When your intentions are right and efforts are on point, nothing is impossible. Celebrity Chef Vikramjit Roy has proven it with his new brainchild ‘Hello Panda’ came into existence during the pandemic. Hello Panda, is a sheer result of chef Vikramjit’s 18 years of experience, who has been associated with establishments such as The Kimono Club, Whisky Samba, Antares, ITC and Taj hotels, and many more. With expertise in Asian cuisine – the name and concept of Hello Panda is a natural choice, which is a delivery and takeout venture, serving Pan-Asian comfort dishes, artisanal cocktail premixes. TMM asks Chef Vikramjit Roy about the journey of Hello Panda and more.
Vikramjit Roy, Tell us about the idea and behind starting Hello Panda. What is so special about the name?
Hello Panda is born out of our sheer passion and love for Asian Food. Because of our history of cooking, enjoying and researching Asian food for the last 19 years, we have always pushed boundaries to give our guests gastronomic experiences which are both delicious and unique. We aspire to do the same, this time in the segment of delivery & takeaway. We would want our guests to be exposed to the diversity that exists in the South-East Asian Cuisines, be it in Chinese, Japanese or Thai. Having explored all these regions & prefectures and having learnt and understood the essence of the culture & food, it puts us in a great space to connect the two together – Our guests here and the essence that we have carried from these regions. The name Hello Panda, Delicious Asian Delivery (TM) is derived out of their love for one of the cutest things on earth, the Panda.
Vikramjit Roy, For this venture, you teamed up with renowned sommelier Ankur Chawla and Anurodh Samal for operations. Tell us about the hardships and hurdles that came your way as it all happened during the pandemic.
Opening during COVID-19 and lockdown was a major challenge as we neither had contractors or labourers to carry out the civil work. Borders being sealed, equipment or ingredients also could not be brought in even from Delhi, hence we had to restrict ourselves to developing everything in and around the restaurant. The team of chefs and servers along with us took the responsibility of getting the civil work right from breaking walls to plastering, fixing tiles, fixing drainage, etc ourselves. For hardcore technical jobs like electric & carpenter jobs, we struggled a lot to get the right people who were also safe. But at the end of it, I think all struggles we went through was very fruitful. It was one of a lifetime experience to go through in building the restaurant from the scratch ourselves.
Vikramjit Roy, Give us a brief of signature dishes and cocktails of this venture.
The cuisine philosophy of Hello Panda mostly revolves around sustainable practices and sourcing responsibly. The Sichuanese dishes are a must-try here like Lazi Ji (Chongqing Chicken with Chillies), Shanzhen Hui (Stir fried Seasonal Mushrooms), Shuizhu Yu (Stewed Red Snapper in Seething Sea of Chillies). We make our Thai Curries from scratch without any packaged curry paste, preservatives, etc. Our Dim Sums & Sushi Rolls have gained immense popularity because of its clean flavours & not laden with Mayonnaise or Sauces. I’m in love with the Japanese section, our Ramen has been very well taken, Aona Goma Ae (Organic Spinach with Roasted Sesame Sauce), Tori Teriyaki (Classic Chicken Teriyaki) are also very popular. All our cocktail premixes are devoid of artificial flavourings and syrups. Yellow Dirty Fellow (fresh mango, basil & black pepper concoction topped with Sepoy & Co Indian Tonic Water with your choice of White Spirit is pretty popular.
At present, when social distancing and hygiene is of prime importance, how do you source raw material and ensure safety, keeping the pandemic in view?
Since the day we conceived Hello Panda, we were very clear with our vision of breaking all myths related to “Delivery/Takeaway only” concepts. We source our ingredients/meats/seafood very responsibly directly from Farmers/Breeders and make sure that we do not buy anything from the open market at all. With the years of experience, we have in the industry, we make sure that the best seasonal ingredients come to us first directly from the source.
As a visionary chef, where do you see the future of the Indian food industry in the post-COVID era?
Even though I am also new to this segment of the industry, I am glad that I could successfully open a restaurant during these torrid times. What I would like to suggest is firstly to have the perseverance to handle any situation. Plan out each and every aspect and be ready to have a plan B for each. Also, looking out for each other (team members, suppliers, etc) is another key that would make sure we receive the expected support when the space is ready for guests. It is equally important that all hygiene and necessary guidelines have been adhered to and making sure that these practices are imbibed in the DNA of all our team members. Focus on deliciousness, quality & maintaining costs by having minimum SKU’s (Stock Keeping Unit) would also help us a lot. And most importantly, standardisation of portions, maintaining it, and ensuring value for money is another key which if adhered to, can ensure the sustainability of the business.
For you as a chef, what has been the biggest take away of the pandemic?
Focus on quality, consistency & taste. Making sure that the primary objective is to make delicious food. Everything was directed to making sure we attain deliciousness. Also, one thing that is very important is being empathetic towards one and all, supporting the small-time suppliers, including farmers & breeders. As a part of the industry at large, we believe in building confidence in guests about maintaining hygiene levels, safety & security of every touchpoint. Documenting every check, right from vegetable washes, hand washes, sanitisation cycles, personal hygiene, etc to make sure the delivery is as much contact-less as possible. Right from digital order-taking to digital payments, being considerate towards guests and respect their choices is our motto.
What are your future plans and what else is in pipeline keeping the celebration season in view?
With Mr Vir Kotak, a Lifestyle Entrepreneur, Visual Artist and a renowned name in our Industry partnering with us, we now plan to extend our love & the joy of food to Delhi. The second outpost is set to come up in 20 days time in Vasant Kunj through which we would be able to serve our guests in Delhi much better. This collaboration has helped make our vision stronger and give it a proper road map with tremendous sensibility coming in from Mr. Kotak. The journey has now just started and we wish to do multiple concepts across segments that would continue to push the envelope of guest experience to newer heights.
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