In the present day, Bhoite is the Chef De Cuisine of the signature Le Cirque at the Leela Palace in New Delhi. This biker boy is a perfect fit at the Le Cirque kitchen, riding a custom made ‘BULLET’ all across India and the borders . He even has his own group called the ‘Wanderers Delhi, together with another chef from The Leela.
An advocate for the institution’s lavish traditional fare, he doesn’t let his ego get the better of him. “I cook to satisfy my guests, I don’t want my food to be a one time experience”, says Bhoite. His calm persona is in perfect tandem with Le Cirque’s ‘haute societe’ . The menu is one of the finest Delhi has seen , divided into two –Le Cirque’s classic , traditional fare that has remained unchanged since 1974 , which could sometimes be updated to suit the cultural sensibilities, and then there are Bhoite’s signature dishes
At the helm of Delhi’s counterpart of the kitchen, he is also overlooks the Mumbai Le Cirque as well as the upcoming one in Bengaluru.
Grown up with Mauro Maccioni, son of the Grand Patriarch Sirio Maccioni, (they own the Le Cirque Franchisee), Mauro and Bhoite bonded over football in their younger days. Mauro would come down for vacations to Montecantini. Even though Mauro was essentially an American boy, the similarities between the two made the friendship grow and they started pubbing together in their older years, a passion they both enjoyed . Eventually impressed by his culinary skills , Bhoite was soon asked to take charge of Le Cirque, New Delhi. Though he, if he had had his way, he would’ve loved to be at the Le Cirque in the Dominican Republic – all for his love for good Rum. Being home grown though, ( his ancestors were one of the five families that were the erstwhile followers of Shivaji Maharaj, who migrated to Gujrat from Maharashtra along with the then King of Baroda). This helped him in adapting to India with relative ease.
Standing at the Grand, Heavily Mirrored Mahoganied bar, Bhoite’s eclectic hairdo stands out as much as the vast and possibly the most extensive wine list of Super Tuscans , the Le Cirque claims to possess.
The long working hours and infrequent visits to home in Italy , are much compensated when he does almost 60 covers on almost any given night. Quite a feat for any restaurant, considering “most restaurants open with much fan fare and shut within 6 months”,he says with shy pride . His sense of humor however , remains intact. He has named his 5 year old son Aichael Bhoite, being a huge Michael Jackson fan , “I wanted to name him Michael , but everyone’s name in the family begins with an (A)” he smiles devilishly ,”So he became Aichael”. He himself is originally ‘Abhay Singh’ a name known possibly to only his parents and the immigration authorities.
His laughter soon turns into indignation, when he talks about a recent incident , where he curated a special event for “Food Critics and Bloggers” , Says Mickey in his own words , which has left him quite disillusioned. His Face Book status speaks of his irritation, and reads – “Chefs : Prisoners of Day Old Food Critics and Food Bloggers”. Learning from the incident, he now only wants to deal with best in business like himself, “It takes one to know one”
He turns his focus back to his real passion ,Food . He was never a kitchen boy. A chance admission to a chef school, turned Mickey Bhoite the Reptile Breeder to a full time chef. He loved chef school so much, that at the end of one year he refused to transfer to the science department as was promised by the college Dean and hung on to graduate as a chef.
Extremely food proud, it shows in the way he talks about the Acquerello risotto also known as the “Rolls Royce ” of risotto’s. Or the way he makes love to the Chateaubriand of Black Angus , deciding on my behalf to serve it medium – rare. Perfect .
He has found a way to use his knowledge of molecular gastronomy, in the way he deconstructs the Signature Tiramisu , complete with Mascarpone from the nitrogen tank ,coffee meringues etc with the highlight being, the Amaretto ice cream on top.
A fan of Sous Vide or Slow cooking , Bhoite claims , “For most things it gets the best flavors out of a dish”. At the cost of sounding arrogant , he will also try not to serve most things he gets as ‘Requests’ like – Pasta in pink sauce , Chicken pasta in white sauce!! “At first we try to discourage but if the guest persists , we serve the pasta , and give a portion of the chicken separately , Once it’s in front of the guest , it’s his property , he can rape it the way he wishes”.
After all of his Globetrotting , Bhoite believes it is fate that had brought him to the iconic Le Cirque as Chef de cuisine , and he knows his experiences will only be an asset . Never compromising on the quality of the ingredients and importing everything from tomatoes to the meat, he will not compromise for anything . He here to stay.
