I did my bachelors in hospitality from Ihm Bhopal, moved to Melbourne in 2006, worked at a high end banquet for two years, moved on to do my first Ala Carte gig thereafter opened a cafe with chef Radhika Khandelwal in Melbourne in 2010. We ran that for 3 years before moving back to New Delhi in 2013 opened Ivy and bean in the same year in October and proceeded to open Fig & Maple with Chef Radhika Khandelwal in January 2017
Which is your favourite cuisine? Who does a good version of it, in India or elsewhere?
My favourite cuisine would have to be Lankan and coastal Indian. There’s this really tiny place in Ahangama right on the main road run by a local family don’t remember its name but they did a fabulous fish thali
If you never became a chef, in what other ways would you have used your creativity?
If I wouldn’t have become a chef I might have become a pilot. I love planes and I love travelling.
Is there anything that diners should always order at your restaurant(s)?
The chefs waffle chicken with podi that chef Radhika put on the menu a couple of months back.
The saying goes ‘never trust a skinny chef’, what do you have to say about that?
Hahahahha!! Maybe a very big reason I moved to the bar from the kitchen at Fig & Maple.
What’s your favourite tipple at the end of a busy day?
It would have to be a Boulevardier or a really, really cold lager.
What is your advice to young professionals seeking a career in this field?
Keep your head down! Work hard. Most days you wouldn’t know what hit you but it’s all worth it in the end. Keep at it and never give up.