Where there is a fad, there is sure to be a business opportunity. In recent years, ‘gluten-free’ has become the new, cool health mantra that has swept the United States, and is now conquering supermarket shelves across the UK. Basically, gluten is the protein that binds wheat-based products like bread, pasta, cakes and biscuits. Only 1pc of the population is actually allergic to the stuff, but 55pc of Americans now spend 30pc or more of their grocery bill on gluten-free food which — naturally — costs more than its normal counterparts. Thus, you can buy gluten-free pasta, bread, cakes, pizzas and just about all pre-cooked meals, but you have to pay extra.

Under the new EU law, the gluten content of a product has to be indicated on the packaging, and manufacturers of gluten-free products are raking it in. In 2014, for instance, Americans spent $7 billion on these products. So how did we get here, when a generation ago, few had even heard of gluten?

According to one (highly plausible) theory, bread had been baked in the traditional manner until 1961, and so the dough was properly fermented, with the process breaking down the gluten. However, once technology took over, fermentation was skipped as it took too much time; instead, flour was shaped and baked with extra gluten in high-speed ovens. This is the white, tasteless loaf people usually pick up in supermarkets around the world. Dieticians think this change has contributed to diabetes as well as gluten allergy. Now, many of the same companies are marketing gluten-free bread.

Only 1pc of the population is actually allergic to the stuff, but 55pc of Americans now spend 30pc or more of their grocery bill on gluten-free food

Happily, these concerns are far removed from the people behind the Gymkhana, an Indian restaurant located in London’s upmarket Mayfair district. Rated London’s best restaurant in 2014 and the best Indian restaurant in 2015, it has already picked up its first Michelin star despite having been around for a couple of years or so. I had read rave reviews when it opened, so was delighted to be invited there by a friend. There’s a loud buzz of conversation and music when you enter, but a polite manager offered us a quieter table downstairs. Here, we were led to a large table with a beaten brass top where we were given three separate menus: one was the normal one full of splendid sounding dishes; another had a 14-course tasting menu; and the third had a seven-course menu. None of the options was cheap.

Surrounding us were Raj-themed prints, and at the bottom of the stairs was a page full of autographs of the Indian cricket team touring England in 1982 led by Sunil Gavaskar. Many of the dishes on offer came from a tandoor, or an open charcoal grill. Many items consisted of off-beat ingredients, ranging from muntjac deer to kid goat. My starter of naan filled with goat mince was delicately flavoured, with the different herbs and spices shining through. And my main dish of quail seekh kebab was a very generous portion of two large kebabs made of minced quail meat. The others had ordered starters of curried soft shell crabs and a wonderfully light dosa. One of the mains was a salmon tikka which was perfectly cooked with crisp skin and tender but firm flesh.

The only disappointment came from my dessert of faluda and kulfi: this traditional sweet dish was a bit anaemic, and our hostess’s ras malai was watery. Both were seriously underpowered, lacking the richness provided by thickened milk. But this shortcoming aside, the Gymkhana is currently the best Indian restaurant in London, and that’s saying a lot, given the large number of desi eateries around.

Over the last decade or so, a number of Indian restaurants have risen to occupy places among London’s top gastronomic destinations. Some of them, like Zaika and Amaya, have won Michelin stars and loyal clienteles. And with the accolades have come high prices. But as long as chefs like Karam Sethi at the Gymkhana continue to work their magic, one can only wish the entrepreneurs behind these restaurants good luck.

Published in Dawn, Sunday Magazine, June 12th, 2016