DHABA
Inspired by the punjabi roadside resting place, DHABA is a podcast that invites pause, perspective, and peppered wisdom. Each episode brings together cooks, caretakers, bridge-builders and makers whose craft speaks louder than credentials. DHABA is a resting place for restless minds, where experience is the spice and conversation the fuel.
DHABA
Chef Patron Peter Joseph - From Chennai To Sloan Square
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A great restaurant starts with a story—and Chef Peter Joseph has a remarkable one. From a bustling family kitchen in Tamil Nadu to leading a Michelin-star brigade at Tamarind, Peter learned to turn memory into method, discipline into delight, and tradition into something bright and modern at Kahani near Sloane Square.
We talk through the real craft of contemporary Indian cooking: how to balance spice for European palates without losing soul, why à la minute matters for freshness, and what it takes to keep a busy London service running like clockwork. Peter opens up about the inspirations that shape his menu, including a “black chicken” technique discovered in a tiny café and reimagined with edible charcoal for a smoky, playful edge. He also shares the thinking behind a menu that spans India north to south—Malabar prawns kissed by the tandoor, seafood in silky coconut milk, and plates designed for sharing because the best meals are conversations.
Beyond the dining room, Kahani now powers weddings, hotel partnerships, and fast-service pop-ups at Lord’s Cricket Ground, all while preserving the standards that built its loyal following. Peter offers an unfiltered view of hospitality in 2025—shrinking margins, fewer tourists, rising duties—and why he calls it “another COVID without the virus.” His answer is leadership and consistency: mentoring young chefs, staying on the pass five days a week, and planning future growth where the concept can shine, from the Middle East to thoughtfully chosen suburbs.
Come for the flavour, stay for the story, and leave with a deeper respect for the people who make great restaurants feel effortless. If you enjoy the conversation, follow the show, share it with a friend who loves Indian cuisine, and leave a quick review to help others discover it.
DHABA
Brewed slowly. served warmly. crafted with care
Welcoming Chef Peter Joseph
SPEAKER_01So, first of all, thank you so much. You are um the first, if you like, chef, that we're having on Tubba, um, which is great. Uh I know of your food for quite some time. Right. Um, going back to Tamrin days uh when you were doing wonderful things there. Yes. Uh and then I re-found you at the again, another lovely venue in London, Kahani, um, which you are Chef Patron there. Um how am I doing so far? Am I getting all of these things right? Yes. Excellent, excellent. So would you just like to start by introducing yourself for those who don't know? Um, you know, who are you? What do you do? Where do you do it? Um let's start with that if it's okay. Great.
Career At Tamarind To Kahani
Defining Modern Indian At Kahani
SPEAKER_03I'm Peter Joshev, chef. Uh been running a Michelin star restaurant for eight years. I was heading the team. It's called Tamrin Ahmaifer, and I was a group head chef there uh later days. I started my career there as a shoe chef, then became a head chef, responsible for Michelin Star. Now uh from 2018 onwards, I have opened Kahani restaurant, which is located in uh Sloan Square. Um so it's a modern, lighter modern Indian food, we say it, and uh casual dining we do, no laid tablecloth. I know people come there. Kahani means story in Hindi, and um so we share uh the idea of the uh restaurant is you know, each dish comes out from uh, you know, some stories, and uh the the concept we created is uh sharing concept, you know, more than uh robotic uh fine dining. You know, people share their food, share their story, just you know, more lively dining. That's what we need. Uh it's going really well past eight years, and um yeah, we do uh lots of uh we call it Indian restaurant, we just uh don't uh you know uh put it in one side, northern Indian or southern Indian. We call it Indian restaurant, we have uh the food the food cuisine uh covered from north to south of India. From you can see Punjabi dishes, some Kasmiri dishes, and middle you can see Andhra, some Mumbai roadside uh traditional daba, uh bhaji stuffs uh when we have uh event or things like that. And uh when you come to south, you know, lots of fish comes from south, the great uh curries and grills. So I have uh created uh Malabah pran. You know, normally Tandur is uh known for northern Indian cuisine, but um we created uh um Southern Indian spices uh but grilled in Tandu, so which works out really well, one of the popular dishes in our Kahani menu. So yeah, it's going well past uh eight years and uh we achieved uh so many awards uh throughout these years. It was a struggle initially, and uh we because of the COVID, uh after we opened in one year time we uh faced COVID, 2020 and 2021. Then from 2022 onwards we just uh shoot off and uh is doing really well. The ingredients we chose is local and we're very particular about our ingredients, whether it is meat or seafood or grocery or dairy. And um the team is trained for that as well. You know, we have a um fantastic um front of the house, which is you know, they look after the clients like uh not a customer, like a guests, you know. Yes, and uh the kitchen team as well, you know, they're very particular about um consistency. I always stress on that, you know, same consistency uh throughout. So that is very important for any any restaurants, not only Indian, any restaurants. So yeah, that's how we is we are there uh in the market past eight years. And uh before that I was uh chef for 13 years at uh Tamarin. 13 years, started as a shoe chef, then become head chef and uh holding the Michelin stuff for eight years, then moved to Kahani. It was a great opportunity. People uh love our restaurant, it's a basement restaurant. Uh they come, you enjoy, relax. We have a beautiful floor with um bar with uh amazing cocktails. There were some nice and uh innovative cocktails. So this all the highlights for Kahani, we can say.
SPEAKER_01No, I mean I'm I am biased. I've known your food, your amazing food, um, and even uh I think the front of house uh that Kahani, at least some of them were inherited from Tamrint. So I've been enjoying your cuisine for yeah, literally decades. Um and it is absolutely amazing. Um so thank you for that professional introduction. Uh what actually got you interested in cooking in the first place? First place, yeah. Yeah.
Early Inspirations At Home In Tamil Nadu
SPEAKER_03Well, um, you know, it reminds me of my schooling time. My mom used to pack lunches every day. India, we need to take a packed lunch every day for schooling. From I think uh higher secondary, we call it secondary school when you go from seven year seven to year twelve. My mom used to pack everything for us, and we see them in the morning. She was a teacher as well. She's a hardworking uh woman and uh she works hard for the family as well as you know, looks after kids. As she was a teacher looking after uh, you know, children in the school. So all those things. So the early morning, our house is always uh, you know, busy, and uh uh my dad was a teacher as well. So what happens is she packs uh cooks uh breakfast as well as packs lunch. So we always watch every day while we are uh getting ready and studying in the morning, so just see what she does. So that's how small uh side of inspiration comes from uh my mom, the food. Then the next part is she cooks tasty food. That's very important. She cooks food, she cooks and tasty food. Yes. Over the weekends, you know, she cooks amazing non wish curries, you know. My siblings and myself, we fight for the you know, pick up meats from the pots, you know.
SPEAKER_02Oh, of course, of course.
SPEAKER_03So that's uh that's how uh she cooks amazing lamb curry, uh chicken, uh roast, things like that. And um while I'm saying my mom, my mom, my dad is a great hunter. Hunter means he doesn't shoot the animals and bring. You know, after school, she goes to the market and picks different kind of meat, not like stuck to uh chicken and lamb. He goes for you know, different birds, pigeon, quail, and rabbit, things like that. He's a collector, we can say, you know, different you see he likes to explore different meats. So that's how I I got that uh inspiration, like different meats. My mom cooks well, but my dad brings and uh gives a gives a test to my mom, I can say I see when you do that, things like that. Um yeah.
SPEAKER_01So that's a lot of a lot of experimentation from from quite early on you were exposed to.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, before I'm moving from home for uh my uni, I experienced all this in at my home.
SPEAKER_01I mean, so India is a massive place, right? Yes. Um which which part of India were were you at? Were you growing up in?
SPEAKER_03I am from uh southern part of India. Call it Chennai, Tamil Nadu, they say. But I'm part of Tamil Nadu. Uh it's a very traditional and uh um great uh place. People, you know, very lovely and they're very loving, caring, and sharing as well. You know, festivals uh you you you should see that, you know, that love comes with the food, and you know, they talk, they share the food, each other's homes, and we taste different kinds of tastes, even that that time itself. This hunty makes very good curry. Oh, this uncle does very good buryani.
SPEAKER_02Things like right, right, right.
SPEAKER_03No, that's amazing. So it's basically Tamil Nadu, it's a very traditional uh place, uh southern part of India, that where you know you can see uh dosas and idlies are cooked every day and everywhere.
SPEAKER_01Uh so what's what's what you've mentioned dosas in Italy, right? So what's your favorite breakfast?
SPEAKER_03My favorite breakfast uh is um now or before? Before. Yeah, when I was in India, dosa is my um favorite uh breakfast. I love them with you know the samba, the accompaniments they do with the lentil, lentil curry, and uh coconut chutney and tomato chutneys. It's amazing. The other one is uh puribaji. Okay, you know, the puffed uh um puffed bread. Uh with uh they make the subji, you know, the mix with uh potatoes. Yes, yes, it's very light, very nice, but very simple this as well. But it's amazing for the morning. Yeah. And now because now you know I like my eggs in the morning. Totally changed. Fried egg or uh like semi-boiled egg, I'll soft boiled egg, we call it. I love them with the toast or they totally change. No, it's been 25 years in London now. I think 2003 I came in. Yeah, 22 years now in London. So I'd become a Londoner.
SPEAKER_01I mean, do you do you get to travel back to Tamil Naduch and I quite often?
From TV Dreams To Culinary School
SPEAKER_03Yes, every year I go back and see my family because my parents are still there. So when I go there, I explore a few stuffs, different places, restaurants. Mostly I give time to my parents, then I go out as well to eat and see and uh inspire stuffs. So whenever I go, that's the thing, you know. I pick up some ideas from there and come in different restaurants. It could be a smaller restaurant, smaller disc that gives me um inspiration. So when I do the next uh menu, many changes, so I'll just see. Uh for an example, uh in one smaller cafe, I saw uh it's called black chicken, they call it. They roast the chicken or fry the chicken, marinate the chicken with uh live, sorry, edible charcoal powder. Uh first time I heard it's charcoal powder. Only chocolate powder is chocolate powder, it's powder, black stuff, but they they make edible chocolate powder. So I was tasting the chicken and I could feel a little bit of smoky charcoalness, as well as it's so dark, like black, black chicken. Then I was wondering, you know, it's all uh always uh chef's mind, you know, the things how they made this chicken so dark, so black. Then I spoke to the waiters, uh then the waiter brought me the chef, then I had a conversation, he introduced me, it's from a small cafe. So then next I came here, I put my ideas and created it's called uh black chicken chetinat. And uh the other time I did the black chicken with saracha sauce. So people loved it, and they were like the same how I felt in India, how I was wondered in India. They were at Kahani they think, oh, how you make the chicken black. So that is a thing picked up from uh India when I was on holiday.
SPEAKER_01That's wonderful. That's really, really amazing. So you've maintained that connection with your route, which is which is great.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, they won't by rule, like just go there, pick some ideas, come back. Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Fantastic. So I mean, you had also uh your inspiration, I guess, right at the beginning was your home, right? And your mom and she's cooking and enjoying uh what mystery dad is gonna come home with, right? And then put that in front and say, okay, okay, mom, now you can cook this. And no doubt she she did an excellent job of that. But you also, I think, um, you had a very good formal culinary education as well, right?
SPEAKER_03Yes, yeah. Because, you know, I uh w while collecting these knowledges from mom and dad, um, I was seeing uh chefs working on the TV, the TV shows, you know, with a clean jacket, the talking, people are hearing, and they make wonderful things. Yes, and um back in India, even here, uh mostly chefs are uh male, male men. Yes, a few lady chefs are there. Uh but uh mostly even India, at home women cooks, but at a bigger level, like hospitality, hotels, five-star hotels, big chef cooks. So then I thought, why not I become um like them? Uh it's a clean uh uniform, they're talking, people are hearing, and they give so much respect to chef. So that's how I admired the chef life. And um I started working on that uh, but uh there was a big um problem, you know, with at my family. They said, you know, everyone is a teacher, they're educated, education-related family. Yes. My dad and mom did not want to become a chef. Because back in India, people think the doctors and engineers are being a chef, they they think that time is very in the 80s. I'm talking about 85, 80s, 90s, they talk very small. Oh, chef is uh not that great a position or valuable uh position or work. They treat like people who work in the restaurant like a lower caliber or lower level. That time even now is there because people are doctors and engineers, they respect so well. If people who work in the restaurant they see smaller.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
Mentors And Mastering A Michelin Kitchen
SPEAKER_03So that's how even my mom and dad, they did not want me to become a chef. Then I literally made an argument with them, you know, somehow, you know, I make my life well. I promise them. And uh uh after finishing my schooling, I went into three-year hotel management culinary school in India itself. Uh, so that gave me um uh great exposure. Then while studying, they put me in uh hotels for training, learning, cooking, things like that. So that's how after finishing my college, you know, I worked under a great chef. His name is Rakeshut Upatya. He's from northern part of India. I still remember him. He taught me not only the cooking and the um discipline in the cooking. That's very important, you know, timing, punctuality, yes, be you know, exha explore things, experiment things, and um things like that I learned from him. Initial stage that I I really thank God for that, you know, work under a great chef. So it's you know, stage that is very important.
SPEAKER_01Having a mentor, especially someone um in proximity, uh, not just providing you with their expertise and their knowledge, but also that motivation to put a fire in your belly. Absolutely. Yeah, to get excited um by the things that you're learning. Um, and clearly, yeah, anyone who's gone to Kahani uh and and previously Tamrind, the food it's it's not, I can say, normal. It's not standard, it is exciting, and it's the experience that I think starts in the kitchen. Um, that's the epicenter of that ecosystem. But then how does the front of house work? Um, excuse me, how does the service work? All of that, um, and again, I'm biased. I'm I'm super biased. Uh Kahani is hands down my favorite restaurant uh in London for sure, uh, of any type of cuisine. Um so thank you. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_03I agree with the point as well. You know, food is uh not only one thing in a restaurant, you know, the atmosphere we create. Uh at Khani expect uh great uh welcome from the staff and uh you know attentive service and abundance of flavor beautifully presented on the plate. So that's all together in one combined experience. That's true, that's true.
SPEAKER_01And it and it is so so important. So you you had one fantastic mentor. That was great. Um, so what happened then? So you you you had um the inspiration from home, you uh had some challenges, right? Zobvisi family wanted to look after you, yeah. Um they wanted to ensure that you were going to be successful, but you managed to convince them that yes, of course you're gonna be successful. But that's the line that you wanted to take, and you took it, and that's fantastic. Um, because you've proved that. And and the food speaks for itself. It's it's incredible. Um, and what you've created at Kahani and previously um, you know, maintaining a Michelin star at somewhere like Tamrin. And for those who don't know, um Zun Mayfair, it's been there forever. I think uh so many, so many really, really prominent chefs have had an opportunity to to be there. But you were there for you eight years, and maintaining that standard. It's that is incredible. But then having your own place, if you like, uh and continuing with that philosophy. And I can speak about that with a little bit of authority because Tamrind used to be a fixture for me. Um now Kahani is the fixture for me. Okay, so it's it's not just it's not just the food, right? It's it's everything. And I I just love it. I love the food, I love the SW1 cocktail. Everyone, oh yeah, yeah. Shall I get you your SW1?
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Let me let me order first. Um, so that's great. I mean, did you have any other mentors as well, besides Of course?
Running Service And Kitchen Rhythm
SPEAKER_03You know, when I joined Tamarin, I worked on the uh great chef, uh Alfred Prashad. Yes, he was a head chef that time. The youngest one to get a Michelin. Yes, yes. Yeah. He's uh 20, yeah, 29, 29 years old. He got Michelin. Incredible. It was a first uh time experience for me because I come back from India. India's cooking is different. Yes, we w work um uh with uh all the standards and everything, but cooking in India and uh London, see Indian food is totally different. The spice levels we use, the flavors we use, it's all uh uh so different. So that techniques I learned from Chef Albrh Alfred Prashad. Because uh back in India we go uh cook bulk, uh big portions, and all those things, but he uh with lots of spices, flavors, but in London, when I joined Tamarine, it's uh Indian food, but uh for a European palate. So that I need to connect because at even at Kahani or Tamarin, 80% of them are Europeans and Americans. Yes. People. So yes, there are Indian comes and dines, but most of the time we are serving for um a European palette. So that techniques, the flavor is still there, how to balance the spice level. That techniques I learned from Chef Alfred Prashak. It was a great experiment. Initially, it was not easy for me working in Michelin store restaurant because that was my first most experience in Michelin store restaurant. Previously I was there in India, then I moved to London for an Indian Malaysian restaurant. First two years I worked in Indian Malaysian restaurant in London Bridge Hotel. Then I moved to Tamarin. So when I moved to Tamarin, it was uh tough for me. First six months, I don't know what I'm doing. I I'm just learning only. But you know, Shafal Prabhupada was patient at me with me and he taught me everything. Then I was number two for him. Wow. Almost like four or five years I was working, worked under him as number two. Then when he moved on for next position, next level, then I become uh a head chef there. Absolutely. Yeah. Absolutely. It's a great team as well. It's a team effort. You need a great team. At the same time, it's all depends the pressure depends on the uh upon the uh head chef. Yes, even though you have f 13, 14 chefs working in the kitchen team, but it's it's all under uh chef's uh hands, head chef's hand. So but it's it's a great experience. It's a pressure, but I loved it. Initially it was tough, but I learned it, I experienced it, and I love the uh the the the pressure. So every year when they announce, not even one year I missed when I was there. Uh every year when they announce Michelin Strice, you know, great uh thing we achieved in life. That's a fantastic life. I was not born for it. I I made for it, I think. When I come to London also, I just came to work.
SPEAKER_01I think being a head chef is one thing. And obviously you've worked uh diligently, professionally to to attain that. And the teamwork that is involved, and I only have exposure of this from you know, watching, you know, sometimes there's a a gallery there and you can see the kitchen. Uh other time other and my only other exposure is on you know TV programs. Um and the pressure is intense. And there's invariably so many people that you, as a head chef, you are accountable, you have to coordinate all of that and at the same time ensure that all of the food is received in time, the orders, then it's prepared, right? And then it's gonna go out in a reasonable time. I mean, for example, with Kahani, how many covers are there in a standard evening, let's say?
SPEAKER_03We we normally do an average of 70 covers. Some slow evenings are 50, but 70 cover average. Weekends are massive. We do 120, 130, but two seatings we do because uh Kahani holds uh 75 in the basement, and we have private dining as well uh for 10 covers. So altogether 85. But um the normal evenings you do average of 60 to 70, the busy weekends we do 120. And again, the festival periods, you know, December, sometimes we do it from morning to evening, it's like 150 to 170 covers with that restaurant.
SPEAKER_01What is the standard what's a standard day like? Because from a customer's perspective, you're only going there when your booking is there, right? Yeah. When when does your day start?
Growth Plans And Brand Extensions
SPEAKER_03We start you know early morning. The thing is, like um we woke open a few days only dinner, like Monday to Wednesday. Thursday to Sunday from morning to evening, like lunch and dinner. Uh the staff starts early when they have when we have lunch. But normally when we do only eat dinner, they start around uh 2 p.m. We need to actual customer coming in time is 5 p.m. in the evening. I'm talking about dinner time. Staffs are there from 2 to Prab, you know, everything do everything. They're just getting ready, marinate the meats, and you know, setting up the place, garnishes, all those things, you know. All the plates need to be put in the warm up. All those things happen, you know, three hours or four hours pre uh dining for everyone. So 5 p.m. when they come, it's all ready to sell, no rush. And um it's all like oiled machine, it works. Like, you know, we train the people. Yes, we don't we don't teach them each and every day, do this, do that. You know, people are trained for that. It's like oiled machine, everyone knows their job and they do. So first, yeah, whenever the new stuff join, we train them uh properly so that you know they support the team and the service is smooth. So yeah, this is how we start uh yearly. And uh while the customer is in, they the they start coming slowly by from 5, then the main dining time is like 7 p.m. We get a big rush there until uh 9:30, 10. So yeah, people are trained for it, and uh Thandur, we have we'll we do live a la minute cooking.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_03Everything and um even whatever dish we prepare, everything is a la minute. Once the order comes, then we start cooking. It's not like pre-made and we serve everything, no. So that's one thing it shows the freshness to the food as well. You know, a la minute cooking. After ordering, you know, after the customer plays the order, then we prepare everything.
SPEAKER_01No, for sure. And then when when when's the last booking? When when do you wave goodbye to the final?
SPEAKER_03Right. Right. So they they can come in around uh 10.15 to 10.30. The last order placed by 10.30. So someone comes to eat uh three-course meal, they place the order by 10.30. So next another hour they can finish the three-course meal like starter main course and desert. But uh 5.30 to the 5 to 10.30, our timing is.
SPEAKER_01Wow. And then how long does it take to to clean up?
SPEAKER_03It takes, you know, it depends how they're finishing at the end. If there are too many tables at the end around 10.30, yeah, it takes more time to finish. So if they finish by 9.30 and one or two tables are sitting, say around four or five guests, so the the closing time is lesser because if we have more tables at the end, the porters in the kitchen they get more stuffs to clean.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_03And they leave later as well. The guests leave later, you know, they start the starter main course, then when they come to desert, it becomes like 11:30, 12, 11:30 at least. So once they are done, chefs is easy. It's not closing. Closing is easy. When they sell dessert, their job is finished. Right. They can leave. Right. For waiters, they need to wait. Uh, after desert, they coffee, they talk, they may have go for another drink. Yes. That's me. Then uh settling the bill. Uh so after that they need to prep for next day as well. The waiters they need to set the tables, they put the stuff in for the washing. Porter will clean up everything. So the last person to leave home is uh Porter. He cleans up everything, mopping the kitchen, cleaning nicely, thoroughly, then he goes home. Yeah. That's all the day ends.
SPEAKER_01Long day. It's a whole long day. When do you get time to go on like do you do you do you go on vacation? Does that work? Is that even a thing?
SPEAKER_03Initially it was tough. Then I joined uh Tamarin like initial periods. Then you know I started planning uh myself. Now it's a little more planned way of working. So I have a head chef in my team, under me. Uh he does a really good job and uh he's a trustworthy guy. He does a great job. So it's it's it's work to uh uh with trust as well, the kitchen team. Otherwise, you know, it's like if you don't have a subordinate, number two or number three, then whatever you think and we think and plan it's not going to be happening. So I I have a responsible guys in the kitchen, so I plan my day offs, uh vacations and the India trip, things like that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. I mean it's I guess the organizational structure is incredibly important. Absolutely and how you run your brigades and obviously then for such a high pressure environment. Because food food is passion. Right? It's not like you're gonna go to a hamburger place and just order something and la la la la la, it comes quickly and then off you go. Places like Kahani, like you said, it's not fine dining, but it's it's curated. It's It's a very, very special and personalized experience. And I think the service and the food reflects that always. Um, every time that I've been there. Um, and that's what I look forward to. That is what I look forward to. And that takes time. It takes time to get that frequency, that cadence. Yeah. Do you think where where would you where would you see Kahani moving forward?
SPEAKER_03What's your what's your vision for it? Kahani moving forward, you know, we plan to open in uh different countries. Okay. With a good support. Frizzly Middle East is booming now, Dubai and uh Abu Dhabi here in South Bible. So we are having a chat with them. And uh at Central London, my personal opinion I want to share, it's not like uh the scene is 10 years, 20 years before. There are too many Indian restaurants and too many competitions.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
The Hospitality Squeeze In 2025
SPEAKER_03So it's no point to keep opening unless you have a great different innovative, inviting concept you have in hand. With a great amount of investment as well. Yeah, it's for Central London I'm talking about. Because this is the this is the current situation. When I was worked at Again, I picked Tamarin 2004 when I three when I joined in Mayfair, you see tamarin and uh banadas. That's it. Yes. Now in that square, uh Bakley Square, almost like ten major restaurants are there. Yes. Like Jamawar, Jimkana, Chatimeri, so on, like banaras, tamarin, then koya is like Peruvian. Uh Indians like the food as well. And um there are so many, ten I can mention it. There then just five minutes walk away, you have Kanishka, Manthan, like so many Indian restaurants in that one Mafia. Previously, before Regent Street in Mafia, only two restaurants, Tamrin and uh Banaras. Yes. The named restaurant. Yes. So that's one thing. Again, Sogo. Every street you see, there are four or five Indian restaurants. And it's like yeah, one thing is good, it's a healthy competition and improving, but the options are more now. Competition is higher. So if I want to open another cohany, I won't look at in zone one and two. That makes sense. I mean it's the company. But you know, when you when you open outer side of like suburban areas, say Yeshire or Kingston or uh Kent or Bromley. We need to find a nice location with the nice residentials, and we can build the business. Initially, it it is going to be tougher, not like Central London footfall areas. First one or two six months, you know, three months or six months is going to be tough. Then, you know, by one year you build your own clientele guests, then you know it will be amazing. But um, yeah, that's how I see Kahani. We want to do the next concept. This is fine-dining. We want to do little foster Indian food, like kind of Indian street food, like kind of uh Dabha style food. Right. Where in um India we call it now they call it mortal, but uh that time is Daba. They come and relax, enjoy lighter food, very quick, and um affordable as well. When you go to bigger restaurants, it's like big money. When you go to Daba, it's uh tasty food, home home style food, but um affordability as well. Good.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, it's a different proposition altogether, right? It's a different purpose. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um so that's how we are uh looking at uh we want to open in different countries and um That would be amazing. With Kahani, I did um a few things after opening Kahani. You know, I I was doing events from Kahani, which is wedding in uh different hotels. I have a connection uh with uh hotels like uh we are the provider, hospitality catering provider for uh Hilton Metropole, uh Sheraton Parkland, and uh so many other stuff like uh Marriott uh Gronaska, uh Ghana House, the No Hotel uh Hammersmith, when uh Heathru, there are so many uh Redisons and things like that. There are around 20 uh hotels we have in less list. So we do great events as well, like a wedding, Indian proper weddings in manor houses. So that's how we are surviving restaurants as well as the event. Yes. And um Lord's Cricket Ground, we do amazing uh stall as well. Every international match, I think yearly we do around 25 days at Lord's Cricket. So I do fast fast food there as well, uh, Indian uh street food. Right, shots, pop budgie, biryanian, butter chicken rice, things like that. I do past uh four years now. This year we did amazingly well with uh uh India team there. So this is really, really good, good. It was so busy one week, and uh the team at Lots are so happy with us as well. So that is another another area for for Kahani to you know shine and brew.
Advice For Young Chefs
SPEAKER_01I mean, as a brand, I mean you've taken a very, very personal concept. Yes. Right, if I may say so, and you've made such a a brilliant experience. Yeah. Um in adjacent to Sloan Square. And to hear the future plans, it it's yeah, you make it sound so logical. You make it sound like um this is a a really, really good strategy. But also after listening to you and and you sharing your story, um it's incredibly tough. In the food industry, in the hospitality industry, um the margins are so tight. Yes. And you know, to maintain the passion for as long as you have, I think that's tremendous. I mean, what a what a fantastic leader. Yeah, thank you. Thank you. That's you know, the enthusiasm is is there's still that fire there, which is which is great. Yeah, that's true.
SPEAKER_03Because uh uh especially while you're talking about uh on the top on that on that topic, far my experience, past uh 20 years in London, this yeah, 2025 hospitality is struggling like anything. Not only uh any cuisine, not only Indian, European, anyone. Even big uh Michelin star, one Michelin, two Michelin star chefs are closing their restaurants. And for the great uh struggle, like the market is changed, the tourists are reduced in London, and the competition is more, as well as you know, the government putting pressures on hospitality industrial margin for profit, even that is squeezed, and uh many pubs are closing. Smaller places are bigger places, from Michigan star places to smaller restaurants.
SPEAKER_01Of course, but then is it from from looking at it from the outside, um you know, your core ingredients, they one is availability and then price. Um, and then because you've got a fantastic bar offering as well in Kahani, um, SW1, my favorite cocktail in Kahani. And I know as well the base rate for the spirits. I mean, the taxes have gone up on that. Yeah. Um it's yeah, what what I guess what message would you give to young aspiring chefs today?
Favourite Dishes And Ingredients
SPEAKER_03Yes, you know, people uh for uh like young chefs, one thing they need to understand and uh agree that hospitality industry is not easy, especially chef jobs. Won't uh talk about the front of the house. Yes, their job is difficult as well, but especially chef's job, the emotions and the pressures and the hard work is still there. So you need to be preparing your mind and heart for that. You need to be ready with the physical fitness and everything. Chef's job is not easy. You need to stand all the time, receive the pressures, each and every minute you need to deliver a lot of work. Yes. And it may be a long hour sometime, ready for that as well. And with a great uh focus, you know, goal and uh the hard work uh hardworking attitude, the chefs can achieve things. Again, while I said uh there are still hope for improvement, you know, there are still uh areas to improve and areas to shine as well. It's not that uh it's not the end of the world for hospitality, but yes, we are struggling like we struggled in COVID.
SPEAKER_01Yes.
SPEAKER_03I I always see 2025 is uh another COVID without uh coronavirus. Yes, yes, that's how I see. Yeah, we are struggling, but that time government supported uh really well, but there is no support as well. Government has to see things. This is what every chef and the manager or the hospitality owners are thinking. Government has to do something, otherwise, uh like 2025. I as far as more than 250 restaurants closed, but restaurants closed in big numbers, but as far as I know, there are pubs, restaurants, even Central London, big chefs like Michel Rouy, who closes restaurant, and um, yeah, many, many other uh chefs. Like um yeah, Chelsea, there uh there is a pub run by uh star chef has been closed. Yes. Things like that is uh happening. At the same time, there are other side people are opening as well, the restaurants. So chefs still have their value in the market, but uh you know, ready for the situation and work hard and things like that.
SPEAKER_01No, for sure, but you you still have the passion, you still clearly you love to cook. Right? I mean, what's your favorite dish to prepare? Is or you don't have one?
SPEAKER_03Uh no, I I have uh at my restaurant at the moment. I love to cook lambshank. Which I and uh I like love my seafood. And uh if you ask me a specific ingredient, I like coconut very much. So coconut marinated uh in uh kebabs, uh turdies. Yes, my favorite ingredient, you know, I can eat raw coconut as well, just uh but coconut milk is amazing with cooking when you make a nice uh tangy flavor, some fish curry, just adding up coconut milk may make the big difference. So yeah, I love cooking fish curries as well. It's amazing with uh so many different fishes in London, you know, it's uh great place to source, which where else you can find so many ingredients or diverse food uh in any other uh world. Any London is amazing throughout the year. You can get even though it's seasonal, like asparagus is somewhat, but you can get it in winter in any month of the year. You source the ingredients. So that's amazing for a chef. I love London. I love being in London.
Family, Faith, And Balance
SPEAKER_01No, I mean that that's that's that's incredible. I think a lot of people put London down for lots of different reasons. Um, but hearing you speak about uh the availability, the diversity of the ingredients as well. Um, and just yeah, it's it's obvious that you're still so passionate about the core concept of cooking. Yes, yeah. I mean, that's I mean, as well as everything else, yes, you've got to be tenacious, they have to be patient, have to be hardworking. It's a very, very physically demanding profession. But to have that, yeah, you gotta really love. And I think you demonstrate that amazingly.
SPEAKER_03Uh I love being in the kitchen. I just want to mention because uh even though I'm a chef come owner now, chef patron owner, as well as I handle like um auto caterings, lots cricket events, weddings, and other meetings to involve, but still I'm there in my kitchen for five days in a week. Except my day off. Every day I'm there in the kitchen at least for an hour or two when it's a busy service, I'm there more and more hours. So I love being in the kitchen. So many of them, when they become like a chef owner or a chef patron, they just stay away from the cooking and looking after the management side of it.
SPEAKER_01Yes, yes. But you're you're you're still hands-on, very much. I'm still hands-on, yes. No, that's correct. And you're mentoring as well. You've mentioned you've got a fantastic uh couple of people who uh line directly into you.
SPEAKER_03Yes. Because uh I picked up uh post-COVID, I picked up around four or five guys from India. Right. Young chefs. They're working with me now. I train them with uh uh you know great uh standard of uh you know, UK standard cooking, and they're doing really well. They are very supportive and in the kitchen. So it's it's it's it's makes me happy, you know, when teach someone sharing your uh knowledge and skills to someone else when they're doing really well in life. Oh I'm happy, more than happy than uh anyone.
SPEAKER_01That's that's that's great. I mean, you work incredibly hard, all the chefs work incredibly hard. Um, you can't be successful without um working to that level and that intensity and maintaining those standards. So the next thing I'm gonna ask you, I'm a little bit nervous about asking, but I'm gonna ask it anyway. Do you even have time to do other things? What what what do you enjoy doing besides the cooking? Do you have time to do anything?
SPEAKER_03Hey, I I have a family to look after. Yeah. I have three kids, our young kids, not like grown-up kids. Right. So I need to be supportive to my family, my wife, things like that. Apart from that, I'm um I'm one of Jehovah's Witnesses, you know. Okay. Religious uh side of it. I just normally don't mention to anyone, uh especially in the professional side of it. But you know, when you asked what do you share, what do you do? So I just um support my uh yeah, religious activities and things like that. So there I spent uh time like uh two days in a week. I we have meetings and uh, you know, doing ministry, things like that. So yeah, that gives me uh great pleasure and happiness. So yeah, that is uh good to share here. As well as um we go out to parks, you know, small little things, you know. I I can't spend more time outside with uh smaller kids, so we just go to park and enjoy some uh still enjoy some Indian movies, not like fully, but uh because it takes three to four hours to finish. I mean part by part. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. For sure. Some comedy shows or things like that. That makes me going. That's fantastic.
Closing Reflections And Invitation
SPEAKER_01Um thank you so much. You are an inspiration, Chef Peter Joseph. You are an absolute inspiration. Um I really hope that anyone who's a youngster or uh an old fossil like me um has found that your story to be not just interesting but inspiring and to get a little sneak peek into uh the life of someone who's at the top of your game, right? Um yeah, it's it's it's an absolute privilege to speak with you like this. Uh, and I will be coming to Kahani very, very soon again. Um, so that's great. So any any any last words from from you, Chef? Um, anything that you would want to share with the folks who are listening.
SPEAKER_03Uh, we had a great conversation, and uh, we as Kahani want to deliver a great experience to the guests. Um, when you as I have mentioned uh um earlier, Kahani means story, as well as uh we have uh great exposure, great food, great service. What do you expect from Kahani is uh attentive service, amazingly presented food with uh uh the flavors, abundance.
SPEAKER_01It is consistent, I have to say, it is consistent.
SPEAKER_03Consistent, yeah. And I look forward to seeing everyone at Kahani. People who did not uh know about Kahani, please come and enjoy. Please do.
SPEAKER_01By the way, I'm not getting paid. If anyone's thinking I'm getting paid to say nice things about this wonderful place and this wonderful chef, that is not the case at all. Anyone who knows me knows that I love my food. Um, designing and delivering experiences is what I do for a profession. Uh, and hands down, Kahani is, like I said it already, it's my favorite destination um to go and eat uh in London for sure. And uh I'm just so grateful that we have the gift of chefs like Peter Joseph's and so many others as well in London um right on our doorstep. It's it's a brilliant city, it's uh a vibrant, amazing place. You can literally choose to eat any cuisine you want to in any evening of any week. Um, London's amazing, London's fantastic, and we are collectively have to be grateful for the likes of Chef Peter Joseph um for maintaining those standards. So thank you so much.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. Thank you so very much. Benja each and every moment of life. Thank you.