No two Socials are the same. Social has its own character and personality. We get very inspired by the social spaces of that particular culture and where people hang out. In Calcutta (Kolkata), it is about coffee houses and old-school pubs. We are very inspired by Adda culture, which is very much a part of the DNA of the people here and we are hoping to connect with them on that basis.

(Images by Ayush Gupta/IBNS and PR Team)