Kolkata: Having passed the first-weekend challenge of operating with dwindling LPG stock and new electric cooking gadgets with flying colours, city restaurants have been emboldened to consider retaining some of the electric cookware if it proves to be economically viable.Speaking to TOI, owners of several restaurants said their initial fear that dishes cooked on different varieties of electric ovens might not meet the exacting standards that chefs have perfected over years while cooking on gas ovens has proved unfounded. The kitchen staff quickly adapted to technology, experimented with the intensity of heat and cook time on electric devices, and arrived at the results that they wanted.“I have checked with patrons and they have found no difference between the dishes that used to be cooked earlier, on LPG, and are now being cooked on electric cookers,” said Mocambo and Peter Cat owner Nitin Kothari.Rajiv Kothari of Bar-B-Q and One Step Up also said regular diners did not observe any change in taste or texture of the food served. “The adoption of electric has been seamless,” he said.Some were wary that cooking on electric cooktops would be more time-consuming than the high-flame LPG burners, and hence, wait time at the tables would go up. But that hasn’t happened either. “Dishes are actually being cooked faster on electric than on gas,” said Sudesh Poddar, who owns Songhai and Manthan restaurants. The only exception is biryani, where a shift to wood-fired ovens has meant longer preparation time. But then, biryani is usually prepared in advance, and hence, does not impact the serve time.Pratap Daryanani of Oasis said the wait time was slightly longer in the initial couple of days, when chefs were getting used to the electric devices. But it has since improved. “The customers did not mind the additional five minutes. In fact, some ordered an extra drink. Everyone has been extremely cooperative in this challenging time,” he said.Sagar Daryani, who owns Wow Momo Foods that has multiple brands like Wow! Momo, Wow! China, Wow! Chicken and Wow! Kulfi, expects restaurateurs to keep using some of the electric devices they have recently introduced even after the commercial LPG crisis is over.“Electric devices are usually safer than fire. Also, since heat can be regulated more precisely, it may be better. But what will determine whether the appliances will be regularly used or kept as standby is the electricity bill generated next month and how it compares with the usual amount spent on LPG,” Daryani said.
