Cover Revolver and Thevar's sold-out collaboration dinner
Revolver and Thevar's sold-out collaboration dinner
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Two of Singapore's best Indian restaurants hosted a sold-out collaboration dinner event last month. We speak to the two chefs on their inspiration behind their original dishes and what else we can expect from them
Thevar and Revolver are two of the hottest modern Indian restaurants on the island. The former is headed by culinary whiz Mano Thevar, who earned two Michelin stars for his establishment, while the latter is helmed by executive chef Saurabh Udinia, a rising star in the F&B scene who continues to impress discerning diners with his unique take on Indian fare that is finished with a kiss of smoke.
When both chefs of their calibre come together, magic naturally happens in the kitchen. That’s exactly what took place at their one-night-only four-hands dinner at Revolver on February 20, with both chefs working on all the 13 dishes together and serving them for one night only.
The news, of course, was well received in the dining community and the seats were sold out within an hour after it was announced on social media. “Thevar is a superstar restaurant,” declares Udinia, but while he was confident that the dinner would sell out, he was “fascinated” that the seats were quickly snapped up.
Recalling the night that they did 80 covers (two dinner seatings) in one night, both chefs tell us what sparked their collaboration dinner, their inspiration behind the exclusive menu, and what else we can expect from them.
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How did this collaboration come about?
Saurabh Udinia (SU): We are both big fans of each other’s restaurant, so we’ve wanted to do a collaboration for a long time. But due to our busy schedules, we weren’t able to push through. And then one day, we had a call and just decided to do it.
Mano Thevar (MT): As a Malaysian, I focus a lot on Southeast Asian cuisine and never really cooked Indian food. I was also mostly trained in French and Japanese techniques.
When Revolver invited me to do a collaboration dinner, I thought that it was a very interesting idea. I had a call with Saurabh after that and the rest is history.
What do you like about each other's cuisine? What was your first impression of his food?
SU: Mano’s food is amazing. His techniques, precision, and dedication are all exemplary. Also, Mano is probably the humblest chef I have met.
MT: Saurabh’s cuisine is very straightforward, which is something that I have always loved. It’s real authentic food. There are no gimmicks. And even when he works with simple ingredients, his dishes are always full of flavour.
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You both offer modern Indian cuisines in your respective restaurants, but your culinary styles are different. How did you find a middle ground in creating your exclusive menu?
SU: Showcasing Indian food to the world—that's the common ground we have, which is why we’re also in sync on how we look at a particular dish and what to make of it.
MT: We wanted to stick to our roots. For our cooking styles, Saurabh is more rustic and focuses a lot on the combination of flavours, while I’m more particular about the details and presenting dishes in a finer way. When crafting the menu, we wanted to stick with Indian flavours. That was the focus and inspiration behind the dishes.
Could you take us through the process of creating the menu?
SU: First, we discussed the structure of the menu, such as the number of courses, and the dishes. Once the structure was ready, we brainstormed and shared our experience with food from different regions.
In just a couple of hours, we didn't even realise that the menu was ready. We had so many more dishes we would have liked to include that didn’t make it to the menu, so hopefully, we’ll use it for next time. It’s always a fun experience to have a conversation with a master craftsman like Mano.
MT: Collaboration was the focus when coming up with the menu. It was important for us to work well together, as that’s how you learn and improve as a chef. I remember meeting with Saurabh thrice, for around an hour each time to discuss the menu. We play off each other well. For example, one of my signature dishes is pani puri, and when I mentioned it, Saurabh would throw in a suggestion. Then I would share what I also had in mind, and vice versa. It all comes down to sitting together and collaborating on every single element.
What was the experience like collaborating with your friend?
SU: It was very fun, but too short-lived. We’re looking to do it again next year and hopefully make it like an annual celebration.
M: We had 80 covers and I believe that no restaurant in Singapore had done 80 covers at a four-hands. dinner It was amazing to work with a friend and deliver delicious food.
What were the challenges preparing for this collaboration dinner?
SU: There were no challenges for me.
MT: I was really happy with how everything turned out. But as with everything we do, and this being our first collaboration, it’s definitely a trial-and-error experience with more successes than errors. I would say the most challenging part was making sure that quality was not compromised, especially since 80 covers is a lot for a four-hands dinner. As a result, we couldn’t interact that much with guests.
Anything else we can expect from both chefs? What are your future plans?
MT: We are planning to do this collaboration annually, but with completely different menus. Maybe we might do it in a different style, like serving dishes group by group so there will be bigger portions for each dish. Of course, the ultimate goal is to create an experience for the diners, so we will take what we learned from this experience and grow from there.
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Dudi Aureus is the senior dining and travel editor at Tatler Singapore, covering the city’s most exciting restaurants, global travel trends, and the personalities shaping the culinary and lifestyle scenes. She also serves as co-jury chair for the Tatler Best awards in Singapore, celebrating the very best in hospitality. When she’s off duty, she can often be found at a favourite hole-in-the-wall Thai spot, savouring a perfectly balanced pad thai.
