SMALL FISH, SEA CHANGE

A few chefs across the country are championing small fish, showing diners the big value they have to offer.

- Arundhati Ail

There's an imposter in the chocolate dessert at Mumbai's Masque. In June this year, head chef Varun Totlani worked with chef Jordy Navarro of Manila-based Toyo Eatery to create a charming chocolate dessert served in a cacao shell. The dish was a neat three layers-a cacao nib and cashew crumb, pandan custard, and silky chocolate fudge. In the middle was a crunchy, salty surprise. And it had a head, tail, and eyes. The imposter in question was a dried anchovy. The dish, inspired by Chef Navarro's chocolate and fish sauce dessert at Toyo, had elements of fish throughout a bed of dried mandeli (golden anchovy), a fish sauce caramel, and the dried anchovies inside. One would think that a fish like anchovy, long regarded as bycatch, wouldn't ever find a place at an upscale establishment like Masque, which ranked #16 on Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2023 list.