For The Second Year In A Row, Chef Srijith Gopinathan Receives Two Michelin Stars and is Recognized For A New Culinary Trend

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 27, 2016 -- Chef Srijith Gopinathan, Taj Campton Place, is changing the architecture of California cuisine as he blends California’s fresh ingredients and the use of its smoke, fire, and brining techniques with India’s multi-faceted regional dishes and traditional spice blends.

For seven years, Chef Srijith (Sri) has redefined Taj Hotels’ fine dining experience with his interpretation of California-Indian Cuisine, and the restaurant’s second year two-star Michelin award status further confirms Chef Sri’s status among the culinary elite, being the only Indian two-starred Michelin chef in the world. “We are so humbled and proud to be given this honor,” General Manager Ashrafi Matcheswala says of the news.

Forging early childhood memories of Southern India cooking with Western schooling at Hyde Park’s Culinary Institute of America, Chef Sri is, unequivocally, in love with California and its ingredient-driven cuisine, and he’s created a new culinary phenomenon that blends the complexity of Indian spices with the boldness of hyper-fresh and flavorful produce and proteins.

Chef Sri’s popular Spice Route tasting menu is a journey of Eastern and Western flavor stops, with plenty of detours to excite the senses.  This season, he’s focusing on the bounty of Northern California’s fall and early winter produce and local fish.

Some of his seasonal dishes include:

• An amuse of Meyer Lemon Milk with mint oil
• Naan buns — with naan butter in fluffy bun form — to scoop up a yellow lentil paté laced with ghee (clarified butter)
• Smoked Tandoori Poussin, chestnut kitchidi, Asian pear endives and fermented chill relish 

“When you identify ingredients that are grown during the same time of year, you know you have the foundation for a great dish. From there, the idea becomes focused and with the addition of spices, that dish becomes distinct, elevated, and complex,” says Chef Sri. “Opposites attract, which is the best way to describe the depth of spices with the freshness of produce. The key is the technique that you apply, which brings out the best in both.”

Chef Sri joins an illustrious group of culinary stars who previously cooked at the Campton Place stove. That list includes Daniel Humm, Todd Humphries, Jan Birnbaum, and Bradley Ogden. 

Taj Campton Place is part of Taj Hotels, Resorts & Palaces, which delivers a unique flavor of hospitality that offers world-class refinement while remaining deeply rooted in its Indian heritage.  Unparalleled service, a Master Sommelier, and an iconic Union Square location equate to an unforgettable dining retreat.

Campton Place is located at 340 Stockton Street, San Francisco, CA, 94108. For dining reservations, visit http://www.tajcamptonplace.com/dining or call (415) 781-5555.

For a visual treat, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDbOCBtoRkc

Contact: Susie Biehler [email protected] 415-987-7929