The greatest epics often open using one of two narrative techniques. The beginning, which tells a story in a linear fashion, also known as in medias res, Latin for ‘into the middle of things’, which starts in the midst of action and then uses narrative devices like flashbacks to fill in the backstory. Meanwhile, in medias res is exciting, where epics like Paradise Lost and the Ramayana (ignoring its prelude) demonstrate the wonder of following a protagonist as their journey unfolds.
That’s how Flour’s chef-founder Yogesh Upadhyay opted to open the tale he would tell in 2023, a two-part story that would trace the evolution of food across millennia in the subcontinent known today as India.
Aarambh: Origins, Part 1, was unveiled early this year, zipping back to the Bronze Age some 3,000 years before the inception of the Republic of India. Hindi for ‘origins’, Aarambh was inspired by the ingredients and eating habits in the Indus Valley described in ancient texts such as Sanskrit Vedas and through utensils found in archaeological sites dating before the birth of the Mughal Empire. On the plate, this translated to luscious salmon with bearnaise; lentils and roots layered with onion cream; and a textural vegetable bouillon with kokum, Rosematta rice, French beans, and zucchini.
Having whetted the appetite—physically and spiritually—with the first chapter, Chef Yogi then closes the year with Parivartan: Evolution, Part 2. One of his recurring sayings over the years when describing the Flour experience is: “This isn’t Indian food, but food from India.” Here, he showcases the confluence of Persian, Arabic, Turkish, and Central Asian influences from 1500 AD onwards that shaped the subcontinent’s culinary landscape into what it is today.
Parivartan, or ‘evolution’, winds around time and place. After an opening duo of jalebi—the namesake dessert between a biscuit base and a lick of wasabi for a curious blend of sweet, savoury, and swift heat—and rice crackers accented with fenugreek and curry leaves is a dosa. Flour’s creative interpretation features a shitake mushroom paste and gruyere cheese filling, elevating the humble staple into a refined treat that is likely to inspire new trends.
From the Rajasthan drylands where beans and berries birthed the ker sangri, Chef Yogi reinterpreted the traditionally hot dish as an uplifting cold salad of organic French beans, asparagus, raspberry sauce, homemade curd, tamarind, cherry tomatoes, and Greek cheese. He transports you to Bengal in the east with the macher jhol (fish curry), reimagined as Alaskan white cod marinated with miso and served with smoked trout roe, mustard and yoghurt, then to the west with the Gujarati daal dhokli, a beautiful pigeon pea stew that’s piquant with mustard and bulked with tomatoes and soba noodles.
A favourite from Aarambh returns, symbolic of recurring themes across the millennia of India’s culinary evolution. Mango lassi is reconstructed as a dash of cream, a lashing of harumanis mango pulp, and the quiet brine and saline of Royal Beluga caviar for that hint of salt.
No matter the title on the menu, Chef Yogi’s touch always shines through in the expert handling of the game so that natural flavours shine through; the play on textures such as toothsome rice aged for two years; the delicate dance of contrasting flavours such as fiery chilli and tempering coconut. He explores tastes with almost academic rigour, such as the complex nuances of sweet flavours in prasad, a light yet heady melange of jaggery, vanilla chantilly cream, slivered nuts, lavender honey, and edible foil.
Flour is Chef Yogi’s personal attempt to showcase the vast repertoire and rich diversity of India’s cuisine. Incredible expressions such as Aarambh and Parivartan (RM690 per person or RM495 for the vegetarian version) prove that while each visit or menu can stand on its own, the best way—really, the only way—to truly learn is to journey with Flour over time and appreciate each chapter of its epic story.
