Ove r th e yea rs , Su n i l h a d th e p r i vi l eg e o f cooki n g fo r th e Du ke o f E d i n bu rg a n d Qu een E l i za be th d u r i n g th e i r h i s to r i c vi s i t to I n d i a i n 1 997 , th en Pres i d en t Bi l l Cl i n ton on h i s I n d i a n Vi s i t , Pr i me Mi n i s te r Pe rvez Mu sh a r ra f o f Pa ki s ta n , a n d I n d i a n Pr i me Mi n i s te rs Ata l Bi h a r i Va j pa yee a n d Ma nmoh a n Si n g h . Mi c ro so f t fou n d e r Bi l l Ga tes h a s d i n ed on Su n i l ’ s c rea t i ve fa re , a s h a s th e Amba s sa d o r o f Tu n i s i a to I n d i a , Sa bee r Bh a t i a ( fou n d e r o f H o tma i l ) , a n d Vi n od Dh am ( I n te l , Fou n d e r o f Pen t i um Ch i p ) . H e a l so p l a n n ed a n d h o s ted a cooki n g sh ow fo r Mi s s I n d i a 2 002 . H i s spec i a l ta l en t s i n th e cu l i n a ry a r t s a n d sc i en ces awa rd ed h i m a spec i a l vi sa to come to th e Un i ted Sta tes i n 2 005 . H e p romp t l y wen t to wo rk i n N ew Yo rk a s execu t i ve ch e f a t Tama r i n d , th e f i rs t I n d i a n res ta u ra n t on th e Mi ch e l i n recommen d ed res ta u ra n t l i s t a n d on e o f th e top I n d i a n res ta u ra n t s i n th e c i ty. Af te r h e l p i n g a f r i en d open a res ta u ra n t i n Vi rg i n i a , th e fami l y moved to Sa n Fra n c i sco wh e re h e became execu t i ve ch e f a t Ambe r . I t became th e on l y I n d i a n res ta u ra n t i n Za g a t ’ s Top 1 00 Res ta u ra n t s i n th e Ba y Area fo r 1 2 yea rs . Th e Grea t W’Ka n a Ca fé wa s a n o th e r s tep towa rd th e cou p l e ’ s p l a n s o f open i n g a spec i a l res ta u ra n t l i ke n o o th e r i n s i d e th e Loop . Th a t d ream came to be i n N ovembe r , 2 0 1 8 wh en th ey open ed th e d oo rs to Ve ra n d a h . Th e n ame , l i ke eve ryth i n g e l se th i s cou p l e i n vo l ve th emse l ves i n , h a s mea n i n g , too . “Ba ck h ome , th e ve ra n d a i s th e p l a ce wh e re eve ryon e i s en te r ta i n ed , ” h e exp l a i n s . “ I t ’ s wh e re t h e f am i l y g a t h e r s . I t ’ s wh e re f r i en d s a re b ro u g h t to wh en t h ey v i s i t . I t ’ s wh e re we ea t a n d t a l k a n d en j o y ea ch o t h e r ’ s compa n y. ” I n t h e Ve ra n d a h k i t ch en , Su n i l co n t i n u e s h i s ma s te r s k i l l s a t c rea t i n g I n d i a n d i s h e s t h a t bo t h pu s h t h e en ve l ope i n t h e i r u n i q u en e s s a n d s t i l l pa y h oma g e to cen t u r i e s o f cu l i n a r y h i s to r y a n d I n d i a n ch e f s . H i s Ch e f ’ s Ta b l e , re se r ved i n a d va n ce f o r u p to 1 0 peop l e , a l l ows f o r bo t h h e a n d h i s g u e s t s to be e ven mo re a d ven t u ro u s , a n d h i s t a s t i n g men u s e xp l o re spec i f i c a rea s o f I n d i a n cu i s i n e . Mo n t h l y d i n n e r s , f ea t u r i n g men u s o n e ve r yt h i n g f rom a n i g h t o f cu r r i e s to d i n i n g i n a n c i en t I n d i a d u r i n g t h e t i me o f Al e xa n d e r t h e Grea t , o f f e r ye t a n o t h e r wa y to e xp l o re t h e cu i s i n e Su n i l so l o ve s Ou t s i d e t h e k i t ch en , An u pama co n t i n u e s h e r own u n i q u e t a l en t s i n h o sp i t a l i t y, wi t h a n u n ca n n y kn a c k f o r remembe r i n g f a ce s a n d n ame s a n d a f l a i r f o r ma k i n g g u e s t s f ee l l i ke t h ey h a ve come h ome a g a i n . ( An d o n e ca n n o t men t i o n An u pama wi t h o u t a c kn owl ed g i n g h e r i n c red i b l e f ru i t j ams a n d p re se r ve s wh i ch s h e occa s i o n a l l y se l l s a t t h e re s t a u ra n t . Th e ma rma l a d e i s e xcep t i o n a l ) . Awa y f rom t h e re s t a u ra n t , An u pama a n d h e r mo t h e r ten d to a l a rg e h ome g a rd en f rom wh i ch t h e re s t a u ra n t g e t s a l o t o f f re s h p rod u ce . #FINEDININGINDIAN | 34 JUNE 2019
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