Akhtar Nawab

Expert Interview: Akhtar Nawab

Behind the Chef

What were your favorite foods growing up?
I always liked everything. I am a very unfussy eater.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
I was always very into cooking. I became very fascinated while working at this family style restaurant when I was 20.

Where and when did your career in food begin?
My career began in Louisville, KY, where I was raised. I took my first cooking job when I was 20.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
A musician. I have been playing bass guitar since I was pretty young, 13 or 14. I have always been really into it.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
In the beginning I would say my mother. She's a terrific cook. Really, I think my growing up and working for such great chefs has had a profound impact on me.

How would you describe your cuisine? New American with Indian influences?
Exactly that, New American with Indian influences.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
We are always very conscious of what is available right now and trying new things and combinations.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
I am a purist I think; we don't have a lot of tricks or gadgets. We have a pretty straight forward approach to cooking. But... I would say we use our CVap oven a lot. It's a vapor circulating oven, its pretty cool and fun to play with. We put our ribs in there and they take forever to cook, but they're so good.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
Ginger. I love ginger.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
Respect. For others, food, the craft, tools, there are so many applications. Ultimately, respect.

What qualities to you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
Enthusiasm, punctuality, how they follow instruction and how they take criticisms. I always tell them I am not into hiring anybody for 6 months; I want a commitment.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I'm eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
Rice cakes... the rest we have to help you with.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
When I was working at Gramercy Tavern, Geddy Lee came in. That was so cool. He had dinner and then came back into the kitchen to meet me. I was so thrilled. He's been a hero of mine since I started playing bass guitar.

What is your least favorite food?
Sea cucumber

What is your beverage of choice?
Bourbon or these aguas frescas our prep people make.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
Things are always evolving in this business. Be it chemicals, or new technologies.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
Lupa, Boqueria, Mary's fish Camp (though its been too long).

Which foreign country inspires your style most?
India

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
The French Laundry. I graduated from culinary school and skipped the ceremony because we were able to get a table. Very memorable.

What is your best cooking tip for a home enthusiast?
Toast the spices

What do you eat when you are home?
Pasta. My family is loco for pasta.

< PREVIOUS EXPERT NEXT EXPERT >

Share This >

Login to comment

Expert Profile

Growing up in Louisville, Kentucky on his mother's native Indian meals, Akhtar Nawab understood that cooking played an important role in upholding his family's heritage. Rolling out homemade bread is a kitchen chore he considers an inspiration for a career in the culinary world. Akhtar now pays homage to his upbringing and his experience in top New York kitchens with the opening of his restaurant, Elettaria, in Manhattan's West Village neighborhood.

Akhtar's introduction to the restaurant business began when he took a job at Ditto's Bar & Grill while attending the University of Louisville. He accepted a position at the kitchen's pantry station and learned everything he could about running the restaurant. After several years, he knew he had discovered his calling.

To pursue his passion, he moved to San Francisco to attend the California Culinary Academy, graduating in 1996. His first job out of school was at San Francisco restaurant Bizou, working under Chef Loretta Keller, whom he respects greatly for teaching him that he still had much to learn. He later pursued further training at Jardiniere and La Folie, also in San Francisco.

In 1998, Akhtar moved to New York to work for Tom Colicchio at Gramercy Tavern. Over the course of four years, he spent time at all of the kitchen's stations. In 2001, he joined Colicchio to open Craft as its Sous Chef. The restaurant went on to be selected "Best New Restaurant" by the James Beard Foundation in 2002 and received three stars from the New York Times in 2001. One year later, he went to Craftbar where he was chef de cuisine and later executive chef. His menu for Craft's casual sibling earned the restaurant and Akhtar a strong local following.

Seeking a change, Akhtar accepted the position of Executive Chef at The E.U., a then-struggling gastropub in the East Village. He helped bring renewed attention and acclaim to the restaurant with his original menu of modern pub fare that combined European tradition with an American sensibility. Frank Bruni of The New York Times recognized Akhtar's "frequently clever touches," and New York magazine named his duck egg one of the top ten best egg dishes in the city. In 2007, while at The E.U., he was chosen as one of StarChef.com's Rising Star Chefs.

In February 2008, Akhtar opened Elettaria, achieving his ultimate goal -- owning a restaurant where the menu is a true extension of himself. For Akhtar, this means a foundation of seasonal American ingredients prepared with Indian spices and combinations of flavors he grew up with. Elettaria, the Latin word for green cardamom, offers a nod to his heritage, while staying true to his "less-is-more" style of cooking. Along with partner Noel Cruz, with whom he worked at Craftbar, Akhtar has created a restaurant that offers an honest reflection of his interpretation of American food, and the inherent diversity of that term.