It was a light bulb moment for Sarah Todd when it struck her that she wanted to be a chef. The Masterchef Australia Season Six contestant was a model who became one of the finalists on the reality show and later came to India to start her own restaurant with entrepreneur, Ashish Dev Kapur. Who owns multiple restaurants like the Wine Company and Whiskey Samba. Antares Restaurant & Beach Club in Goa which Sarah and Ashish run together in Vagator gives you the best that Goa has to offer: stunning views of the beach, local tastes and the city’s laissez faire vibe.
When it comes to food, Sarah’s curated dishes are a reflection of her life experiences and people she has met; many dishes even represent her view of her family and friends. “For me, food has a connection with every bits and piece of my life,” she says.
Food is what brought Sarah Todd to Gurgaon, as she designed the entire menu from scratch for The Wine Company in CyberHub. In an exclusive tête-à-tête with POPxo, celeb chef and author of The Healthy Model Cookbook, Sarah spoke about her inspiration behind her food, new menu at The Wine Company, her journey as a chef and her love for India.
Turning Point From Model To Chef
“I started cooking when I had my son and I used to go to work and then come back home and cook a full three-course meal. I loved it so much, I was completely obsessed with cooking. Also, I wanted to spend more time with my son and thought I’d rather do something that I enjoy doing and at the same time spend time with him. At that time, I realised that I should try to make cooking my career.”
Journey So Far
“I’ve been through different phases in the food industry in the UK. The cooking industry is really extreme – you have an 18-hour day, a half-an-hour break, six days a week. So, you’re dedicating your whole life to the industry.”
The Masterchef Experience
“Masterchef was an incredible experience for me. I met so many people, discovered so much about food. I made aloo gobhi in one of the episodes for Masterchef Australia and I got a lot of love from India.”
Menu At The Wine Company
“On my journey to finding new dishes, flavours, and techniques for my new menu, I have been travelling around North India as well as the North East. I wanted to discover new techniques, and methods and I picked those up and used them in my menu. My dishes resemble all of my life experiences and some desserts and dishes are inspired by friends and family.”
Favourite Dish From The Menu
The Soft Shell Crab Pakora! The thought behind it is that by calling it a pakora, people know it’s going to be something crispy with a bit a light tempura batter and that’s the connection.”
The Secret Behind Reinventing
“All the flavours need to be balanced, and don’t put anything on the table just because it looks good. It needs to be there because it adds flavour to the dish.”
Favourite Indian Dish
“Everywhere I go, I have a favourite dish. But my top favourite dishes from the Indian cuisine are lal maas, keema and aloo gobhi and saag.
A 15-Min Breakfast
“Eggs with zucchini, carrots and all veggies – a nice, wholesome breakfast!”
Wine And?
“Cheese. Always cheese!”
Delhi or Goa?
“Goa! It feels like home to me.”
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