March 2018 Digital Issue

Forza Express pizza oven
and rapid-cook oven
Sachdev imports his ovens
from India — paying close attention
to the quality of the
workmanship. He opts
for 16-gauge steel exterior
and clay interior.
Much of the success of a
tandoor oven, he says, is
the quality of the insulation.
“If they are not
insulated properly, they
won’t heat properly.”
Vikram Vij, chef/
owner of Vij’s and My Shanti,
says the appeal of tandoor cooking
is that it has its roots in
Mother Nature. “Cooking for us,
as Indians, has always been part
of using nature. Food was always
Tandoor ovens are a staple
at Vikram Vij’s restaurants
FOODSERVICEANDHOSPITALITY.COM
done in the earth.”
The origins of tandoor cooking
can be traced to the practice
of digging holes in the ground
and putting the coal inside with
a small lid to control the temperature,
Vij explains. “You can cure
and marinate everything beautifully
inside that earth oven.”
Since coming to North
America, Vij has worked extensively
with Washington-based
Wood Stone Ovens to design the
perfect gas-fired tandoor ovens
for baking bread in his operations.
He describes them as “a
beautiful drum-shape wrapped
in stainless, with a small opening
and only five settings. If the
opening is too big, your heat will
dissipate too quickly. If it’s too
small, however, your bread will
get burnt. Wood Stone mastered
this extremely well. “
Each oven measures four-byfour
feet and stands 33-inches
high. With costs ranging between
$5,000 to $6,000. “Newer models
are a bit more efficient and
require less cleanup. Because the
heat is contained, they’re also
more environmentally friendly.”
Despite his love for tradition,
Vij says he actually trained in
classical French cooking and
because of that, he also has a
great deal of respect for new
technology innovation. “When
you look at things like Rational
combi-ovens, they can cook
everything from rice to
naans to curries. Technology
is brilliant.” FH
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