London, January 25 : Just two months after its opening, Sir Salman Rushdie's Manhattan restaurant has run into trouble after being bitten by the ongoing recession, according to reports.

The Booker prize-winning author's "At Vermillion" had made its presence felt as a posh addition to the restaurant scene with its fusion cuisine with both Indian and Latin American influences.

Staff was said to be struggling to keep the joint going while other high-profile Asian backers such as Sonny Mehta, the publishing tycoon, and Sabeer Bhatia, co-founder of Hotmail, were allegedly trying to keep the credit crunch from entering their kitchen, reports the Times Online.

And its principal owner Rohini Dey, a Chicago entrepreneur, confirmed that "we have to double volumes on a consistent basis", adding the restaurant needed annual revenues of 6-10 million dollars to sustain itself.

The New York Times had reported that the restaurant on one evening served 100 people for dinner, while only 70 had had lunch.

And another mere 80 were recently spotted filling their palates in a large section capable of accommodating 200 diners.

Sir Salman will be trying to cope up with the disappearing appetites by playing host to an "Inside Literature" soirée at the restaurant next month, during which clients can have a three-course dinner for 55 dollars while hearing suggestions from the author himself on "what it takes to write a book". (ANI)