Chocolate sushi to Smoked Chocolate Martini: How Mumbai restaurants are innovating with chocolate in dishes and drinks

Move over chocolate in desserts because the idea of using them to only please your sweet tooth may just be considered passe now. While it is still celebrated in many ways at the end of the meal, there is so much happening in the earlier courses, and that's because restaurants want you to change the way you think about chocolate.

Imagine chocolate in your sushi, chocolate in your mead, chocolate with your duck and chocolate even in your martini! Isn't it difficult? It is simply because traditionally, chocolate has always been known to be a star of desserts in many different ways, and even that has evolved over the last decade. However, there are restaurants that have been innovating with their menus and even taking the opportunity to use chocolate in their savoury dishes and drinks, comfortably introducing them in main course instead of waiting all the way till desserts.

Every year, July 7 is celebrated as World Chocolate Day to celebrate the goodness of chocolate. Over the years, there has been an effort by chefs, restaurateurs and even mixologists to transform the use of chocolate and they have been considerably successful. Now, it has taken on a life of its own, so much so that restaurants are freely experimenting with its notes and flavours in dishes and drinks that you could never imagine before, and they feature on many menus in Mumbai.

More than Mexican mole
At ITC Grand Central in Parel, chef Mozanne Karbhari has been using chocolates in her food for close to a decade and has enjoyed every bit of it because of its versatility. Interestingly, she believes, it is one particular international dish that has helped introduce people to the idea of chocolate in savoury dishes. She explains, "'Mole Poblano', a Mexican dish, which uses chillies, chocolate and other ingredients to make a delectable gravy, has inspired the usage of chocolates in food beyond desserts."

Chef Rollin Lasrado, executive chef, Smoke House Deli, West Region, makes the same observation as Karbhari, and reminds that Mole Poblano is the most widely known example of how it can be used as an ingredient in a savoury dish. Such is the influence of the Mexican dish that Dane Fernandes, executive chef at JW Marriott Sahar, clearly inspired by it, makes a Mole sauce at the five-star property to serve a dish called ‘Romeritos with Mole'. He explains, "Mole sauce is a complex sauce made with various ingredients such as chilli peppers, nuts, spices, and traditionally, a small amount of chocolate.

The chocolate adds richness, depth, and a subtle sweetness to the sauce. It can be used as a base for dishes like chicken mole, enchiladas, or tamales." Fernandes says diners who order the ‘Romeritos with Mole' are often intrigued by unexpected flavour combinations and unsurprisingly, leads them on a journey that begins with appreciating the depth, complexity, and richness that chocolate can add to savoury dishes. He further adds, "Chocolate can be paired with various savoury ingredients to create interesting flavour combinations. For instance, dark chocolate can be combined with sea salt, bacon, or cheeses like blue cheese to create a harmonious balance between sweet, salty, and savoury flavours."

These very explorations have led Ronak Rane, wine sommelier at Hakkasan to experiment with chocolates in cocktails and mocktails. He has also noticed that a lot more diners want sweet drinks, especially the ones they sip on after their meal, and that is why he has concocted a special cocktail. He explains, "For the ‘Bird of Paradise' cocktail, we add chocolate bitters to make a drink with a much sweeter taste profile as compared to other bolder and refreshing drinks on the menu. This classic is blended with tequila, Cointreau, banana liquor, sweet Vanilla syrup and finished with chocolate bitters making it the perfect dessert drink to sip on." A perfect amalgamation of flavours, the cocktail is only the tip of the iceberg of the cocktails made by him. However, it certainly gives a taste of the many cocktails that Mumbai restaurants are making with chocolate.

Mix it with Martini
Clearly there is an influence beyond mole when one talks about using chocolate in food, and that Karbhari is quite phenomenal. "Ranging from hot chocolate beverages, chocolate cookies, chocolates sauces and for garnishes in muesli and in many health bowls, chocolates are often used," she adds. Over the years, Karbhari has not only used it in black tahini chocolate cookies but also to make Chocolate Hummus, Mocha Latte Cocktail, Citrus Hot Chocolate, and a Chocolate Martini too. "For the Chocolate Martini, we use equal parts of vodka, chocolate liqueur and Baileys Irish cream. The ingredients usually blend in well when the ratios of each component used, the mixing technique and the time and process are in sync. Any dish, especially cocktails, come together well with a perfect taste of desired chocolate when ratios are perfect," she explains.

It is no different for pastry chef Rachi Gupta who is the CEO and founder of Serendipity Speciality Foods. Pvt. Ltd, which runs The Bread Bar and The Gelato Bar in Mumbai. She explains, "The use of chocolate has indeed evolved beyond desserts. Chefs and food enthusiasts around the world are discovering innovative ways to incorporate chocolate into savoury dishes, sauces, marinades, and even cocktails. Chocolate's versatility allows it to add richness, depth, and complexity to a wide variety of foods, transcending its traditional dessert role." Gupta has seen an encouraging shift in the last few years, and says, "chefs are experimenting with different types of chocolate, including dark, milk, and even white chocolate, to create unique flavour combinations and experiences for diners".

Inspired by mole, Gupta like Fernandes has created a dish with it called Mole-Spiced Braised Chicken. It features tender braised chicken in a rich mole sauce made with dark chocolate, spices, and a hint of smokiness. The chocolate, she says, adds depth and richness to the sauce, creating a harmonious balance of flavours. The Mumbai chef not only uses it in savoury dishes but also to make a unique cocktail called Chocolate Chili Margarita. "This cocktail is a twist on the classic margarita, incorporating a touch of dark chocolate and a hint of chili. The combination of sweet, tangy, and spicy flavours creates a unique and delightful drinking experience," adds the entrepreneur.

Karbhari and Gupta aren't the only ones innovating with chocolate in a Martini at their restaurants. At 145 Cafe & Bar, they also use it to make an Espresso Martini. For Ishaan Bahl, the founder of resto-bar, using chocolate in dishes beyond desserts was a no-brainer because he reminds how everybody loves chocolate. Bahl explains, "Chocolate is used to add a certain level of sweetness and its own flavours to the dish and beverage. The use of chocolate has always been there. The types of chocolate in use are always evolving. You get to try all kinds of roasted chocolate and white chocolate to use. Chocolates mixed with different flavour profiles are also available for use. That includes sugar-free variation as well." It is also the reason why the restaurant has been exploring with its freakshakes, cold coffees as well as mocktails, apart from cocktails, over the years.

While Lasrado believes mole set the course, he has also used chocolate in different ways including a delicious martini. He shares, "From using it in the spice mix on Roast Chicken and Pork Ribs to using it to finish sauces as well to make some interesting cocktails, including a classic Smoked Chocolate Martini or an Aztec-Inspired Hot Chocolate, which goes amazingly well with some tequila too, we have used chocolate in a variety of ways."

Evolution of chocolate
The city-based chef has come a long way from when he first saw it being used to make a classic hot chocolate or chocolate and chili popcorn in the last two decades. The idea of using chocolate, he says, as an ingredient that is rich and luxurious and can replace something like butter in some form or as a spice is what inspired him to use it in dishes beyond desserts. However, there is a reason, he believes that has made more people experiment with it and that is for the better. "With the availability of better cacao and chocolate in the market and the creativity of the people and chefs in the country, the type and quality of chocolate being used has greatly improved," he adds.

It is not only the cacao and chocolate that is making chefs to experiment with it. At Ditas, executive chef Ravi Ranjan uses chocolate because of its high-fat content that makes his recipes sweeter and smoother. Having spent over 20 years in the industry, he has seen how the use of chocolate has evolved from just serving it as plain chocolate because people weren't "aware of any nutritional value or percentages of cocoa solids in chocolates and there were only limited uses of chocolate". However, that has changed over the years. "Chocolate is without a doubt one of the most popular and versatile ingredients around the globe. It is no longer limited solely to confections and sweets. This product lends itself very well to savoury dishes as a flavouring agent like pairing savoury chocolate with wine and braised ribs with chocolate." The fact that the varieties of chocolates have changed from a simple chocolate to a sugar-free chocolate, low to high cocoa solids, and ruby chocolate is also encouraging.

Earlier, for most people the bar was set high with international chocolate but today that has also changed. It has further motivated people to explore with its use. Rahul Bajaj, director at Out of the Blue also highlights, "We as a market have started understanding how to cultivate chocolate back home, how to properly temper it and figure out the science behind it, it has given rise to a massive opportunity for chocolatiers to find their niche. This, I still feel, is just the tip of the iceberg and there is a lot more to discover."

The Khar restaurant boasts of a delicious dish that they make during Christmas called the Grilled Duck, which uses chocolate differently. "We have tried a Grilled Duck preparation with a chocolate glaze, which was on our limited Christmas menu. The star of the dish was the sauce that paired beautifully with the succulent duck meat." While the duck meat is an instant hit that is made once a year, they have also done a spin on the classic Chocolate Martini with Vodka, Chocolate Liqueur, Irish Cream, and Cocoa Nibs, which is available throughout the year.

Sushi, mead and cocktails
Even as Mumbai restaurants are either exploring chocolate in savoury dishes and drinks with mole sauce or martinis, there are others who are taking it a step further with ingredients you never imagined.

Nom Nom for one, makes a chocolate sushi roll, which they serve as a dessert. Depankar Darji, head chef at the Khar restaurant, playing on how it is rich in carbohydrates, decided to experiment with chocolate by adding its own unique flavour to the Japanese delicacy. While the Mole Pablano is made, they also use chocolate to coat meats like chicken and Turkey. Darji has also seen bacon being coated with chocolate, and that is a perfect combination of sweet and savoury.

Interestingly, Jishnu, head mixologist at KMC' says chefs aren't the only ones who are experimenting with it because bartenders are also trying their hands at including them in drinks. They are making the most use of chocolates from different Indian states. Personally, he reveals his fascination with the ingredient, and how chocolate and whiskey pair perfectly together, and that's why he decided to make a cocktail with it. So, it's no surprise when Jishnu tells us a Chocolate Old Fashioned is one of his favourites. He explains, "I made a cocktail using truffle, chocolate and musk melon, with whiskey and some citrus. I made another clarified cocktail using milk, it's a technique to remove the sediments or cloudiness from it."

Meanwhile, chocolate is not only being used in food, cocktails and mocktails but also mead, which has been becoming popular in India over the last few years. Recently, Pune-based Moonshine Meadery, whose meads are available all over, decided to experiment with it as part of their seasonal experiments and batches called MeadLabs, and the results were exciting. Rohan Rehani, who is the co-founder, explains, "Meads are extremely versatile, and as a business we encourage everyone in our team to keep suggesting flavours we can add to the ‘flavour bible of meads'. We experimented with chocolate a few years ago and paired it with orange zest and peels. It was an instant hit. Since then, we have been making small batches of the Chocolate Orange mead every other year."

Ever since they have been making it, the response for it has been overwhelming but the challenge, Rehani says, is that it isn't easy to make Chocolate Orange mead using natural ingredients which is why they make small batches. "However, we are experimenting with our technique to allow larger batches in the months to come," he adds positively.

While others are positive about the evolution in use of chocolate in dishes and drinks beyond desserts, Rehani says India is still in its early steps in that direction. However, he is happy that Indian brands are using Indian cacao and spending time and energy shining the spotlight on the supply chain involved in the making of chocolate, which is definitely much needed, and leads the way for more innovations.

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