Chef Chat: Alex Sanchez Is Head of The Table at His Mumbai, India Restaurant

Since its opening in 2011, Mumbai’s The Table has remained one of the city’s most popular restaurants as well as one of the most difficult to get into. Sitting practically in the shadow of the landmark Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in the Kolaba neighborhood, the two-story stone and wood space is buzzing with locals and in-the-know travelers every day and night of the week. Serving lunch, brunch, tea, and dinner, The Table and its American-born chef, Alex Sanchez, have garnered many awards over the years, including Time Out’s “Best Restaurant in India (Critics Choice)” in 2014 and “Best Chef in India” in 2011. The main floor bar area is dominated by a 26-foot teak table, while the upstairs dining loft features dark wood and plush seating.

On a recent visit there we devoured an army of small plates whose global influences include Italian, French, pan-Asian, and Latin American, with nary an Indian dish in sight. Among the best were Roasted Broccoli Tacos, Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup, Sweet and Sour Fried Brussels Sprouts, Spicy Salmon Tartare with Pine Nuts and Jalapeño, Vietnamese Pork Ribs, and cube-like Boneless Chicken Wings.

After the crowds subsided we had an opportunity to sit down with Chef Sanchez, a Culinary Institute of America graduate who has worked at Michelin-starred venues such as Manresa and the French Laundry, over a bottle of Indian-made Chandon sparkling wine. [pagebreak]

The Latin Kitchen: How did you go from working in California to running a restaurant in India?

Alex Sanchez: Towards the end of 2010, my cousin Joey Altman, a restaurant consultant and TV host of Bay Café, was approached to open a restaurant in Bombay. At the time, I had just finished a year and half stint at Manresa in Los Gatos, CA. I was in between jobs and Joey asked me to come help him. The timing was right and the opportunity to travel piqued my interest so I agreed. Six years later, I’m still here. In June of 2016 we opened Magazine Street Kitchen, a culinary playground with 2500 square feet of kitchen space. We have since used it for anything from cooking classes to guest chef dinners and private events.    

TLK: How has your background informed your cooking and menu selection?

AS: I grew up in San Francisco at a time when the community was still vibrant and diverse. Sadly, it’s changed a lot since then. As a kid, I was exposed to a myriad of cuisines, all of which have influenced the way I cook and the way I like to eat. While my father is Puerto Rican—hence the name Sanchez—I grew up with my Jewish mother and her side of the family. At The Table, I pull from all of these influences to create a menu that adheres to no specific cultural identity. It can be tricky juggling many styles of cuisine without coming across as fusion or confusion, but as long as the flavors are balanced and the food is well executed I don’t feel the need to limit myself.

TLK: Why do you think your restaurant is so popular with Mumbai locals?

AS: It is important to know your guests and to pay attention to the people who eat your food and to take their feedback seriously. The Table is successful for a handful of reasons, but I think one reason people really appreciate the food is because we don’t cook down to anyone. We don’t make spicy food just because we’re in India. We cook food that we think is delicious and makes the most out of the local produce. Every time we introduce a new dish, we pay very close attention to our guests’ feedback, and we adjust. Cooking for me isn’t about ego, it’s about making people happy. [pagebreak]

TLK: Your menu features Italian, pan-Asian, and Latin influences. Why aren’t you cooking Indian food?

AS: I wouldn’t be playing to my strengths if I suddenly started offering Indian food. I have very limited experience cooking traditional Indian dishes and I wouldn’t want to offer poor renditions of Indian classics to guests with such strong cultural reference points. Instead, I stick to what I’m good at.

TLK: As you change your menu seasonally, are there certain dishes that you cannot remove from the menu? 

AS: Since opening, there have been many dishes that are now considered classics. The one dish I’d never be able to take off the menu is Boneless Chicken Wings with Ginger Glaze. While the dish seems mundane when you read it, what comes to the table is quite the opposite.

TLK: Working in India as opposed to the US, how easy or difficult is it for you to get the ingredients you want and need? 

AS: The single largest challenge for me has been finding high quality ingredients. They certainly exist here, but it takes a lot of patience and diligence to find them. To date, I have established a network of over 40 farmers, growers, suppliers, and distributors who, collectively, are able to supply us with the ingredients we need to operate a restaurant like ours.

TLK: Which Indian wines do you think work best with the dishes on your menu?

AS: I cook with bold flavors and often a good amount of spice. Fortunately, many wines produced in India tend to run on the sweet side. I think Grover Zampa, Charosa Vineyards, and The Daily Dose are all doing a very nice job with their wines. 

Want to try one of Chef Sanchez’s recipes? Check out this spicy chicken tortilla soup and huevos con chorizo.