Rosemary Supper Club – Sikkim’s fine dining experience

Rosemary Supper Club is an upscalehome dining in the heart of Gangtok, Sikkim. The culinary affair was established by Rajdeep Gurung in 2019, unifying kindred spirits with a matching palate for gourmet meals.Thus far, the project has been a resounding success, with superb responses.

Let’s find out Rajdeep’s side of the story, where he exclusively communicates with us.

Could you tell us the impetus for launching Rosemary Supper Club?

Rosemary Supper Club was born out of my love for cooking, hosting and the art of fine dining. I came across this concept by watching people, especially Noma Kitchen, Flynn McGarry and Jonah Reider, in the western world host dinner parties for paying guests at their own home, which I found very fascinating. I took this concept, trained myself from the basics, again on everything I had learned in my college (Institute of Hotel Management, Sikkim), explored more on the modern take on fine dining, set my terrace into a pop-up dining space and opened it to the public.

What significance does the wordRosemary carry in this venture?

My mother has grown many herbs in her garden out of which Rosemary was the one that flourished all through the years. It has a very interesting aroma. It stood out for me, so much so I named my Supperclub after this herb.

May I know your roles and responsibilities in the business?

I handle most of the scene from purchasing raw materials, setting menu, table setting, table decor. My mom and dad do help me during pre-preparation. My friends come over to help me out in the kitchen during service. But when there is time, when the number of guests are more, I do hire service staff for assistance in front of the house.

Who are the typical clients at this establishment?

My vision for curating the Rosemary experience was for the locals when I started. And I am blessed to have amazing responses from them. I have had groups come in to celebrate per wedding dinner, wedding anniversary, birthdays, valentine day, for marriage proposal, to have a private dinner away from town or just to enjoy the Rosemaryexperience. Now with the option of Local Cuisine, I’ve also had tourists come in.

What are the key elements used to design the dining experience?

I take my table decor and follow the rules of fine dining very seriously when setting the table. The right cutlery, crockery and glassware is important. The colour of the fabric I use is usually solid so the food does not blend into it. I use natural elements like fresh fruits, flowers, wooden centre board, tree trunk at the centre of the table to complete the setting. The menu is a set menu as each course is served and explained to let the guests know what they are having. Soft jazz is played in the background. The lights are warm and at times, we just use candles.

Tell us about the experience of hosting Rosemary’s first ever dinner.

The first Rosemary dinner was with my family in two sessions. They booked the whole table and it was wonderful to receive their support. It was also kind of a buffer for me before hosting for new guests.

How many courses do your meals include?

This depends on the availability of ingredients in the market. I generally prepare a 7-course meal but there was time Iserved a 9-course meal as well. It all depends on what is available in the market, in that season.

What kind of food and deserts do you serve?

I started out with western cuisine but has slowly started to incorporate new ingredients, especially from the Asian continent into the menu. The cooking techniques used are western but the ingredients used vary from western to Asian. I like to experiment with my dessert as I find it most comfortable. It depends on the type of menu that is served for the night. If it is heavy then I try to go with a light dessert like a simple pear poached in country wine and served with roasted nuts. If the menu is well balanced then I can serve a heavy dessert such asrosemary infused custard with traditional pound cake.

Share with us about your signature dishes and speciality drinks.

I would say my Rosemarycustard is a signature, not just because of the name of the brand, but also because it is one of the experiments that turned out amazing. I brew a fermented drink called Kombucha, which is basically fermented tea. It is a probiotic drink good for gut health. I work on producing multiple beverages from Kombucha itself. It can be a cocktail or a second ferment kombucha with a fresh fruit served chilled as a palate cleanser.

What does the personalized dining experience look like?

Once the booking is confirmed and the menu is fixed, the table decor is what I focus on since the guests will have to be seated in that table during service so it must look attractive. Most of the time, the centre decor is edible as I use fresh fruit, allowing guests to enjoy them during breaks. The dinner service usually goes for as long as 2-3 hours. There is a gap of about 15-20 minutes between each course. The menu starts slow and light with a cocktail, appetizer and we climb up gradually with soup and pre- main until we serve our heaviest at main course. Then we gradually climb down with a rest followed by dessert and finally end with tea.

Disclose with us some highlights of Sikkimese dining extravaganza at your spot.

The Sikkimese fine dining experience at Rosemary is very opulent but at the same time very rustic and countryside. From food that we usually see like Selroti, Butter Tea to food that is so uncommonthat I can’t trace its name. Wearing traditional finery during the dinner would just add more to the experience.

How can one reserve a slot here?

To book at Rosemary, one can reach out to me on our Instagram account: @rosemarysupperclub and prebook your table about a week in advance. 

What message would you like to give to future starter entrepreneurs?

I encourage you to identify your passion and explore more on it. Be open to learning new things. Give respect to your art, your hard work and to yourself and respect the fact that everything takes time to bloom as long as effort is there.