With Chef, Irfan, there is an authentic return to cultural Indian cuisine. His current professional place, or should I say palace, of residence is the modish, Mayfair-based restaurant, Lucknow 49, which delectably melds the regal and the rustic because of a combination of Royal influence on the house dishes, and the infinitely warm demeanour of the master cook who creates them. Irfan elaborated on this pleasing paradox: “during the time of the Mughal Empire, royalty would actually sit on cushions, closer to the ground, to feel comfortable while they enjoyed their sumptuous meals. There was a grounding simplicity to the surrounding that enhanced their food.”
Indeed, Irfan, who brings his fourth generation insider knowledge of old recipes from the Raj, specifically from the region of Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh, to the modern metropolis of London, specialises in a stately familiarity: “I will only use the freshest of spices,” he told us, “which are numbered rather than named as they are exclusive to my family, and could be counterfeited otherwise.” The family recipes of the unique restaurant have been “learnt by heart”, passed down to the touchingly compelling chef by his great, great grandfather who cooked for the King of Lucknow, and are not even written on paper. “I was trained personally by my late grandfather and father,” Irfan stated. “They taught me to really value the skill, and prepared me for life.”
He elaborated on the signature savour of the food: “as well as the spices, the originality comes of the traditional techniques too: from cooking methods to the type of kitchenware in which the dishes should be made.” This includes slow cooking over a number of hours which makes the meat incredibly tender so it is “soft and falling off the bone just as the Royals ate it. The aroma and texture of the food is also affected by the type and shape of the equipment that holds it. For example, I might cook using a copper bowl or over a wooden fire where the flames can encircle the food. It is an older generational approach. Different pots have different tastes. I also choose to use charcoal or wood to heat the dishes over gas or electric cookery as is customary in the UK.”
The dynamic seasonings that are central to the time-honoured brand of Lucknow 49, are also selectively imported from abroad: “for example, I love to use Saffron, and I would know where in the world to find the best quality." The final elusive ingredient is timing: "not just measured but carefully monitored cooking. You need to know exactly when to introduce that element into the dish: it makes a significant difference. People deserve your diligence.” The great humility in one’s service then helps produce the richest flavour. Indeed, with its “roll and square pillows”, and light, wooden benches, the decor of the ambient dining den emotively lift you, reflecting this philosophy beautifully.
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As if the experience didn’t seem radiant enough, Founder of Lucknow 49, Dhruv Mittal, ardently supports the creative vision of the proud, home-grown Chef so that the sensory enthusiasm for regional specialities melts into the deepest culinary layer of management. “We work as a team to feature favourite dishes and always tell a story with the food,” Dhruv, who has prior knowledge of Mughlai cuisine himself, told us. He founded the DUM Biryani House beforehand, and made his name as a Chef by drawing skilfully from Hyderabad cuisine. “I met Dhruv quite casually through a friend,” Irfan commented. “I happened to cook him dinner, which he loved! I had always wanted a platform through which to showcase my collection of beloved recipes, and Dhruv has really boosted that for me, believing very much in underexplored cuisine.”
The foodie Founder stated: “Irfan has an incredible background and history: I’ll sometimes contribute ideas for a dish and help develop the menu items to make them commercially viable. It’s wonderful to be able to collaborate to educate people on the true artisanal cooking of India – a practice that was rare to begin with and is fast-fading in a hurried", and heavily profit-driven world. In fact, people do fly out to the Indian historic capitals of Mogul influence simply to sample the local cooking, which is yet preserved within certain families and small franchises.
“It’s a dream to be able to be cooking here, celebrating my heritage,” Irfan aptly added here. “I remember training with my father, just after completing the equivalent of GCSE level, learning my entire craft by hand, from home. I started at 7 with my grandfather, who was catering for thousands at the time. I was first promoted to cooking curries and then began helping in his Tandoori department where I learned how to make the traditional Lucknowi Tandoori bread. Eventually, my father sent me out to absorb influences from all over the country. I remember returning home and being tasked to prepare food after the long adventure – my father was very impressed with the diverse knowledge that I’d absorbed. Soon after, he released me into the world to forge my own path.” And so, the at once contemporarily named, Lucknow 49, is able to cater to the nostalgia of an era that yearns for the life and love of a more emotionally invested past. This is really at the heart of the restaurant’s sophisticated trademark. It presents gastronomic ethos that doesn’t just evoke the sensation of solace, which is provided by all premium home-made cooking, but a ranging sense of belonging that captures the zeitgeist: and not least because the business of fine food for the Chef, Irfan, is so genuinely his entire world.
More specifically, what is a particular technique you use to enhance flavour: it seems your style is very much as if imitable grapes on a vine?
Yes, it is a very delicate procedure. Adding the spice at the most opportune moment: for example, when cooking lamb or chicken, you should put in the salt at the beginning so it can soak into the meat. In terms of the actual spice: I do love Saffron as it has a very subtle yet wafting smell.
When you were travelling around India as a young boy still training, what were some of the other regional influences you picked up?
I went to many places, including South India, Hyderabad, Kolkata, and Kashmir.
What are some of your best dishes?
Our Dal Kachori bhalla chaat, beef galawat kawab, and ghost Barrah are good starters on the menu. For mains, we recommend the Taar Gosht, Moong dal makhani and gilafi to mop everything up!
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