Savoury Stories: Vishal Fernandez

0
Advertisement

George Bernard Shaw once famously said that “there was no sincerer love than the love of food”, Hyderabad is it would seem, have applied this belief with the utmost sincerity.

Hyderabad is no stranger to good food – from rarer and more esoteric delicacies such as marag and paaya to the more ubiquitous haleem and biryani, the city has had a food culture that has been right there on top with the country’s (and perhaps the world’s finest cuisines). Just ask any Hyderabadi living abroad what he misses most about the city and Biryani is sure to feature in the long list of things that are so nostalgically recollected.

With the urbanisation of Hyderabad however, the city has witnessed a growing expansion of gastronomic needs. A large migrant population has demanded more than just biryani and as a consequence, the city has seen a massive growth in specialty restaurants, especially in the past 10 odd years. Hence finding the best place to eat in the city is like a treasure hunt! To simplify which, we put together a list of the best food bloggers in Hyderabad that you must follow if you never want to have a bad food experience again.

WARNING: Follow them on your own risk cause once you follow them your news feed will be full of drool worthy dishes which you won’t be able to resist

Text: Anahita Ahuja

Vishal Fernandez 

When did blogging start?

It’s been a little over 4 years now.

What are the basic elements you keep in mind while taking pictures for your write-ups?

I believe food pictures should evoke the food’s best traits and its inherent deliciousness and to do that I use as much as natural lighting as possible. Second, styling the food – I love to get creative with this – even whimsical. Lastly framing and angles – I usually follow the 45 degree method ie; shoot from the point of view from someone seated at the table or 90 degrees ie, from directly above the food.

What is the most interesting dish you have ever tried?

The seafood paella at Prego, The Westin Hyderabad Mindspace and The White Tuna Japanese Wagyu at Le-bernardin, New York.

What are the three mistakes that you have made – and learnt from?

I have just two – The first 4 months of my blogging, the title of my blogs were quite boring until I realised that a great title is the gateway to my article and then started implementing it. Secondly, I choose the wrong blogging platform and had no clarity on host, domain etc only after meeting like-minded individuals I realised how important it was to have a good website.

How do you pick what to order at a restaurant?

I generally identify what the restaurant’s specialty is and stick to that lane. Simple!

Do you enjoy cooking?

Sometimes. I am good at making a low maintenance but very chic pesto sauce pasta.

Which are the blogs you follow?

I am an ardent follower of WillTravelForFood by Mayssam Samaha. I also enjoy watching vlogs of Mark Weins and Rocky and Mayur who feature some incredibly delicious food and travel tips.

What are your favourite regional cuisines or specific foods?

My roots are from Goa and North Karnataka, it’s obvious that the food from the Konkan belt tops the list. A simple home cooked Goan fish curry and rice is where I find comfort.

If you could have any four people, from anywhere in place, over for dinner, who would they be?

Gordon Ramsey, Gaggan Anand, Rana Daggubati and my mum.

If you could just banish any one food, from the earth, what would it be?

Processed Foods. They are a bad saboteur.

How would you describe your site to new readers?

JetSetEat is a blog dedicated to exploring food, travel, culture and history of all the places I’ve travelled. I believe one should taste a culture to understand it and therefore on this blog you’d find stories of unique places, delicious foods, thrilling destinations and awesome street food across the globe.

Rapid Fire:

Favourite savoury ingredient to cook with: Cinnamon and Pepper
Favourite sweet ingredient to cook with: Honey and Walnuts
When I’m feeling lazy I cook: Spinach Fritters and/or sautéed vegetables.
My ‘pick me up’ dish: CheeseCake
For a romantic meal I would want to eat: A classic French steak with the richness of Raspberry Gastrique and Bleu Cheese.
On a winter evening I would eat: Sarson Da Saag, Makki Di Roti and finish it off with Gajar Ka Halwa
One cuisine you can live on: South Indian.

Blog: www.JetSetEat.com  

Instagram: @jetseteat

Advertisement

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here