‘I’m sure you are going to find this place a great experience”, my friend was confident as we walked into the chic, fine-dining restaurant on Shaikh Zayed Road.
I began to understand what she meant when we were welcomed with scented bubbles from a large vase placed on the table. After which, through each course we were bombarded with a profusion of flavours, quirky twists on classic dishes and creative presentations all ensuring a really entertaining meal.
“Molecular gastronomy uses scientific principles in cooking to come up with new creations,” the chef explained, as he used some liquid nitrogen to create a dish right there on our table. We walked out after a leisurely meal, intrigued by it all and with a lot of Instagram-worthy photographs of the food, of course.
Another time, I accompanied a group of friends to a fashion-themed afternoon tea. The trays were soon wheeled in with a white chocolate stiletto, cakes shaped like bags, tubes of cream to accompany the scones and more dainty delights. Before eating, we spent a lot of time posing and trying to get the best angle and the most photogenic pictures of the pretty spread.
Every evening, I enjoy watching the television shows that take us on daily, culinary tours around the world. It is delightful to see talented chefs effortlessly whip up dishes using exotic ingredients and present them in the most drool-worthy way, often making them look like art on a plate. With the recreation of the beauty of Japanese cherry blossoms or food that looks like the colours of the ocean and the marine life, there seem to be endless possibilities now, to explore the gastronomy paradise.
Who does not like a perfectly presented plate of food? And, all the better, if we can extend the moment of delight a little longer by taking a few photographs and sharing the visual experience with family and friends. Isn’t it great if a home cook derives a sense of pride in a culinary creation by posting a few pictures of it online? There is no harm in the food photography trend as long as it does not become an annoying obsession.
However, I am often reminded of the days when the thought of photographing our food before we ate never occurred to us. We were also not surrounded by the extensive use of ingredients with hard-to-pronounce names to make each culinary creation sound more exotic than the next. Like most of us, some of the best food I remember are those from my childhood days. Of meal times with cousins, gathered around my grandmother’s dining table, waiting to be served with the goodness of wholesome home-cooked food.
It was simple, everyday fare, nothing fancy, made from the freshest ingredients usually sourced from the backyard. The creaminess of fish curry in coconut sauce, the crunchy stir-fried vegetables or the softness of steamed rice cakes all met with our unanimous appreciation. All the dishes could be described the same way. Soul-satisfying. The conversation flowing at the table, the smiles and sharing ... all added to the magic of those meal times.
Years later, on a WhatsApp group of my extended family, now scattered across the globe, the discussions often centre on the food of those days.
“How could we eat the same breakfast everyday and not complain?”, one cousin queried.
“We don’t have a single photograph of all that delicious food”, another moaned.
Yes, there are no photographs. Yet, we can still taste the spicy, tangy fish curry at the mere mention of it.
An overdose of love, the utmost care and the host of emotions that went into their preparation created indelible impressions that still retain their incredible flavours after all these years.
Fyna Ashwath is a journalist based in Dubai.
