Creativity, Ayurveda, Engineering, Mindfulness, Cooking…talking to Chef Nira Kehar is like seeing a vibrant mandala unfold in front of your eyes. The striking lady presented Delhi with its first taste of authentic French cuisine with Chez Nini in 2012; while the gem no longer exists in Delhi’s culinary crown, it continues to shine in the hearts of its folks. She travelled the seven seas to give the capital its own mini-France and journeyed on with just as much aplomb when the time was right. We load up on Matcha Lattes and get ready to be won over by Nira’s infectious energy as we chat about chasing dreams with tenacity and crafting new ones as each is accomplished.
An injury, an existential crisis, and an epiphany – that’s Chef Nira Kehar’s recipe for one of the city’s most loved restaurants. It’s not an everyday story that a Computer Software engineer, born & bred in Montreal, leaves behind a flourishing career to start anew in Delhi’s unpredictable F&B industry. For Nira, it was an injury and the subsequent bedridden eight months that spurred this decision, “An episode like that makes you realise you don’t have forever to pursue your passions, the time to start is now. Although I enjoyed my technical field, I was already in the process of acknowledging my intense desire to be creative either through Ayurveda or culinary arts, and post this incident resolved to take it forward with the latter.”
Engineering’s loss turned out to be culinary world’s gain as Nira trained to become a chef and consequently opened the award-winning Chez Nini in the heart of Delhi. An unexplored cuisine at the time, we ask what made her conceptualise her restaurant around French food . “Trained as a French chef, it was only natural for me to set up such a space. I also think the timing was right, the industry was evolving, moving towards innovative, fresh, and terra incognita food.” The new soon became familiar as city folks began to flock Chez Nini, be it brunch, lunch, or dinner. Not surprisingly, Nira didn’t anticipate that level of success, “I did a lot of groundwork and tastings before opening Chez Nini, but running a restaurant is something you learn hands-on and improve over time. I followed the process diligently to ensure that it’s a success, but that was never the main focus – it was creating something I love.”
A lady traversing from Canada to India and running a standalone in the capital isn’t a common sight. On being asked about her journey as a chef & restaurateur she says, “F&B is a very erratic business, especially in India. The hospitality workforce could be much more efficient; though I loved my team and enjoyed working with them, there wasn’t a single day when I felt I could look away leaving someone responsible for Chez Nini.” While that remains a woe for every restaurateur who loves his craft, we hope for our indigenous F&B to match the standards of the Nomas of the world soon. In that vein, we ask how was it manoeuvring her way through a fairly male-dominated industry, “I prefer to leverage my strengths and not focus on the hindrances caused by the system. I definitely believe that our country in general is chauvinistic and misogynistic, however, it’s about being the change you want to see – I’d rather use my position of privilege to help empower other women.” On a lighter note she adds, “Also, as an engineer I’d always worked in a male-dominated field, so that made it easier! It’s about being happy in being a woman, nobody gives you the space, you take the space – it’s yours to have.”
While Nira gracefully jumped over those hurdles, there’s one trait collectively shared by the industry that she’d like to change, “We’re in the habit of looking to the West for inspiration, and not paying attention to how rich our own culture is. Be it Ayurveda or food traditions, the whole world seeks stimulus from India – we shouldn’t make the mistake of forgetting it ourselves.” An advocate of looking within and telling the story of your own nature & culture, Nira adores Chef Sujan’s creations at Olive Bar & Kitchen and was a fan of Chef Rahul Dua’s innovation with Indian food at Cafe Lota.
Showcasing Don Bradman-esque skills in batting every spinner the industry threw her way, Nira created an experience with Chez Nini which was cherished by critics and patrons alike. What then made her shut shop in its prime, just short of completing three years, “As much as Chez Nini was my brainchild and I loved feeding people, I wished to get more creative and dynamic with food.” Though she pursued those aspects as she consulted for the India Art Fair and launched her book Eating Stories at the James Beard House, the 20-hour work days in the business didn’t allow her to realise it to her heart’s content. “I believe creativity is the ultimate journey for everybody, and for me it is in the world of food & arts. I wanted to see the other side of the food scene for my personal evolution, and was ready a year before Chez Nini actually closed. It was a hard decision and I’m told everyone misses it – but that’s the trick, to quit in honour!” With Delhi reminiscing Chef Nini’s spell to date, she certainly nailed this trick.
Shutter down, this magic maker flew to New York to rekindle her other love – Ayurveda & Mindfulness. “I’m studying Ayurveda with David Frawley for over a year now, writing a lot more, and hosting dinners. Learning and meeting different people – it’s been a great creative year!” She also revived her interest in Mindfulness and Ayurvedic healing methods at Vana, a wellness retreat in Dehradun, and is in the process of applying her knowledge to the culinary milieu.
With that exciting line-up of activities, Nira promises she has even more stirring projects in the making, “From a TV show to pop-ups and micro food to Ayurveda, I’m looking to create a series of experiences in the coming year. I’d love to present something that’s artistic, engaging, and tells a story.” She’s yet to confirm her next venture, but we already know we’re going to love it, after all, once you go Chef Nini you never go back.
Forks & knives up in hands in that anticipation, we drown the last of our lattes and rev up the quintessential DSSC rapid fire before letting Nira fly away to her next adventure.
Q. What’s your favourite bar in Delhi?
Nira: Hoots.
Q. Your go-to comfort food?
Nira: Khichdi!
Q. One current food trend you think is overrated?
Nira: Anything that isn’t real food and is unhealthy. Making excuses to eat food loaded with butter, sugar, flour, etc. is redundant, we can all do better.
Q. One tip for young food entrepreneurs joining the industry?
Nira: Start now, go slow, and take advice from everybody around you.
Q. Top three food destinations across the world?
Nira: Paris, New York, and everywhere in India!
Q. Last day on earth – what will you eat & where?
Nira: I’ll eat oysters with natural wine. Oh! And my mother’s Kadhi Chawal, of course.
This conversation is a part of the DSSC Secret Conversation series, where we get candid with the ace of base industry disrupters.
