Door Number: An App that Connects Home Chefs with Diners

A new service and app connects diners with home chefs in the city.

Door Number, a new app and service was started by three friends: Rohan Tyagi {an e-commerce professional}, Rajat Shukla {a software professional} and Smruthi Gargi Eswar {graphic designer and illustrator} when they put their heads together to do something related to food and food experiences. the result was Door Number, an app that connects diners with home chefs who specialise in regional cuisine. Launched this August, Door Number has already hosted food events with North Indian food from Uttar Pradesh, Naga cuisine and Colonial Coorgi food on participating diners’ plates. They also hosted a recent breakfast walk in Richard’s Park.

We invited ourselves to home chef Lichibeni Kikon’s Naga-inspired luncheon { held at Cafe Thulp owner and friend Gautam Krishnankutty’s place} on a Sunday afternoon. For a motley gathering of seven people, Kikon had gone all out with an elaborate nine-course meal from starters to dessert. Kikon’s starters were fusion dishes with a smattering of Naga ingredients such as the chicken and potato bake perked up with fresh bamboo shoot or eggs tossed up with a soy reduction and a black seed called Rupa. But the starter we were astonished with was bitter gourd stuffed with mackerel mince and fresh bhoot jolokia chillies {Kikon’s own invention}. No trace of bitterness whatsoever, and the minced fish adding a fine umami touch.

The mains were suitably exotic with smoked beef, pork cooked{till nearly a crisp} with wild ferns, beef cooked till tender with radish and red sesame, and chicken cooked with fresh bamboo shoot and chillies, all of it to be mopped up with rice and a fiery, dry fish and chilli chutney. To deal with the intense heat levels, steamed veggies and a mild starchy potato and white bean stew gave us fine company. We tended to our paralysed tongues {all that heat!} with a slice of drunken chocolate rum cake thick with spices and nuts.

A nine course meal celebrating authentic, regional food for a fraction of a price {this meal was priced at INR 1,080 per person only} and you have a fan in us there. Plus, the chance to meet new people and sample nouvelle cuisine. We are sold!

Price: INR 800-1,200 {depends on the host}

Find them on Facebook here.

Check out their website here to book a place.

Download the app for Android here.