Indian celebrity chef preparing special Valentine’s Day menu

Muscat: Indian celebrity chef Ajay Chopra, who is an integral part of Jashn restaurant, is currently in Oman, preparing a special Valentine’s Day menu for his fans and customers in the Sultanate. “We have a beautiful menu planned for the Valentine’s Day. I have left my Valentine behind to make sure that Muscat can enjoy some great food.”
As it happens often during his Muscat visits, this time, too, he kept himself occupied by organizing interesting culinary events such as the Chef’s meet and dinner wherein Ajay Chopra and Chef Issa al Lamki designed an interesting menu that combined the flavours and essence of Indian and Omani cuisine.
He has always known that there is an intense connection between Indian and Arabian food, but this time, he got to put it to test. “Indian food finds a connection with most of the Persian and Middle Eastern food. As Mughals moved from Persia to India,they brought in a lot of effect.”
Similarly, even Omani food has a strong Persian influence. “Lot of Omani foods use fragrances, which is a very Persian way of looking at food. Omanis also use a lot of dry fruits in their food. It is used a lot in Persia, India, Afghanistan, Oman and even Saudi Arabia.”
Commenting about the food culture in Oman, Chef Ajay Chopra said Omanis are very excited about food and also actively discuss it in person as well as on social media platforms.
“More than restaurant hopping,I see hopping on Instagram. I see a lot of connect with people talking about food and clicking pictures. In terms of a food culture, Oman is going through a transition phase. Chefs are trying to take Omani food to a new level.”
In spite of the economic downturn, new restaurants are constantly coming up in Oman. “There are few things in our life that we never give up. Food, schooling and hospitals (are such things). These three will always remain in business.”