Fervor in Bengaluru: Why this Michelin-trained chef chose a commercial road for his first restaurant

Bengaluru’s finest food and beverage spaces are packed within the Indiranagar-CBD area. The reasons are obvious—the presence of the affluent, urban demographic, aspirational value, ease of discovery, and the usual network effect attract restaurants to set up shop here. 

Yet, a Canada-return chef, who has worked in Toronto’s Michelin-starred kitchens, decided to open his very first restaurant in a commercial street. In the middle of a noisy, fast-moving stretch of Kalyan Nagar—a neighbourhood where one would more likely stumble upon quick bites and casual bars—a refined European restaurant is trying to change the city’s F&B narrative. 

With its steel green interiors, open kitchen, and focused menu, 36-seater Fervor wants to provide an experience to diners that surprises both the flavours and setting. 

“Choosing the restaurant location wasn’t intentional. It is something that sort of fit the budget and was the right sort of location. I just knew that I liked Kalyan Nagar for whatever reason and I found a spot…it all just worked out,” Chef Aditya Varma, Founder of Fervor tells YS Life. 

Much like Michelin-starred restaurants in Tokyo, Paris or Hong Kong, that can be found in unpretentious locations, Fervor doesn’t want to scream for attention but instead, let the food speak for itself. 

The launch menu at Fervor is concise, comprising six amuse-bouche or appetizers, 10 mains, and three desserts.

“The menu is one of the biggest identities of the restaurant…quality over quantity is the driving force of this restaurant. We believe that for a guest to have a great experience, the menu has to be very quick to understand and precise…We have made sure that they (diners) spend less time looking at the menu and more time just enjoying what they have come for,” Aditya explains. 

Bengaluru-born Chef Aditya spent considerable time in Toronto to explore diverse cooking methods to broaden his perspective. He has worked in the kitchens of Ardo—a Sicilian-Italian restaurant with Michelin Bib Gourmand, Alo Food Group for the launch of Michelin-starred Aloette, and Alobar, a Michelin-starred Mexican fine-dining restaurant Quetzal, and Burger Drops, before moving back to India earlier last year. 

At Fervor, Aditya is working towards bringing together French culinary techniques with local ingredients. 

Despite having a fine-dining focus, Aditya did not want to do a traditional French menu, he believes that would be restrictive, hard to approach and intimidating. “I wanted it (the menu) to be fun, the dishes to be approachable, but while using bold flavours,” he adds. 

This approach is reflected in the menu at Fervor. The beet salad, for instance, is Aditya’s take on the refreshing summer salad. The Tuna Crudo has been given a spin and is served with brown butter, fermented jalapeno and sushi seasoning, instead of being served the traditional way with just a slice of lemon on the side—this adds the extra kick and suits the Indian palate better. 

On the other hand, for the Gnocchi, instead of serving the usual potato-stuffed dumplings, Fervor goes the traditional Parisian way and uses pate a choux or choux pastry—the dough used for cream puffs or eclairs, to make it lighter and tender. 

The 12-hour brined chicken is served with a side of herbed chimichurri and sauce charon (a bearnaise sauce with tomato paste), and makes for a meal in itself. 

The 36-seater restaurant features sit-down tables, bar stools at the kitchen counter, and an open kitchen. 

“While we are trying to talk about what we stand for, when a guest walks into a restaurant, when they see that whatever they’ve ordered is being prepared right in front of them, that changes the whole dynamic and experience…you’re at the heart of the restaurant, you see the effort that goes into (making a dish) and how it finally reaches your table,” Aditya says. 

The intimate seating provides the chef and the serves to focus on the guest experience. When a dish is put on the table, servers explain each element to the diner, often also focusing on the source of the ingredients. The sunchokes, for instance, are sourced from a local organic farm; the asparagus comes from Pune. 

Within the few months since its launch, Fervor has established its best-sellers—the duck with ginger vin and potato dauphinoise or au Gratin, and the Octopus and Glazed Pork featuring a braised pork belly with charred lemons, capers and garlic chives—Fervor’s version of Surf and Turf. 

The meal ends with a choice of signature chocolate mousse—rich, silky and melting on the palate, served with fresh figs and crispers for that crunch; a humbling malt cake topped with clotted cream; and Pavlova with kiwi and smoked vanilla. 

Fervor brands itself as ‘Good Food and Wine’, the restaurant is yet to receive its wine license, and is currently serving a selection of kombuchas to go with the food. 

The restaurant is currently only taking dinner reservations, although it plans to open for breakfast and lunch later, after having everything figured out. Aditya doesn’t want to open for lunch and breakfast too soon and compromise on the quality. 

Tucked above a garment store in a lively street, one climbs up narrow flights of stairs to enter a world that desires to keep things intimate, and just the right amount of ‘fervor’.