A top surgeon and writer based out of Delhi took to X (formerly Twitter) to call out the award-winning restaurant Indian Accent for allegedly serving ordinary button mushrooms instead of the luxurious morel mushrooms, mentioned on the menu. His post raised ethical concerns and a lack of integrity on the part of high-end restaurants. In response to his allegation, Indian Accent issued a statement.
Viral Post Slams Indian Accent For Replacing Morels With Cheaper Mushrooms
Dr Ambarish Satwik slammed Indian Accent in a no-guns-blazing post on X. He described his dining experience at the restaurant, featured on Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants list, as a ‘deliberate act of chicanery’ and a ‘culinary sleight of hand’. Sharing a picture of the chef’s vegetarian-tasting menu, he highlights a dish— ‘masala morels, water chestnut, asparagus, paper roast dosai’. And termed this ‘Exhibit A’.
‘Exhibit B’ was a picture of a plate of semi-dry sliced button mushrooms with slivers of asparagus and what looked like a piece of paper roast dosai on the side. Morel mushroom also called gucchi is a rare and expensive type of fungi sourced from forests in Jammu & Kashmir. A priced ingredient known for its distinct aroma and flavour. Fine diners look forward to the morel gracing their tables.
Dr Ambarish claimed in his post that while the restaurant promised him morels on the menu, what he got instead were mere button mushrooms commonly found in a roadside stir-fry. He called it a “calculated decision” and not an error on the part of the chef to serve cheaper mushrooms instead of the pricey morel. On complaining to the management, he received an apology and a new plate, flushed with morels.
Diners are not just paying for the food or the ambience but for the integrity as well, stressed the surgeon in his post. Dr Ambarish wrote, “They are engaging in outright theft.” His post went viral, amassing over 495k views and several comments from enraged Netizens.
Restaurant Issues A Statement For Clarification
Indian Accent published a statement in response to the allegation. The famous restaurant stressed that it was not cost-cutting but rather a ‘simple misunderstanding’. ‘Morel masala includes other mushrooms like button, oyster and shimeji apart from sliced morel and that makes the masala tastier’, cited the restaurant. Also, the team reasoned that the dish was lifted from their 2009 menu and that was the cause for the confusion.
Apart from offering an apology, the restaurant informed to have remade the dish with extra morels and also brought out extra desserts to make up for the guest’s unpleasant dining experience.
While loyal patrons of Indian Accent stood by the restaurant’s response in the comments section. A Netizen questioned the need for the team to pacify the guest with ‘extra desserts’ if they weren’t in the wrong. Indian Accent is celebrating 15 years in the hospitality industry. This news comes a few months after the departure of its Culinary Director and celebrity chef Manish Mehrotra.
Meanwhile, what do you think about the Indian Accent chatter on X? Share your views with us!
Cover Image Courtesy: @AmbarishSatwik/ X
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