EXCL: In conversation with Chef Kunal Kapur on food, life, inspiration and lots more...

Our first restaurant in Dubai and then the second one in Delhi was very well-received and loved by everyone, so we thought why not extend it further and bring it to other places and cities so it can be enjoyed by everyone. Our first restaurant was Pincode Dubai and the second one was in Delhi. We've had a lot of people asking us when we bringing it to other places. That’s what inspired us to come up with this concept where we bring our signature Pincode dishes to plates in various cities and neighbourhoods. The first edition of Pincode to Plates was at One8 Commune, Juhu in 2023. It was very well-received, but it was only a 4-day event and we realised that that is too short a time because there are so many people who want it to be extended. So this time around with Neuma, we have come here for a week and we are very excited and hoping to fill all the tables.

The menu over here is signature dishes from the Pincode menu where we've kept the regional flavour intact. But now that we're coming to Bombay, especially to Neuma which is very progressive, we have taken the liberty to play around a little to make it a little more entertaining. For example, the humble Elaneer Payasam which we have made into a panna cotta, and you must try our Pincode Chenna Tiramisu. Its our signature where it's Madras filter coffee flavoured Chenna with some mascarpone served together, which gives you that feeling of that nice Italian tiramisu, but it's 100 per cent desi.

I did my schooling from Delhi, I am a B Com graduate but numbers are something that I was never good at. Though my family was very keen that I become a banker and further a chartered accountant but I didn't want to sit in one place and work. I am very restless and I get excited easily. Irony is I also easily bored out of things. I need some kind of simulation all the time. So I think entering the culinary school was just a fluke. Once I got into the college, and I entered kitchens, I instantly liked it. I started enjoying cooking for some reason. I don't know exactly why maybe it's because I saw my father and grandfather cooking in the kitchen and watching men cook was very normal for me. So I enjoyed the process and I thought that even after a hard day's work, it's very rewarding because you get to eat a lot of nice food, you know and that's where I decided that, hey, let's become a chef. I had the support of my family, they said, whatever you want to do, it's fine. As long as you are okay with it. We are okay with it. Ithink that gave me the push.

I think the creativity, I think the USP of the menu at Pincode is that the sheer amount of different states and pincodes that we've covered speaks volumes. Everybody will find some or the other relation to the dish that they order. I think when you come to dine with us, obviously the food is something that you will enjoy eating, but it also holds a conversation starter value. 

Back home everyone loves vadapav, it's a little cliche but it's very special and I love it.

I think I'll go with the ones that I dread. Not exactly knowing what you're serving, has can have a very disastrous effect. I think just barely a month or two back, tere had been an incident in Gurgaon, where a customer was served a drink laden with dry ice, and she had to be hospitalized as was very critical. So in the name of theatrics, if you go that route, without understanding, just copying what you've seen on just going on YouTube, not understanding the concept behind it or how it needs to be done can have disastrous effects. For me, I think simplicity speaks volumes. Food made fresh, served fresh, good portion size, nutritious and then tasty.

I think with the culinary industry, the more you travel, the more you learn. The initial years are crucial, where you put your head down and just work. You need to understand that no aspect of the kitchen is unimportant. Even if it's about peeling potatoes or onions, sacks of it for a couple of months. You got to do that. There is so much learning right there. You need to understand that it's a skill that comes with practice. There are some who are gifted, who move faster, but everybody has their own pace. You have to be patient.

I think I still read a lot. I try and travel a lot. I try and experiment now that I have the luxury of my experimental kitchen. There are very few days where I don't sneak into my own kitchen to try out something different, something new no matter how idiotic it is. And that gives you a beautiful learning curve.

A pumpkin, for sure. I’m growing, very difficult to stay in shape.

I think the entire focus is now to expand Pincode in India and outside. We have another location which is already under construction and we are closing on more within India. I think at this point in time, my plate is pretty full and I would like to concentrate on all this rather than trying to distract myself with other multiple things.