Nisheeth Tak is the man behind Rasam Indian Restaurant in Glasthule, Co Dublin, a popular spot with many of our celebrities, from Miriam O’Callaghan to Pat Kenny to Chris de Burgh, not to mention famous sporting faces and the odd billionaire as well.
The quietly spoken Nisheeth, who also worked at the famous Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, is also the man who changed the face of Indian dining in Ireland, moving it forward some years ago to the lighter contemporary style we’re familiar with nowadays. When Covid-19 struck, Nisheeth sprang into action.
“We had loads of good wishes, cards, text messages, and even our landlord deferred the rent payment. The wage subsidy helped us to keep all the chefs on the payroll and we were able to maintain our high standards,” he says.
He also engaged a specialist to help redesign the restaurant to comply with Covid regulations. ‘Hands-free’ foot pedals from openclean.ie in Cork are in all the toilets, sanitisers go from the front door to the back of the house, and menus are disposable. Cutlery and glassware are polished by special super-hygienic machines from the Kerry-based ghenterprises.ie.
“We had 100 seats before and now have 55. Customer reaction has been super positive. Some even suggested that we keep the screens on tables, even after it’s all over,” he says.
“Every table and chair is thoroughly cleaned after every sitting. We opted for face masks instead of shields because they provide a superior protection.”
Nothing is left to chance with Nisheeth – which is why he is so successful.