How award-winning Copenhagen chef Henrik Jyrk is celebrating food in Mumbai

During his first visit to Mumbai awardwinning Copenhagen chef and the visionary behind IBU Copenhagen was mesmerised by the warmth he received He is celebrated for his bold Asian fusion creations global flavours and acclaimed appearances on Danish television as a twotime lsquoSol Over Gudhjemrsquo champion Here for the latest edition of Rendezvous ndash The Culinary Chronicles at the Taj Mahal Palace Jyrkrsquos mission is to make gourmet food available to as many food lovers as possible offering flavours that reflect the latest trends from around the world while not disregarding original natural flairVanilla and CreamHis creative process begins with produce noting whatrsquos in season whatrsquos grown locally and what feels alive and expressive in that moment In a Nordic context that often means root vegetables cabbages berries herbs mushrooms and coldwater fish mdash ingredients that carry a strong sense of place restraint and purity Interestingly yoursquoll find mild Indian influences enter gently through spices fermentation and technique used to deepen flavour rather than overwhelm it For him inspiration comes as much from memory and intuition as from technique mdash childhood flavours travels and shared meals mdash all filtered through a Nordic lens of simplicity and respect for ingredients Balance sits at the centre of everything warmth against freshness earthiness offset by acidity subtle heat paired with natural sweetness Each dish is built slowly adjusted and refined until it feels honest seasonal and rooted in more than one culinary worldLobster with tomato and vadouvanJyrk feels his culinary curiosity has deepened on this visit to India ldquoThe first place I visited in Delhi was the spice market one of the largest in Asia It felt chaotic at first but therersquos a system within that chaos Coming from Denmark where everything is very square and structured it was refreshing to see something so full of colour and movement mdash and yet it works It made me realise that not everything needs to fit into boxes That sense of lsquoeverything will be alrightrsquo really comes throughrdquo The chef has also packed many spices to take back home ldquoIn Denmark we use garam masala but not in the same way it is used here Here spices arenrsquot just about heat theyrsquore about fragrance and depth What surprised me was how flavourful the food is without relying on chilli Itrsquos the spices that build that intensityrdquoLangoustine with Jerusalem artichoke and coconutIndian cuisine he realised resists simplification just as much as it embraces it ldquoThe food changes every hundred kilometres and thatrsquos inspiring You could travel from north to south and discover dozens of distinct cuisines One dish that really stayed with me was a white chicken curry mdash subtle in appearance but exploding with flavour It challenged everything I thought I knew about what a curry should look likerdquoTravel has always shaped his cooking Trained in Denmark he later moved to San Francisco where a new pantry opened up ldquoThatrsquos where I was introduced to Asian ingredients like white soy tofu seaweed star anise and fennel I remember tasting those flavours for the first time mdash it was like discovering something Irsquod been missing my whole liferdquo Travelling across Asia with his wife who has IndianMalaysian roots further deepened that influence ldquoToday my food is a blend of Asian flavours and Nordic techniques I like powerful food but it has to be balanced I think of it as combining feminine and masculine energy mdash delicate presentation with bold robust flavours I want people to feel surprised something that looks light but delivers intensityrdquoAebleskiverThat contrast defines his plates ldquoMy cooking is simple on the plate but therersquos a lot of work behind it Itrsquos almost a mind trick that is elegant restrained and then suddenly very expressiverdquo He traces this approach to the understanding of how cuisines overlap and travel across borders to form their own identity ldquoIt also comes from seeing the shared histories of food of how Indian influences have shaped Malay and Thai curriesrdquoCertain elements anchor everything Jyrk cooks Three constants in his kitchen are citrus seaweed and spices ldquoCitrus keeps food feeling fresh seaweed adds depth and umami without being obvious and warm spices like fennel star anise long pepper and cinnamon bring complexity beyond salt and pepperrdquo he explainsJyrk didnrsquot grow up dreaming of becoming a chef but kitchens have been a part of his life At 13 he was a dishwasher at a Chinese restaurant At 17 he walked into a Michelinstarred restaurant and never looked back ldquoThis is the only thing Irsquove ever truly been good at mdash and the thing I love mostrdquo One of the hardest chapters came with relocation to the US ldquoNew metric systems different language and working with people from different cultures forced me to unlearn and relearn everything It changed how I think about food and that shaped my journey as a chefrdquoHenrik JyrkAt its core Jyrkrsquos philosophy remains uncomplicated ldquoI believe everyone deserves one good meal a day It doesnrsquot have to be fancy mdash it can be a great dal a beautiful carrot a comforting soup Good food makes people happy If I can help even a small part of society eat better then Irsquove done something meaningfulrdquo And thatrsquos why all his menus like the man behind it are guided by nature first shaped by culture driven by curiosity grounded in season and place and yet quietly open to the worldA mindful lunchFor the curated lunch at The Chambers at the Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai Jyrk unfolded a thoughtful progression of flavours pairing it with sparkling tea The meal began with a truffle Danish aebleskiver followed by a scallop dish featuring ginger and caviar complemented by the crisp freshness of LYSEGROslashN Copenhagen Sparkling Tea Next was lobster with tomato and vadouvan paired once again with LYSEROslashD Langoustine with Jerusalem artichoke and coconut came next complemented by BLAring before moving into a deeply comforting Nordic curry of goat with peas The experience concluded with dark berries and vanilla ice cream paired perfectly with fresh berry juice