Women have been ruling the kitchens for ages. Some genius said, if you are good at something don’t do it for free, and they took it seriously. So here’s a toast to women restaurateurs who have been ruling the food industry with their gifted talents.
1. Anahita Dhondy Of SodaBottleOpenerWala
Success comes to those who wait, but that was not so much the case for this young lady. She is an award-winning, youngest female chef in Delhi. She has her name written on various awards and magazines. She has been taking her native Parsi cuisine to another level. In a city like Delhi, where we cannot obsess enough over Chole Bhature, Anahita made Parsi cuisine loved by hundreds of people.
Her journey in her own words:
“From being one of the ten women at IHM-Aurangabad to working at the Taj hotels and then to Le Cordon Bleu which later led me to work under the guidance of Chef Sabyasachi Gorai and Mr AD Singh at SodaBottleOpenerWala and now managing and being a chef-partner at one of the outlets have been a huge learning experience.”
2. Usha Batra of Cafe Delhi Heights
The woman with the most inspiring story is Usha Batra, the Culinary Director of Cafe Delhi Heights. Coming from a not so well off background, Usha struggled to and worked hard to reach where she is today. Her journey started in the year 1976 when circumstances were difficult, and she couldn’t even provide one square meal for her kids. To manage, she took a loan of sixteen hundred rupees from a friend to start a garment fabrication business.
Her sons encouraged her to explore new opportunities and follow her passion that is cooking. This led to the inception of Café Delhi Heights, which is one of its kind three-generational café where all 3 generations can enjoy a meal together at any time of the day. With an ambiance that is vibrant, quirky yet comfortable, warm and loving.
3. Pooja Dhingra- Le 15 Patisserie
The Macron lady, Pooja Dhingra, is the one who introduced us to an entire collection of macarons. She brought a whole new trend of desserts to India. Her bakery has the most delicious and the most Instagrammable desserts you have ever seen. Apart from being the owner of Le15 Patisserie, she has written two books- The Wholesome Kitchen: Nourish. Energize. Indulge. And Big Book Of Treats.
4. Natasha Jain Of Plum By Bent Chair
Have you ever walked into a restaurant and thought to yourself what if you owned one of those beautiful dining tables or that antique chair or that quirky showpiece?
The Stanford University alumnus, Natasha Jain, juggling with startup ideas, built this thought into a business model.
Plum by Bent Chair is India’s first retail restaurant with the most delicious Asian food.
5. Megha Kohli- Lavaash By Saby
The youngest chef of India is Meghna Kohli. The secret of Meghna’s success at Lavaash By Saby is that she puts her heart and soul when it comes to making the most exquisite dish. Her experience with top restaurants has helped her refine her skills.
She has a strong opinion on gender equality, and as the head chef, she makes sure that men and women meet shoulders at the workspace.
All these women, young and bold, are redefining the restaurant space by bringing in innovations, and new trends. With the restaurant industry rewarding and recognizing the male chefs more often, they had their hurdles, but nothing stopped them from being the boss ladies that they are.
Just how amazing these women are, so are their restaurants in their unique way. It’s inspiring, and the delicious food keeps us going back to these restaurants.
