What were your favorite foods growing up?
I loved the wide variety of seasonal fresh fruit in the markets. A favorite dish as a child was kadhi, which is a North Indian Punjabi yogurt curry made with green chilies and many different spices.

When did you decide you wanted to be a chef?
When I was 17, I started working as an apprentice at the Ram Bagh Palace Hotel. Traditional schooling and high school subjects had not been exciting to me. But once I started working in the kitchen, I found myself really enjoying my work and my life. So, that apprenticeship started me on the path to become a chef and a part of the hospitality industry.

If you didn't become a chef, what would you be?
If I hadn't become a chef, I probably would have followed in my father's footsteps and pursued a career as an engineer.

Who/what has shaped your cooking the most over the years?
New York City itself has played a crucial role in my cooking. I have had the wonderful opportunity to dine at various restaurants and read about the many different styles that chefs are implementing in their cooking and their approaches to food. Living in this great city, I became exposed to a different world of cooking, where food plays an important role in creating bridges among cultures.

How would you describe your cuisine?
My cuisine can be best described as multidimensional. Flavors and textures intertwine to create each dish in its own unique way.

What influences your cooking style and particularly the menu at your restaurant?
Serving authentic Indian food to our guests definitely influences my cooking style and Tulsi's menus. Also, I strive to deliver bold flavors and always a clean, appealing presentation.

What are your favorite culinary weapons in the kitchen?
Our two tandoor ovens for grilling meats and breads and my favorite mortar and pestle for grinding all the spices that we work with.

What is your favorite secret ingredient?
A carefully controlled amount of salt to bring out subtle flavors.

What is the one rule or value you try to instill in all of your staff?
To work efficiently, keeping your space organized and clean at all times.

What qualities do you look for when hiring cooks for your restaurant?
A yearning and willingness to learn.

If I'm trying to watch my weight and I am eating at your restaurant, what am I ordering to eat?
Most of our kebabs and tandoori meats are good options, and we have a large selection of vegetable dishes that are delicious and pleasers for vegetarians, non-vegetarians, and the people who are weight-conscious alike. We also have a Vegetarian Tasting Menu for dieters who want to celebrate a little.

What was the most challenging meal you had to make? Why?
The most challenging meal I ever had to make was for Sir Golds James Smith in Paris. It was my first exposure to composing a dinner for four on my own. I was later hired as his private chef for three months, working at his home in Mexico.

What was your worst restaurant disaster?
A catering dinner where the vegetable kofta station was being handled by a junior chef and I did not realize that he hadn't cooked the kofta in the sauce so they were sent out hard and not very edible.

What is your beverage of choice?
Single Malts or a great cocktail made with sugarcane juice and fresh lemonade.

What are some recent dining and culinary trends you have been observing?
People are seeking food made with very fresh ingredients and, they are trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle, which includes their dining selections. In terms of Indian restaurants today, people are more aware of what makes good Indian food good, and are definitely trying dishes that are new and different to them.

When you are not eating at your own restaurant, where are you eating?
Indian restaurants like I like to go to include Bukhara Grill in Manhattan, Sriphaphai in Woodside and Maharaja Sweets in Jackson Heights.

What was the most spectacular meal you have ever had?
A terrific three-course meal at the The Four Seasons in New York stands out as being a memorable dining experience.

What do you eat when you are home?
Simple home cooked vegetarian dishes with yogurt, pickle and roti.