Saison
San Francisco’s esteemed, two Michelin-starred Saison is a modern American restaurant that wows its patrons with their innovative wood fire cooking of seasonal ingredients. Known for redefining modern American cuisine, Saison works directly with fisherman, ranchers, farmers and more in order to source the absolute best ingredients for their ever-changing, seasonal menu.
Following their sold out collaborative dinner with Chef Sota Atsumi of Paris’ MAISON this past spring, Saison will be hosting another collaborative dinner, this time with with celebrated Chef Prateek Sadhu, formerly the chef of Masque, one of Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants in India, from August 2nd – August 6th.
“Indian cuisine is one with a deep history that requires time and patience to perfect and I believe our approach to fire-based cooking and fermentation matches that ethos. Our two styles are very complementary and harmonious in execution,” says Chef Paul Chung, Culinary Director of Saison Hospitality.
“For me, it’s so exciting to bring the flavors of India to Saison and combine my ethos of Indian cooking to the ethos of Saison to create a memorable experience,” continues Chef Prateek Sadhu.
Saison
The collaboration will highlight the joint vision of Saison and Chef Prateek using the bounty of native California ingredients and unique flavor profiles from India.
We sat down to chat with Chef Prateek Sadhu and Chef Paul Chung, Culinary Director of Saison Hospitality on this exciting upcoming collaboration, what they’re most excited about and more. Here’s what they had to say.
Talk about this dinner’s collaborative aspect — how has it been to be working together again a decade later on such an extravagant nine course meal?
Chef Paul Chung: It’s very thrilling as Prateek and I worked together almost ten years ago in D.C. for Michael Mina, and from early on we connected on similar values for our craft. It’s amazing to see what Prateek has accomplished in propagating and educating the world with his indigenous cuisine, and this collaboration has allowed us to share his relationship and perspective with our team and the Bay Area.
Chef Prateek Sadhu: It feels like homecoming as I am so excited to be cooking alongside Paul after almost a decade. Paul and I connected on so many levels with regards to our cultures and cuisines. I am looking forward to using so many ingredients from California and putting them through the lens of Indian flavors.
What’s the inspiration behind the menu? What was the process like to create it?
Chef Paul Chung: We really wanted to highlight the flavors of Prateek’s heritage. The pandemic has taught us how important it is as a society to stay connected, and as chefs our first instinct is to display our sincerity, and care through the collaboration of meals. We knew we wanted the meal to be bold and embody the essence of fire. Chef Prateek will be highlighting many of his local spice blends, as we navigate the bounty of coastal Californian ingredients. It’s not everyday you get to see spot prawns, urchin, and Russian River caviar with Indian cuisine.
Chef Prateek Sadhu: I feel Indian food globally is heavily misinterpreted and misunderstood. There are so many stereotypes around Indian cuisine and my humble effort through this menu is to showcase diverse ingredients from different regions and subregions of India. The menu is inspired through my travels within India and understanding the diversity in our cuisine and showcasing that though the menu.
I was in constant touch with the chefs (at Saison) to understand what is seasonal in California right now, and based on that, we planned the menu. Moreover, there are so many collaborative courses which I am really excited about.
What are some of the courses you’re most excited about and why?
Chef Paul Chung: I’m most excited about the seafood courses. I’m an avid seafood fan, and am always eager to see how chefs around the world highlight the inherent delicate sweetness of fresh seafood. My knowledge of Indian cuisine is very limited, so this will be a great personal experience for myself as well.
Chef Prateek Sadhu: Honestly, the entire menu has so many layers and fun aspects to it and a lot of stories. But if you ask me, I am excited to showcase different breads from the regions of India. India is beyond naan and for me showcasing a few of the breads will be my humble effort to break the stereotypes around Indian food. Tungrymbai (smoked and fermented beans) is also something which I am excited to cook with as it’s something which is very hyper regional in India and pairing it with pork and pickled mango. I am here to tell a different story about Indian food.
How does the dinner highlight the best of each of you have to offer as chefs?
Chef Paul Chung: When I eat Indian cuisine, I’ve always found it to be bold and unapologetic. Its soulful, deliberate and sings to the nature of the land. I find that Korean and Chinese cuisine is very similar in that sense, and when combining the influences of Chef Prateek, Chef Richard Lee (Saison’s Chef de Cuisine), and my own heritage we will be able to showcase a meal for the senses that really explores the depths of nuanced flavor.
Chef Prateek Sadhu: I think it’s about how me, Chef Paul and Chef Richard combine our cultural experiences to bring a true sense of a collaboration and give diners an experience which is truly authentic, honest and unique.
What do you hope diners take away from this meal?
Chef Paul Chung: Fulfillment and understanding. I hope they leave this experience with a new appreciation of cuisine from Mumbai. These collaborations we are hosting are all about cultural exchange and sharing of stories. We are hoping to work with chefs we believe can share a unique perspective and connect the community with their cuisine.
Chef Prateek Sadhu: That Indian food is beyond the regular stereotypes. I feel it’s important to tell a different story about Indian food and change perceptions about it.
For more information on this collaboration, click here.