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Chef Sujan Sarkar’s Elder in New York redefines culinary fusion, blending British chop house traditions with Indian flavours. Dishes like Berkshire pork rib chop with vindaloo sauce and cocktails infused with Indian spices showcase a unique dining experience that bridges cultures.
Acclaimed international chef Sujan Sarkar has added another feather to his cap. Elder, in New York, is described as a “British Indian chop house,” a confluence of all of Sarkar’s influences and culinary worlds.
Drawing inspiration from London’s iconic chop houses, known for their meat cuts and steaks, and combining that with the un-mappable range of Indian cuisine, Elder presents classic dishes with twists you couldn’t have imagined. Take the Berkshire pork rib chop served with a vindaloo sauce, or a dessert inspired by the humble chikki, the peanut-jaggery sweet found in snack boxes in Indian homes. There are distinctly Indian condiments and accompaniments too, like a bone marrow nihari gravy or a horseradish raita, to go with your mains.
The cocktail menu sees the two worlds come together as well. The “Spice Exchange” is made with fenugreek, coriander and cumin, and the extensive list also features iconic Indian spirits like Amrut and JiJin.
At Elder, the fusion feels like a conversation. The chop house, a British institution built on simplicity using quality cuts and fire, has always been about letting the meat speak. Indian cooking, on the other hand, is about layering with its spice and slow-cooked gravies. Putting the two staples of the chop house tradition and traditional Indian cooking on one plate leads to a unique and distinct plate that has its own inimitable voice.
This also signals to the larger shift we’re observing in how Indian food is being presented abroad. For years, diners outside India were exposed and shown a narrow set of dishes, limited to tikka masalas and papadams that are often flattened and pigeonholed into a menu with no dynamism or diversity. Chefs like Sarkar are pushing past that image, drawing on regional snacks and personal history, and plating them in settings that have little to do with the “Indian restaurant” template.
For those who grew up with the flavors, Elder promises a few moments of recognition. For those who didn’t, it offers an easy way in, through the familiar framework of steak, sauce and sides, and shows is versatile and can uplift and give even a simple pork chop a brand new makeover.
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