AURONI MOOKERJEE, 29 Chef, The Salt House

When Auroni Mookerjee had a stint as

a “one night stand chef ” at Mumbai’s Cafe Zoe, he did not expect his passion for food to turn into a career. “Chef Viraf Patel was very happy with how the menu was received and suggested that I find a way to work in this field,” he says. Always an enthusiastic home cook, he was bitten by the kitchen bug. For a year Mookerjee juggled advertising and an apprenticeship in the restaurant’s kitchen. He then moved on to a home delivery chain called Curry Brothers while hosting pop-ups called Grandma Mookerjee’s Kitchen in Mumbai.

An offer from The Salt House came his way when his “chief mentor” Viraf recommended him as a consultant when the restaurant was being set up. “I came here for a weekend and identified Prachi and Saloni’s vision for the place,” he says. now working for one of the hippest restaurants in the city.

The Inspiration

This “non-resident Bengali” says he found his true calling in Kolkata, where an average foodie is conscious of what goes into the dish ordered. “If you look at the neighbourhood muri guy, even he customises the puffed rice preparation to suit different palates. To me that signifies the passion for food that Kolkatans have and I want to cook for 'thinking foodies',” says Mookerjee.

Defining Moment

Cooking and shopping for green groceries in Kolkata’s bazaars while visiting his grandmother in the city.