Top Chef Changes Culinary Tack Due To Pandemic Impact
With COVID-19 and the subsequent lockdown, top chef and friend of Hood, Tony Singh MBE, faced the same challenges as others in his industry.
Since 2017 Tony had been offering exclusive ‘Supper Clubs’ at his Edinburgh home serving a nine-course dinner for up to 12 guests. This was off the table which inevitably saw Tony’s business suffer. But you can’t keep a Leither down and ever the innovator, the TV favourite was forced to think outside the box.
Today (Thursday 26th August) sees the result of that - a new outlet for Tony’s creative skills and his latest venture - ‘Radge Chaat,’ which launches in Tollcross, right in the heart of Edinburgh.
Tony, who is a familiar face on the likes of Saturday Kitchen, will be offering Scots a taste of Indian street food. Along with his brother, Lucky, Tony will be introducing people to ‘chaat’ - a savoury snack which originated in India and is served often from roadside stalls or food carts.
The idea came to the award-winning chef during the height of the pandemic when he realised that he would have to think of an alternative to his home dining and not only for the short-term.
Tony said: “I could see that eating habits were changing. Not only were people buying more takeaways to eat at home, but they also started meeting friends to eat outside more. Being able to adapt with these changes has been essential, hence ‘Radge Chaat.’
We have all come to realise just how important our relationships with family, friends and the wider community are. My new venture will allow me to spend more time with my brother sharing what we love, as well as my son, Balraj ,who will be offering Japanese street food from another container. I hope it will also give people a fresh option when it comes to food and spending time with others.
In Punjab, where my family is from, chaat is a way of life. I’m really excited to be bringing it to Scotland’s capital. If people want to bring me a mince pie supper or sausage roll, I will ‘chaatify’ it with my sauces and spice. It’ll be an explosion of flavour – the possibilities are endless!”
Chaat, which translates into “licking one’s fingers when eating,” can be eaten at any time of day from breakfast to a late night snack. There are many varieties, but all combine crispy carbs with a sauce (usually coriander and chutney), fried potatoes or chickpeas, vegetables and a sprinkling of Indian spice.
Tony’s street food will be available three days a week - Thursday to Saturday from noon to 10pm. ‘Radge Chaat’.
Tony’s exclusive ‘Supper Clubs, run from his Edinburgh home are also back. If you haven’t been, book! We were lucky to attend way back when they first started and went as a duo, left with 10 new friends.