Chef Niyati Rao On Ekaa’s Ingredient-Forward Approach And More

Chef Niyati Rao is better known as the mastermind behind Ekaa, an ingredient forward restaurant located in the bylanes of Fort. Rao began her journey with restaurants like Wasabi by Morimoto, The Zodiac Grill and A Reverie. She has also worked with the renowned Noma in Copenhagen which hailed as the World’s Best Restaurant. For Chef Niyati’s innovative approach to food, she was recognised under Forbes 30 Under 30 and was honoured with the title of Excellent Chef at the Best Chef Awards 2024.

How did you decide to launch Ekaa as an ingredient-forward restaurant?

While I was in Noma in Denmark, I realised that during the winter months, when the vegetation is low and there is less produce available, even in those harsh months, if there was a simple ingredient like a pumpkin, they would create magic with it by pairing it up with different flavours, in different textural forms. This is where I saw the larger picture and thought to myself, “India is such a diverse nation with infinite possibilities due to undiscovered seasonal ingredients. This is something I should highlight, aided with RnD, innovation and technique”

Ekaa secured a spot on the World’s 50 Best this year. What was the process of selection like?

To be frank I still don’t know. Perhaps the voters did visit EKÅA incognito, and enjoyed their experience with us and perhaps thought we deserved this honour. We are truly grateful for it and it motivates us to do better in the future .

Describe the cuisine which is being served at Ekaa.

It’s an ingredient centric cuisine. Or ingredient focused cuisine. We create our own blueprint. We don’t work or tweak pre existing recipes, we garner inspiration from people, seasons, ingredients and our culture to create combinations and textural creations that surprise people all while being focused on ingredients and seasonality.

What is the most challenging ingredient you have sourced at Ekaa? What was the process of securing the ingredient like?

At Ekaa we aim at introducing Indian ingredients that nobody thought were available in India and everyone was sourcing from neighbouring nations until we discovered it. Like Indian Sea urchin which we took a year to source from a small fishing village in the south of India. As we had to explain the logistics to humble divers who had never done it before.

In fact they were using the shells to make lanterns. We have been the first to source Indian rainbow trout eggs from Kashmir. We had to work with the fishermen closely to tell them when they could harvest the roe. The start-to-end process took us a year. Then there was naga pepper, which we foraged, that cannot be grown/cultivated and is one of the rarest ingredients in the world with a very unique flavour. The Indian durian that we introduced for the first time to the Indian market.

Why is Fort a strategic location for Ekaa?

Fort especially where we are opposite CST, the entire area holds a significant historical importance and some beautiful pre colonial structures still stand tall, everything tells a story, it was the perfect place for us to do Ekaa, and we stumbled across it, Ekaa is on the first floor of kitab mahal which is a 130 year old building, and hence we are blessed with rare features like glass sunroof, 25 ft ceilings. It completes the place and adds to the aesthetic of how Ekaa is a destination, not a pit stop.

You recently hosted Pharrell Williams for dinner. How do you ensure a VVIP experience for special guests?

So recently, when we hosted Pharel William, and honestly, it was a big surprise for us and an absolute honour to host such a talented person. And the most important thing when we actually host celebrity clientele is their privacy. We really value their privacy, and we ensure that we are one of the main protectors of it as well. Unless the celebrity himself or somebody from their side publicises the entire event, Ekaa or the entire organisation would never publicise this for their own benefit. I think that the VVIP experience also comes with fulfilling the demands of a certain guest and their requirements. I think accommodating those is not enough, but to actually ensure we accommodate them and at the same time come up with something even better, something that causes them to have a sort of surprise, is what we endeavour to do.

Which restaurants do you dine at when you eat out?

I love having micro cuisines. I absolutely love North-eastern cuisine and especially Naga cuisine, and I love the cuisine of Manipur as well. So, when you see me eating out at places, It’s really diverse, it’s very homely, it’s very comforting. So basically, food that I can’t cook or something that I aim to learn one day. I love highway Gomantak. I love a good Malwani meal. At the same time, I love eating at home whenever I get time, which I don’t nowadays. I like to go home and eat my mother’s cooking.

What are some trends that are shaping the tasting menu-driven restaurant industry in India?

1. Hyper-local and Seasonal Sourcing: Chefs are increasingly using ingredients from their immediate environment, often foraged or grown in-house, to create a strong sense of place and sustainability.

2. Storytelling and Personal Expression: Tasting menus are evolving into narrative-driven experiences, reflecting a chef’s personal journey, cultural heritage, or philosophy, creating a deeper connection with diners.

3. Integration of Technology: From digital reservation platforms to interactive elements like audio or projection mapping, tech is being used to elevate and personalise the experience.

4. Alternative Pairings: Beyond wine, restaurants are offering innovative pairings like craft teas, kombucha, or zero-proof cocktails to cater to a broader range of guests.

5. Cultural Fusion with Respect: Chefs are blending global flavours in thoughtful, research-driven ways, creating modern interpretations while respecting the origins of the ingredients and techniques.