“Akshada is the first Gujarati fine-dine restaurant offering regional delicacies from Saurashtra, Kutch, Ahmedabad, North Gujarat and South Gujarat. This driven me to open The Baking Couture café in 2017 offering breads with forgotten flavours and ancient baked dishes,” she highlights.Ī Gujarati to the core, Aanal went deeper into the Gujarati cuisine to explore regional delicacies and turned it into yet another culinary tribute, Akshada, in 2018. However, as much as I love experimenting with Indian flavours and spices, I love baking cakes. “The Secret Kitchen is my tribute to the grand Indian cuisine with a contemporary twist in a luxury fine-dine format. She was ably supported by her husband Bhavik Kotak.

Falling for people’s demand to try her innovative and inquisitive recipes, Aanal began her entrepreneurial journey with The Secret Kitchen in 2017 in Vadodara. I was also selected as culinary expert for the show,” recalls Aanal. However, I didn’t lose hope and tried again next year and was eventually recognized as the Youngest Chef of Gujarat. “I could not qualify as I was just 19 and had little experience compared to expert cooks that were participating.

The destiny took a turn when while pursuing fashion designing she got an opportunity to participate in a popular cookery show – Rasoi Show – by Colors Gujarati. However, she had to drop her ambitions under family pressure and opted for another creative field of fashion designing. Aanal further has plans to pursue PhD in Gujarati cuisine from Gujarat University.Īanal’s passion for food comes from the legacy and upbringing she had with her mother and ‘Nani.’ A bizarre incident, when a cook didn’t turn up at the family event and she had to cook for over 50 guests, fortified her confidence and determination to become a chef. She is aggressively scouting for passionate partners to franchise The Secret Kitchen and Akshada fine-dine restaurants. Taking her entrepreneurial journey to the next level, Aanal has ambitious plans to expand across the country and globally. She has proved herself as a person who not only had the gumption to start anew, but surpassed all the boundaries of expectations. Starting her career as a humble fashion designer from NIFT, Aanal has transformed into a renowned chef, avid entrepreneur and a popular TV star. However, driven by her aspirations and passion for Indian cuisine, Aanal turned the table around to establish a portfolio of critically-acclaimed and iconic brands – The Secret Kitchen, Akshada and The Baking Couture café.

Aanal had to pursue fashion designing in order to fulfill her family’s desires. Coming from a traditional Gujarati family, celebrity chef Aanal Kotak, Founder & MD, TSK Hospitality LLP, has traversed through quite a few challenges to win a tag of Youngest Cooking Expert of Gujarat and to fulfill her entrepreneurial aspirations. Not everyone has the courage to change a path once taken.

Colors gujarati rasoi show today