Lajawab Indian Cuisine: A Taste of Kolkata in St. Petersburg
Chef Abhi Sukul, the esteemed owner of Lajawab Indian Cuisine, embodies the essence of culinary dedication, having transformed his passion for cooking into a thriving endeavor in St. Petersburg, Florida. Born in Kolkata, a city renowned for its vibrant food culture, Chef Abhi's culinary journey began in his mother's kitchen, where he learned that cooking is an art requiring both patience and passion. In this enlightening discourse, we delve into his remarkable odyssey, from navigating the global hospitality landscape with Marriott to overcoming the adversities posed by the pandemic, which initially threatened to derail his ambitions. Chef Abhi's unwavering spirit led him to rebuild, ultimately establishing Lajawab, where he meticulously crafts dishes that not only reflect the rich tapestry of Indian cuisine but also aim to evoke joy in every guest. Join us as we explore the intersection of tradition and innovation through the lens of a chef who ardently believes that every dish should leave a lasting impression, not merely of satisfaction but of sheer delight.
Lajawab - Authentic Indian Cuisine
Lajawab Indian Cuisine (@lajawab4u) • Instagram photos and videos
Takeaways:
- Chef Abhi Sukul emphasizes the significance of patience and passion in culinary arts, which he first learned in his mother's kitchen.
- The chef's journey from Kolkata to global experiences showcases the universality of hospitality in the culinary field.
- Chef Sukul's dedication to authentic Indian cuisine is reflected in his meticulous preparation of dishes, such as his signature butter chicken and coconut mushroom curry.
- The story of overcoming adversity during the pandemic illustrates the resilience of entrepreneurs in the restaurant industry.
- Abhi Sukul's commitment to mentorship in the culinary arts highlights the importance of passing on knowledge to future generations of chefs.
- The chef's culinary philosophy centers around the joy of cooking and the profound impact that food can have on people's happiness.
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Mentioned in this episode:
Aussie Select - Fully cooked, premium Australian lamb
Fully cooked, premium Australian lamb—ready to serve and packed with clean flavor.
Citrus America
Citrus America – Commercial-grade juicing systems built for speed and yield.
RAK Porcelain USA -Tableware
We use RAK for all in-studio tableware—clean, durable, and designed for chefs.
Transcript
You've just stepped inside the walk and Talk, podcast number one in the nation for food lovers, chefs and storytellers.
Speaker A:I'm Carl Fiadini, your host, shining a light on the flavor, the hustle, and the heart of the industry.
Speaker A:We're the official podcast for the New York, California and Florida restaurant shows, the Pizza Tomorrow Summit, the US Culinary Open at Napham, and the North American media platform for the Burnt Chef project, recorded at Ibis Images Studios, where food photography comes alive and I get the first bite.
Speaker A:Find out more info@thewalkandtalk.com every great chef carries a story, one that simmers longer than any sauce.
Speaker A:In St. Petersburg, Florida, that story belongs to chef Abi Sukul.
Speaker A:Born and raised in Kolkata, the city.
Speaker B:Of Joy, ABHI grew up surrounded by.
Speaker A:Spice, sound, and the heartbeat of Indian street food.
Speaker A:His first lessons came from his mother's kitchen, where he learned that cooking is equal parts patience and passion.
Speaker A:After hotel school, ABHI spent years traveling the world with Marriott, Dubai, Singapore, Australia, mastering flavors and learning that true hospitality is a universal language.
Speaker A:When the pandemic forced him to close his first restaurant in Dallas, he didn't quit.
Speaker A:He rebuilt.
Speaker A:He moved to Florida, opened kitchens for others, and finally created his own space, Lajuab.
Speaker A:Indian cuisine in St. Pete today is.
Speaker A:Sauces simmer for eight hours.
Speaker A:His food tells the story of Kolkata crafted with modern precision and deep emotion.
Speaker A:Chef Abi Sekul believes that fresh food speaks the best and that every dish should leave a guest not just full, but joyful.
Speaker A:This is the story of the chef who carried the taste of home across oceans, turned setbacks into strength, and found his joy again, one plate at a time.
Speaker A:Chef, welcome to the program.
Speaker C:Hi, Carl.
Speaker B:I mean, we did some stuff today.
Speaker B:Definitely royalty.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker B:I ate like royalty.
Speaker B:And you, you really did some stuff today.
Speaker B:Like, I'm so impressed.
Speaker C:Thank you, thank you.
Speaker C:Thank you so much, Carlo, for having me here.
Speaker A:Pleasure is ours.
Speaker B:First thing we need to do is talk about what you, what you cooked up here in the studio.
Speaker C:Well, you know the most famous butter chicken, which is like a significant trademark of Indian dish.
Speaker C:We cooked butter chicken today and one of my signature dish that I came up, it's called coconut mushroom curry.
Speaker C:And the fun fact of that dish is that it's completely vegan, coconut based, and it has little spice and kick to it, fresh mushroom in it, coconut flecks in it.
Speaker C:And vegan people loves that.
Speaker C:I mean, the, the community that I or my restaurant is in, a lot of vegan people out there.
Speaker C:And so there's a little story to that dish too.
Speaker C:And that dish is full of joy and happiness into that dish.
Speaker C:That satisfies me a lot.
Speaker B:The freshness of the ingredients and then the variety of spices.
Speaker B:John, the studio, the aroma that was permeating through the entire place, I mean, even into the studio.
Speaker B:Amazing.
Speaker B:Shaking your head.
Speaker B:I love it.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:Yeah.
Speaker B:I'm super impressed, man.
Speaker B:So the butter chicken, you know, I've had.
Speaker B:We've talked about this.
Speaker B:So while I have experienced Indian cuisine, I've never experienced it like this.
Speaker B:This was as authentic and real as I've ever had it.
Speaker B:And I appreciate it because you can tell the difference.
Speaker B:You can feel, see, smell, and taste the difference.
Speaker B:So I appreciate that.
Speaker C:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker C:So, yeah, definitely this is the authentic butter chicken that I cooked today.
Speaker C:And you had experienced it just not only by taste, but visually.
Speaker C:And the aroma while cooking that dish, the love and the simmering sauce that the tomato based, simmered sauce that goes to this dish is the real deal.
Speaker C:And people improvised butter chicken in other ways.
Speaker C:But this is the authentic butter chicken that you had today.
Speaker C:That's for sure.
Speaker B:So growing up in Calcutta, you come from a family that cooks in India.
Speaker B:The regions, the religion, the food, culture, it's all different.
Speaker B:Talk about that and how you brought it here to the States.
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:First of all, the city that I born and raised is called Calcutta, you're right.
Speaker C:And it is also known as City of Joy.
Speaker C:And there is a reason why it is called City of Joy because the food scene and the culinary scene, culture, language, community, everything is so joyful and rich that they had to name it as a City of Joy.
Speaker C:And eventually I saw my mom cooking really delicious food.
Speaker C:And I always been a helping hand for her.
Speaker C:She has been a big inspiration in terms of cooking scene in my life.
Speaker B:How long have you been cooking?
Speaker C:I've been cooking for 16 years now.
Speaker B:Are there lessons that you've learned from your mother that help you in a professional kitchen?
Speaker C:100%.
Speaker C:100%.
Speaker C:There are very attention to details that I picked up from my mom's cooking.
Speaker C:And that has helped me not only in my personal restaurant business, rather in my professional life when I used to work with the hotels too.
Speaker C:I had that opportunity to use that attention to detail, especially the right time of putting the right spice.
Speaker C:The amount and.
Speaker C:And the significance of putting that spice is very, very important lesson which was taught by my mother during the cooking.
Speaker C:And she used to test me too.
Speaker C:It's not just like I just learned it or saw it or she.
Speaker C:She she just taught me that.
Speaker C:But she used to take that test from me that whether I have paid that attention.
Speaker C:And even down the line later on when I used to share my stories with her, she used to ask me, did you apply that the method that I taught when you were like we were cooking that same dish in our home kitchen.
Speaker C:And definitely that has helped me a lot and I'm really grateful that where I am today, just because of her.
Speaker B:You have a unique perspective from food because you come from that culture and you learned a lot from your mom.
Speaker B:But then you got with Marriott and that took you around the world.
Speaker B:If you were going to connect the dots from your, from your town, from your city and then you take that to Singapore, Australia, again, Dubai, all over.
Speaker B:How did your Indian food culture connect within the Marriott Corporation?
Speaker C:Well, first of all, Marriott is a phenomenal and a great brand to work with.
Speaker C:They keep their stars.
Speaker C:They don't call themselves the workers or the chefs as a employee or chef, they consider themselves as a star.
Speaker C:And taking into that account, Marriott gives the opportunity every quarterly, I would say every three months to present a dish from your culture.
Speaker C:Well, Marriott is a very diversified culture.
Speaker C:Employees are there, there are a lot of other people from different, different countries working for Marriott and they have this policy where they give you an opportunity to present your dish in front of those executive chefs.
Speaker C:And I am privileged and I, I had that opportunity to present my Indian cuisine or the other city or the authentic Calcuttin food to be plated in front of those big chefs.
Speaker C:That, that's a very, very big platform that I got not only in States but in Singapore and Dubai as well.
Speaker C:And they appreciate the different kind of food culture and they want to know how talented or what is the passion behind those stars are.
Speaker C:And they utilize that passion and that quality in their business too.
Speaker C:They place those particular, you know, particular star for a particular event that is coming up in the Marriott.
Speaker C:So they use it so wisely and delicately that they are trying to get their job done into so much perfection.
Speaker C:Suppose an event is coming up for a Indian wedding coming up and they know that they have stars who are from India and they give you give that opportunity, come on, let's have a three course menu, put it on the table.
Speaker C:And eventually they are getting two jobs done with just one arrow.
Speaker C:That's phenomenal.
Speaker B:That's also a major confidence booster.
Speaker B:That's for you as a chef.
Speaker B:Learning, growing, absolutely.
Speaker C:Getting a platform or you know, presenting yourself in front of those world class chefs is privileged and you don't you won't find better opportunities than that to, you know, use that opportunity to grow in future in your career.
Speaker B:Let's get to the Dallas chapter.
Speaker B:You came to the States, you opened a restaurant in Texas and that was just right around the time of COVID You could have lost everything.
Speaker B:How did that moment transform your mindset?
Speaker C:That's a very interesting story, Carl.
Speaker C:So I was working with Marriott and I was having plans to quit hotels and jump into the restaurant industry to make my own venture.
Speaker C: p, I would say this is mid of: Speaker C:And COVID 19 hit, you know, and it was a very, apparently it was a very new restaurant.
Speaker C:It was just six months old.
Speaker C:And still we were trying to build the clientele still the boards were going out in the market, you know, so there's a saying the first two years is the major year for any restaurant industry to get their name out and have a set of clientele.
Speaker C:And COVID 19 hit.
Speaker C:It was pandemic.
Speaker C:I was pretty nervous.
Speaker C:I was thinking, I don't know which way to go.
Speaker C:You know, the office is closed, the people are quarantined.
Speaker C:You know, people are not getting out from their house even for to go orders.
Speaker C:I mean the health guidelines were like, you can't have a to go order right away until it is sitting outside or isolated for the to go bags.
Speaker C:I mean to say even isolated for six or seven hours and then you can, you can, you know, touch it or open it, you know, so the numbers went down, real down.
Speaker C:That scared me.
Speaker C:I, I gave everything in my, I, I gave everything, what, what was there in my pocket.
Speaker C:I had accumulated debt to.
Speaker C:I won't, I won't tell the, tell the numbers.
Speaker C:Those are not small numbers though, you know.
Speaker C:But still I didn't lose hope.
Speaker C:I didn't lose hope at all.
Speaker C:And it definitely takes a lot of courage, support and dedication.
Speaker C:And finally when things were getting out of control, you know, getting more debts was not a wise decision, was not a wise, wise idea to keep on accumulating debt.
Speaker C:I decided to close the door for that restaurant.
Speaker C:It was tough decision, but you didn't.
Speaker B:Lose your entrepreneurial spirit.
Speaker C:Absolutely not.
Speaker C:Absolutely not.
Speaker C:So a failure is a pillar of success.
Speaker C:That's what I have always believed and that has, that was always taught by my parents.
Speaker C:If you don't fail, if you don't experience fail failure, you won't enjoy the success.
Speaker C:So Never, ever that entrepreneurship or the entrepreneur mind, thought or mindset was always there, despite Covid or I had to close a restaurant.
Speaker C:I had to give a fresh start or whatever.
Speaker C:It didn't die inside.
Speaker B:When Covid happened, actually, that's where Walk and Talk media was born from.
Speaker B:Obviously around the country here, many of.
Speaker B:I mean, the food industry just hit the wall, and it was worse in other countries.
Speaker B:We were still doing a lot on video at the time.
Speaker B:Heavy video.
Speaker B:No, there wasn't a podcast yet.
Speaker B:And my inbox was filled with people from Asia, India, everywhere asking, begging for work.
Speaker B:And I'm like, literally hundreds of people.
Speaker B:Chefs, sous chefs, underlings, line cook.
Speaker B:Everybody from the business in other countries were reaching out to me specifically for work.
Speaker B:And I was like, I can't help you.
Speaker B:I wish that I could.
Speaker B:Especially as we were coming out of the lockdowns nationwide.
Speaker B:In Florida, we didn't have it so bad.
Speaker B:But the fact is there were all these people that wanted to work, and they're sending me resumes, and they're sending me photos and videos, and there's beautiful foods and all these things that they're making.
Speaker B:And I wished there was a way for me to bring them to work, because at that time, a lot of the industry here decided that, hey, we're done.
Speaker B:We're not working in the industry anymore.
Speaker B:Right.
Speaker B:We're done with food.
Speaker B:It was a really hard time.
Speaker C:It was very hard, Very pathetic time.
Speaker B:It was pathetic.
Speaker B:And then here you are in your story.
Speaker B:That's a lot of money to lose.
Speaker C:Oh, yes.
Speaker C:Oh, yes.
Speaker C:And just not only money, you know, but you need to have that emotional thing to be strong enough to just not to recover from the situation.
Speaker C:But you have to figure out the way that.
Speaker C:Which way you want to go, just not, you know, you want to pay off your debt and take an easy way to have a job and take care of things.
Speaker C:But the main point of being entrepreneur is that you never lose hope.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And that was always in the back of my mind.
Speaker C:Yeah, I have to get my debt out, but at the same time, that entrepreneurship needs to stay in me to grow in future, whether it's Florida, Texas, California, or wherever.
Speaker C:But entrepreneur is always an entrepreneur.
Speaker C:He's.
Speaker C:He's going to find a way.
Speaker B:So you're also a consultant, and you've done quite a bit of work here in Florida, in this area.
Speaker B:Talk a little bit about that.
Speaker C:As soon I decided that I want to close down the restaurant.
Speaker C:So even before consulting, consult, starting consulting in Florida, I was in.
Speaker C:When I was In Texas by parallel working with Marriott.
Speaker C:I used to do that consultancy in Texas too and open up quite few restaurants in Texas for other people.
Speaker C:So when I decided I want to close the door and I have to get a better opportunity to clear out all my debts and grow more, I had a very close boss.
Speaker C:He was the director of Gaylord Hotels, Food and beverage director of Gaylord Hotels.
Speaker C:Mr. Mark.
Speaker C:And I reached him out and I told him that Chef, I'm looking for a job.
Speaker C:He was surprised, but you know, entire hospitality market at that time was crashed out and, but still Florida had that opportunity.
Speaker C:It was not as bad as other states, but Florida had still had that opportunity during that pandemic time.
Speaker C:And he said, I'll hook you up in Tampa.
Speaker C:Are you, are you willing to move to Florida?
Speaker C:I'm like, yeah, I'm down, I'm down to move anywhere to you know, have a better life now, you know.
Speaker C:And he hooked me up to Tampa, Tampa region.
Speaker C:And I have never been to Florida before that.
Speaker C:And I came down to Florida, I joined the hotel.
Speaker C:But you know, like I said that entrepreneurial skills or that fact won't let it go from me.
Speaker C:And it, it pulled me all the, all the way.
Speaker C:And I'm like no, I'm not working in hotels.
Speaker C:And I went back consulting for, as a full time consulting for others, you know, because still the Florida market was open.
Speaker C:I see in Tampa people are people.
Speaker C:It's not Covid, it's not pandemic.
Speaker C:You know, people are going out in summertime, beach beaches are full, you know, in, in, in wintertime I see snowbirds here and you know, they are having fun and stuff like that.
Speaker C:So I made, I incorporated a company called Cater for you and I started that consultancy and spread out the word in the community, especially people who need help for their restaurants who are having issues with food cost, labor cost or operations or somebody who is willing to open a new, new set of restaurant, how they would start.
Speaker C:And that's how I started.
Speaker C:I advertised myself as a, just not as an individual, but I advertise myself as a restaurant consultant.
Speaker C:And by God grace, people started reaching me out, you know.
Speaker C:And at that time and during that pandemic time, you know, people had no jobs.
Speaker C:A lot of people couldn't get the right jobs on other states they want.
Speaker C:People were pouring into Florida but at the same time people were not skillful enough or they did not have that right experience to run the business and they needed help.
Speaker C:And that's how I started my consultancy and couple of Projects.
Speaker C:I got in and made my name in Tampa Bay region area.
Speaker B:It's almost like you want to say, don't call it a comeback.
Speaker B:You've been here for years, but the reality is you never stop.
Speaker B:You never stopped doing the work.
Speaker B:And you, you followed the breadcrumbs wherever they led you.
Speaker B:You stayed focused, and you were preparing yourself to pounce when the opportunity came up.
Speaker B:Segue into Lajuab.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:There is.
Speaker C:I did not waste, I would say, as soon as I landed to Tampa, Florida, I have not wasted a single minute to just not only explore and understand the food scene or the culinary scene in just not only Tampa, I would say Tampa, Orlando, Sarasota, Miami, Jacksonville, Fort Lardell.
Speaker C:So I, I, I did a lot of research.
Speaker C:Not only just doing research.
Speaker C:I personally, I went, I went to those restaurants, hotels, and try to understand the food scene and try to understand the gap that is still there.
Speaker C:You know, you want to fix a problem, you have to find the problem.
Speaker C:So I was looking for that problem, and I know how to fix the problem.
Speaker C:So I scoped each and every bit of Indian cuisine all over Florida and understand the problem so that when I am gonna jump into the market or when I am gonna have my own venture again, there won't be a single slip or a mistake.
Speaker C:And that helped me a lot.
Speaker C:And the key to that success was being very patient and keeping your hopes high.
Speaker C:You know, back of your mind, you have that, oh, my God, you are recovering from pandemic, but you have to be emotionally very, very strong for that.
Speaker B:You mentioned patience.
Speaker B:So it's not just for slow cooked sauces or long simmering times.
Speaker B:What does patience and timing actually teach you about cooking and leadership?
Speaker C:Oh, that was a really good question, Carl.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:But it's very important, especially for Indian cooking.
Speaker C:I would vouch to all the entrepreneurs and the chefs out there, you know, Indian cooking needs a lot of patience.
Speaker C:Not only, like you said, not only just for sauce, but you have to have that right time and right moment.
Speaker C:You have to figure that out, the right time and right moment to blend in your spices in so that when that dish comes in the final product, there is no mistake.
Speaker C:There is no mistake.
Speaker C:And shortcuts are not gonna help you out at all.
Speaker C:Shortcuts are actually long cuts, which is gonna hurt you eventually later on.
Speaker C:Maybe at that moment, you're enjoying that.
Speaker C:But down the long run, it's not gonna work out.
Speaker C:And trust me, I have experienced and experimented that to see, to understand, and to get that knowledge that what happens?
Speaker C:And those red results are not, not good results.
Speaker C:You won't like it.
Speaker C:And after you do it, you yourself gonna realize it.
Speaker C:Ah, I shouldn't have taken that shortcut.
Speaker B:Nobody likes a shortcut.
Speaker B:And the reality is everybody tries to take them.
Speaker B:And that's the truth.
Speaker B:But patience comes in the form of mentorship and building up the next generation.
Speaker B:Whether it's the next generation in general for the industry or the up and comers in your restaurant, in your building, who's going to take over certain roles.
Speaker B:How are you approaching mentorship?
Speaker C:Okay, now everybody has this misconception that, you know, only an Indian can cook Indian food.
Speaker C:I have trained ample of people who can, who is not an Indian, but he knows the right method to cook.
Speaker C:And he's a chef.
Speaker C:He is a chef and he's cooking Indian food.
Speaker C:And down the line even I am trying to collaborate with local culinary schools where they are willing to send those students as an intern program for learning Indian cooking.
Speaker C:It has to be.
Speaker C:Cooking is, I believe cooking is a science if you know the right method and you have to have that willingness to learn.
Speaker C:I have trained more than a hundred people, I would say, and they don't know nothing about Indian cooking.
Speaker C:Some of them are tandoor chef, some of them are appetizer chef.
Speaker C:Even some, some of the chefs, they know how to make those sauces and they are doing well.
Speaker C:I'm still in Dutch with them and some of them, they are in Texas, some of them, they're in Colorado and they are happy where they are and they remember me.
Speaker C:That's, that's the other thing that they, they remember me.
Speaker C:And there, there's like, thank you chef.
Speaker C:I'm like, come on, it's not a thank you that you had the willingness to learn.
Speaker C:That's why you learn.
Speaker C:So I even, I have a very, very close, I wouldn't say a friend, but he's a close buddy.
Speaker C:To me I would say we don't talk.
Speaker C:He's from Trinidad.
Speaker C:He's from Trinidad.
Speaker C:And Trinidadian food, Caribbean food and Indian food is very similar, but in taste wise, Indian food is little different.
Speaker C:But they have, you know, Caribbean have curries and stuff like that.
Speaker C:He's a chef.
Speaker C:He's a full flesh K chef of a restaurant in Tampa, Florida.
Speaker B:Generally speaking, your viewpoint on that matter, it's not usual, is it?
Speaker C:No, no, no, no, not at all.
Speaker C:I mean, people have this perception still that, you know, if I train somebody, they, they have that fear to lose their job.
Speaker C:They're, they're, they're like, oh, no, I, I, I can't train him or, or, or I can't give him all the secrets.
Speaker C:I mean, there is no secret.
Speaker C:There is no secret you can train somebody.
Speaker C:But if you people still, there are a lot of chefs these days, I mean, you will come across that they are not ready to teach the next generation hand in hand.
Speaker C:He's like, if I teach them, my job is gone.
Speaker C:I mean, nobody is going to take your job until, unless you are really messing things up.
Speaker B:Is it accepted that an Indian chef to teach non Indians how to cook that cuisine?
Speaker C:No, I mean, people, people don't do that.
Speaker C:People don't do that.
Speaker C:You, you really, you really have to.
Speaker C:Well, this, this coming generation is different.
Speaker C:And I mean, maybe out of you will have a one by ten probability, but this coming generation has more, more desire to pass on that legacy.
Speaker C:But generally, you won't find a lot of people that they want to teach a non Indian person to pursue that culinary art.
Speaker B:You know, you're an anomaly then a.
Speaker C:Little bit you can say that, you can say that.
Speaker B:Well, because it's, well, the whole industry, and I guess it's not just here in the States, there is a push to be more human, to be more open to, to not, you know, push people to work 80 hours a week and underpaid and, you know, die on the line.
Speaker B:That's kind of the trend here.
Speaker B:And it sounds like it may be starting to trend elsewhere.
Speaker C:I mean, yeah, I mean, people are like that right now these days.
Speaker C:It's, it's trending.
Speaker C:You're right.
Speaker C:Absolutely right.
Speaker C:You're right.
Speaker C:But at the same time, things needs to evolve.
Speaker C:Like, like how technology is coming up with so much of development and new, new things.
Speaker C:Even people or person has to evolve with this generation.
Speaker C:And, and they should pass on that legacy and teach other people too.
Speaker C:There is nothing wrong in it.
Speaker C:At the end of the day, you can teach somebody, train somebody.
Speaker C:Nobody's gonna take your faith.
Speaker B:Let's go beyond the spice myth a little bit.
Speaker B:A lot of people out there think Indian food equals heat, spice, heavy fire.
Speaker B:How do you introduce guests to the depth and balance of authentic Indian flavor?
Speaker C:Indian food is spiced.
Speaker C:Yes, absolutely, but not hot.
Speaker C:So there is a difference between spiced and hot.
Speaker C:Hot is more which is gonna hit your palate right away.
Speaker C:Whereas spice is something which is the aftertaste that you gonna feel it after you have a spoon or two.
Speaker C:So Indian food is not hot at all.
Speaker C:It is the blend of spices, the blend of cinnamon, garlic, ginger, you know, green cardamom.
Speaker C:We.
Speaker C:We use a lot of whole spices, and one of them.
Speaker C:One of.
Speaker C:One of the important spices that we use the most is turmeric, which is.
Speaker C:Which has a very significant value for human body.
Speaker C:And.
Speaker C:And even we don't use paprika.
Speaker C:We say dry red chilies, which gives a little heat to it.
Speaker C:And Indian food is not hot.
Speaker C:I really, really.
Speaker C:Whenever whoever comes in to my restaurant and they say, oh, I'm the first timer trying Indian food, I heard that it's very spicy, very hot.
Speaker C:I'm like, no, it's not hot.
Speaker C:It has a kick to it, but if you want it spicier, we can do it spicier.
Speaker C:But it's not.
Speaker C:It's not at all like.
Speaker C:You had butter chicken today.
Speaker C:Tell me about butter chicken.
Speaker C:Does butter chicken give you a good, good kick to it?
Speaker B:Everything you made today was within my skull field range.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:There was nothing too special.
Speaker B:I do like a little bit of heat.
Speaker B:I don't like hot hot.
Speaker B:You know, like, I can live out of four or five on heat, but yours was like two.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:Maybe.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:There you go.
Speaker C:So that's the misconception.
Speaker C:So people have Indian food.
Speaker C:Oh, I'm going to.
Speaker C:Let's go to Indian food.
Speaker C:No, no, no, no.
Speaker C:Indian food is very hot.
Speaker C:I can't deal hard.
Speaker C:No, come on, come try, B. I would really request all the first timers come try Indian food and get the misconception out.
Speaker C:Indian food is not hard.
Speaker B:I can't disagree with that.
Speaker B:I think he's going to be real gentle with you people.
Speaker B:So go there.
Speaker B:Check them out at la Joab in St. Pete.
Speaker B:So I have to say, this studio, the aromas and the smell that permeated this whole place were just awesome.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:It was really great.
Speaker B:And it doesn't take away from French cuisine or Italian or Spanish or whatever, because they all smell great and they all have their attributes, but this is such a different, unique blend of spices and flavors, and it just is different.
Speaker C:Yeah, it is, it is.
Speaker C:Indian food is way different.
Speaker C:I mean, with aroma.
Speaker C:See, there are common spices that even other cuisine use it.
Speaker C:Like, even a lot of garlic is used in Latino cuisines or Mexican cuisines.
Speaker C:You know, a lot of red chilies are used in Mexican cuisines.
Speaker C:You know, bell peppers are used in.
Speaker B:Yes.
Speaker B:But Mexican food specifically is hot.
Speaker C:It is hot.
Speaker C:It is.
Speaker B:Can be.
Speaker B:I mean, yeah, obviously there's.
Speaker B:There's different dishes and whatever, but you're gonna get your heat.
Speaker C:Yeah, Yeah.
Speaker C:I consider Mexican food is more harder than Indian food.
Speaker A:Yes.
Speaker C:You know, I mean, if somebody say I love Mexican food, but I am scared to try Indian food.
Speaker C:No, no.
Speaker C:If you say you love Mexican food or you like Mexican heat, then you can handle Indian food as well.
Speaker C:And another thing about Indian cuisine is that Indian cuisine is such a vast cuisine that it is very difficult for one restaurant to get all the regions of food.
Speaker C:It is impossible.
Speaker C:It's next to impossible that you can, one single restaurant can cover all Indian cuisine.
Speaker C:Not possible.
Speaker B:It's hard to wrap your brain around the fact that in India not everybody eats the same stuff.
Speaker B:You just automatically assume that's what's happening.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:But the palates are completely different from the different areas.
Speaker B:So talk a little bit about that.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:So in India, if we break down the region from north, south, east and west, I come from the city called east, it's called Calcutta.
Speaker C:It's the east part of India.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker C:And our food, east side of the food and the northern side of Indian food is very similar.
Speaker C:The flavors, I'm talking about flavors, I'm not just talking about the same dishes, but the flavors.
Speaker C:We have the very similar palette from north side of India and east side of India.
Speaker C:Whereas if you go to more west side of India, there is a big time population of consuming vegetarian food.
Speaker C:They don't eat meat at all.
Speaker C:They are staple diets.
Speaker C:Everyday diet is only, only vegetarian.
Speaker C:And you know, human body needs protein.
Speaker C:They, they eat a lot of soybean, they eat lot of lentils.
Speaker C:Those are natural protein, you know.
Speaker C:And even you will be surprised that west part of India, the population, there are some population in west part of India that they don't even consume onion and garlic.
Speaker B:I don't even know how to think like that.
Speaker C:Exactly.
Speaker C:So there are, I'm, I'm not kidding.
Speaker C:There are, there are some requests that people call in to my restaurant and ask me that, can you cook something without onion, without garlic?
Speaker C:And we do, we do.
Speaker C:That particular community is called Jain community.
Speaker C:They don't consume onion and garlic.
Speaker C:Or rather I would, I would tell you like this, that they don't consume anything which is being produced under the soil, so they will never consume that.
Speaker B:So when you're talking about vegans in India, that's, there's a religious basis to that, right?
Speaker C:100%.
Speaker C:100%.
Speaker C:Like there are communities that they, they consider cows as an image of God, but because cow gives milk, mother gives milk to their child and they are not ready, or they have this philosophical thought that's a God image.
Speaker C:Cows are the God image and they don't consume beef or any cow product.
Speaker B:How does everyone get along?
Speaker C:Well, there are a lot of options.
Speaker C:There are a lot.
Speaker C:And just not only, not only, I'm talking about options on meat.
Speaker C:I mean vegetarian, the crop.
Speaker C:So India is very rich growing crops from rice to wheat to onions, all fresh vegetables.
Speaker C:Like India doesn't import anything in terms of farm.
Speaker C:Indian climate is such Ecuadorial climate that all farming is done in house.
Speaker C:In India we don't get any produce or anything imported from other countries.
Speaker C:So, you know, the soil is so fertile that you put in any crop, it's gonna give you gold.
Speaker B:You've said your biggest joy is seeing guests leave with a smile.
Speaker B:What defines hospitality in your eyes?
Speaker C:Hospitality is always the satisfaction of your guest leaving out from your restaurant or hotel or any hospitality industry at their most satisfaction.
Speaker C:And that smile tells you, or that's the tip.
Speaker C:I would say that they have cherished and enjoyed the moment that they were in, in your premises.
Speaker C:That's what is the main.
Speaker C:I mean, I'm, I'm here, I'm here just to give the bestest hospitality and the experience to my guests.
Speaker C:Cooking the most authentic food.
Speaker C:And they're joyful when they're leaving the restaurant.
Speaker C:When they're leaving my doors, they are smiling.
Speaker C:They're having a biggest smile on their face while they're stepping out from that door.
Speaker C:And another thing is another tip or another example is that when they have their to go boxes with them, carrying it out to their houses.
Speaker C:I mean, I have even I have this couple of guests called me next day.
Speaker C:I know that they had dined in day before yesterday and they called me and said, hey, can I order just a naan bread?
Speaker C:And I'm like, you don't want any curry or anything else?
Speaker C:Honestly, I have some leftovers from your restaurant from other day.
Speaker C:I just want the bread.
Speaker C:You know, that is what hospitality is, you know, that makes you feel.
Speaker C:Yes, you have accomplished something, you know.
Speaker B:Before people leave, what are they getting for dessert?
Speaker C:There are good choices of desserts.
Speaker C:So there are some choices.
Speaker C:Like one of the most famous desert that we sell a lot is called mango mousse with rasa malai.
Speaker C:Rasa malai is a dumpling made from concentrated milk.
Speaker C:So what we do is like we boil the milk and as soon as the milk is boiled, we squeeze a lemon and it turns into cheese, right?
Speaker C:We take the cheese out, we make a flat, flat ball and then we sear it in the pan and we soak it on A sugar syrup overnight.
Speaker C:So that entire sugar syrup goes inside that cheese balls and it has been served to the customer.
Speaker C:Topping with mango mousse with rose petals and cashew nuts on top.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker B:So the next time that you come out, you're going to bring the bread, you're going to bring the dessert.
Speaker C:100%.
Speaker B:Okay.
Speaker C:Okay.
Speaker B:I want to make sure that we're.
Speaker C:Clear on that 100%.
Speaker C:I'm not going to miss.
Speaker C:I'm not going to let you miss that for sure.
Speaker B:You see how we offer?
Speaker C:Yeah, absolutely.
Speaker C:Absolutely.
Speaker C:And I'm happy to do that for you all.
Speaker B:I am the piper.
Speaker C:Right.
Speaker B:And I get paid in dessert.
Speaker B:Avi, I think you're clearing a path with Lajawab Indian cuisine.
Speaker B:Where do you see your culture, your food heading into the future?
Speaker C:The end goal is it's a high hope, you know, and the end result or the end goal is to getting featured in Michelin Guide.
Speaker C:Having some Michelin stars.
Speaker C:Definitely.
Speaker C:And there are some restaurants upstate New York, they are getting Michelin recommended and Michelin Guide, Michelin stars as well.
Speaker C:So.
Speaker C:And there's a saying by my father is that if you target the stars, you're going to reach the sky.
Speaker C:Definitely.
Speaker C:So I want to set up that bar.
Speaker C:And that's my whole goal, is to get recognized as an Indian, Indian cuisine, Indo, Michelin guide.
Speaker B:Do you have the service chops to do it?
Speaker B:I mean, obviously it's not just you in the kitchen.
Speaker B:It's your whole team.
Speaker B:It's the front of the house.
Speaker C:Absolutely, absolutely.
Speaker C:This hospitality camp is not a one man army show.
Speaker C:It's the whole team which puts all their effort in and make it a grand success.
Speaker B:All right, well, we're here for this and I think John and I are probably going to make a trek over to your place in St. Pete.
Speaker B:First of all, I appreciate you coming out.
Speaker C:Thank you.
Speaker C:Carl.
Speaker B:What you did was special today.
Speaker B:How do people find you?
Speaker C:Go to Instagram.
Speaker C:Follow us on garnished bow.
Speaker C:Garnishbow or Lajawab.
Speaker C:L A J a W a B, number 4 letter U. Lajivab for you is the same name on Instagram and Facebook.
Speaker C:And our website is Lajawab.
Speaker C:L A J a W A B. Lajawab cuisine.
Speaker C:Com.
Speaker B:I'm going to make sure to put that in the descriptions.
Speaker B:John, again today.
Speaker B:You did it with the picture.
Speaker B:How was this guy's photography?
Speaker C:Oh, my God.
Speaker C:John is phenomenal.
Speaker C:Thank you so much, John.
Speaker C:I mean, I can go.
Speaker C:I mean, when it comes to John, there a He is the best.
Speaker B:All right with that.
Speaker B:Thank you, my brother.
Speaker B:We are out.
