On June 24, 2022, Chef Rohit Ghai shared some of his most cherished memories from childhood, which revolve around cooking with his mother. Today, Chef Ghai is recognized as one of the most renowned Indian chefs in the United Kingdom, famously known for being the fastest Indian to earn a Michelin star. After honing his skills in some of the finest hotels and restaurants in India, including the Oberoi Group and Taj Hotels, Chef Ghai began his international career by working at the Michelin-starred restaurant “Benares” in London in 2008.
Since his time at Benares, Chef Ghai has helmed several Michelin-starred kitchens, including “Gymkhana” and “Trishna,” as well as the award-winning JKS Group. He launched his first project in London with the Leela Group at “Jamavar,” where he achieved the remarkable feat of receiving a Michelin star just ten months after the restaurant’s opening.
Recently, Chef Ghai published his first cookbook, “Tarkari,” which serves as a rich repository of his earliest food memories and culinary journeys. In November 2018, he opened “Kutir,” offering a unique upscale Indian dining experience in London. “It has been a fantastic journey,” he reflects, adding that he has learned from wonderful mentors over the years. “I was excited to enhance the menu and concept of my new project, Kutir, bringing a different style of Indian cuisine to the London market. We now have our second restaurant in the UK called Manthan.”
Originally from Punjab, Chef Ghai’s family later settled in Gwalior, where his father worked in the Public Works Department (PWD). As the youngest of five siblings, he credits his love for cooking to his mother, who prepared simple yet expertly balanced dishes at home. “I remember growing up always being around my mother. The kitchen was where I felt happiest. I will never forget the first proper meal I cooked by myself at around the age of 15. It was Sarson da Saag, and my mother taught me how to make it. When I got it right, I was so happy,” he shared, noting that he still draws inspiration from his mother’s recipes when crafting new dishes for his clients.
Despite being one of the most famous chefs in Britain today, Chef Ghai never consciously decided to pursue a culinary career. He humorously reflects, “You could call it destiny.” He loved cooking growing up, but becoming a chef was never part of the plan—it happened naturally. Realizing his passion, he enrolled in the Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi to become a chef. “Like most Indians, my parents wanted me to pursue engineering or prepare for the UPSC exams. However, when I told them I loved cooking, they supported me,” he explains.
From Chef to Restaurateur
After graduating, Chef Ghai worked at several prestigious hotels, refining his skills and gaining exposure to various regional cuisines across India. This included stints at the Taj and Oberoi hotels, two of India’s most respected hotel groups.
Recognizing how the perception of Indian food was evolving in the UK, he decided to move to London in 2008 to share his expertise with a new audience. He joined the renowned restaurant “Benares” as a sous chef under Atul Kochhar, a pioneering Indian chef and a two-time Michelin star winner. Ghai worked there for five years before seizing the opportunity to become an executive chef in the JKS restaurants.
By 2016, his success at JKS earned him a stellar reputation for managing critically acclaimed kitchens. He opened “Jamavar” in Leela Palace Hotels—an all-day dining restaurant featuring a modern and slightly different Indian menu. Remarkably, just ten months after its launch, Chef Ghai became the first Indian chef to earn a Michelin star within a year. “Isn’t it a glamorous industry?” Chef Ghai exclaims. “However, there is so much hard work that goes into preparing a single dish. It’s an incredibly demanding industry, and one doesn’t get much time for themselves or their family. I consider myself very lucky to have been in this industry and to have my work widely appreciated.”
Alongside his partner Abhishake Sangwan, Chef Ghai opened “Kutir” in November 2018 to offer a slightly different experience in upscale Indian dining in London. “The restaurant is based on a hunting lodge concept from India,” the culinary expert shares, adding, “I’m always looking to bring something new and refreshing to the city, as people are very open to trying foods they haven’t experienced before. When I was part of the team at Oberoi Hotels in India, I helped launch a luxury lodge in the heart of the jungle, which inspired me to do something similar in London. It was perfect—we didn’t want to open a large restaurant so we could really focus on the food and allow staff to engage with customers about some lesser-known dishes.”
Inspired by various regional Indian cuisines, Chef Ghai’s menus leverage seasonal British produce. However, many familiar dishes also appear on the menu, including Dal Makhani, Kachori, and Phirni. “We offer three exceptional tasting menus that we refer to as exploratory menus: Signature, Vegetarian Signature, and Seasonal Exploratory, focusing on game or seafood. Many Indian dishes are naturally vegetarian or plant-based, and in fact, some of my favorites,” shares the chef, who opened his second dinner venture, Manthan, in Mayfair last September.
After successfully managing several kitchens, Chef Ghai released his first cookbook, Tarkari, earlier this year. “Tarkari is an Urdu word meaning vegetables. The book revolves around cooking with family, and I wanted to pay homage to the food my parents made for me while growing up. That’s where my love for cooking began. These recipes bring back beautiful memories of watching my mother cook and being part of the hustle and bustle in the busy kitchen, forming some of my earliest childhood memories,” he shares. He worked on the book during the pandemic lockdown.
The chef, who was also part of Expo 2020 Dubai, is currently in the process of launching a few new restaurants, including one in the UAE. “It’s an incredibly exciting time for me. I loved working at Expo 2020 and enjoyed my time there, so a restaurant in Dubai would be a dream come true. Either Dubai or Oman would be at the top of my list,” says the chef, adding, “I’m also looking forward to opening a restaurant in India. However, we have to work on a plan for that.”
