“Mera favourite dish? Raita hai, jo maine nahi phailaya hai,”
is celebrity chef, actor, and ace storyteller Ranveer Brar’s cheeky reply to a fan’s question. His wit, suave, and effortless charm in front of the camera were on display at 080 Lounges, Bengaluru Airport T2. I was invited to Odisha on a Plate, a food festival curated by 080 Lounges in collaboration with Chef Ranveer, Odia cuisine’s brand ambassador. My conversation with Chef Ranveer Brar began with candid insights into the F&B industry, moved to his admiration for Chef Kunal Kapur, and eventually turned into a full-blown banter session about The Traitors India Season 2.
Odisha Food Festival At BLR Airport T2
In September, 080 Lounges at BLR Airport’s Terminal 2 had an immersive Odia food festival showcasing the depth and diversity of Odisha’s gastronomy. Indigenous ingredients, regional recipes, and traditions passed down through generations were served up in a grand thali and as street-style experiences.
Chef Ranveer Brar curated the menu in collaboration with MasterChef India S6 winner, Abinas Nayak.
A traditional Odissi performance and live instrumental music by renowned artists brought the cultural richness of Odisha to Bengaluru in an instant.
George Bennet Kuruvilla, Chief Executive Officer of Bangalore Airport Services Limited (BASL), explained that food festivals like Odisha on a Plate are integral to 080 Lounge’s endeavour to offer passengers “fond farewells”.
The art installations by the gates, service rendered by personnel, and the diverse flavours of India contribute to the airport’s storytelling— one that passengers carry with them long after they have flown out.
Just before I tucked into an incredible Odia thali— Dahi Baigana, Macha Besara, and Rasabari were inhaled— I sat down with India’s beloved storyteller and chef, Ranveer Brar, for an exclusive interview for Curly Tales.
Ranveer Brar Chats With Curly Tales
As the brand ambassador of Odia cuisine, what do you think makes it special?
What makes Odia cuisine special is that, till now, it hasn’t been coated with a lot of commercial consideration. It’s still real and raw, like how it’s supposed to be.
Simple khaana hai. Ya toh mandiro mein ya gharo mein milta hai.
(It’s simple food, found in temples or homes.)
That texture of feeling that you’re eating something real; you are meeting real people and eating real food— that’s what makes Odia food unique.
Do you believe it’s the responsibility of celebrity chefs to bring regional dishes to light?
Responsibility is a very heavy word. Responsibility makes it seem like a job.
We celebrity chefs are exposed to a large subset of Indian culture and cuisine, and if we have the mic, we love to speak about it.
And it’s not that we speak about it to patronise you into trying it. But more so in a way where if you’re touched, moved, and inspired about something, it invariably shows up in conversations. When those conversations are heard by a large number of people, then the impact is seen on a large scale as well.
You are known for your impeccable storytelling skills; whom would you like to credit for it?
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I would like to credit my mom and the city of Lucknow.
Lucknow is a city that speaks in stories. It comes at you tangentially. In Lucknow, you aren’t supposed to learn things; you’re supposed to get things. How do you get things?
You get things when they come at you tangentially, not directly. That articulation, and that tangentiality of Lucknow, is probably what reflects in how I speak and the stories I tell.
In an age of reels, reviews, and online menus, is there any wonder still left in the food industry as diners walk into restaurants with preconceived notions?
Wonder will always be there. I always say that you might read 150 books and watch 150 hours of swimming. But the moment you jump into ice-cold water, that’s the moment that stays.
You might see 50 photos of dishes, read 100 books, watch 20 reels, but when food enters your mouth, that is the moment that stays. The moment of truth is when you eat. Nothing can take away that moment of truth.
Even if you come with a prejudice, if the food is true, your trance is real. That’s fundamentally what it is. It’s like opera. You can have three people or 3000 people sitting; it doesn’t matter. If the opera is true, the audience will cry.
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In April, I interviewed your friend and fellow MasterChef India colleague, Kunal Kapur.
He said, “Ranveer is someone who will comfort you. If you are going through something, he is there to help you.”
Talk to me about your bond.
Kunal ne bola hai?! (Did Kunal say this?!)
Yeh ChatGPT se dekha hoga! (Jokingly says, “He must have referred to ChatGPT.”)
Kunal and I go back 26 years! We cooked in the same kitchens in four hotels.
So, he knows me, and I know him fairly well.
His hand in Indian food is probably unparalleled, unmatched. I’ve always had this itch— ever since we were trainees— to be able to do more than what we did.
So Kunal would ask me— “Arre yaar! Why do you have to spend the night in the bakery?”
I think that’s what he is talking about.
I say this not lightly at all. I believe in our generation of chefs, when it comes to having taste in your hands ( haath mein swaad), Indian khaane mein jo Kunal ka hai, humare generation mein kisi ka nahin hai.
(When it comes to having that special touch in your hands (for Indian food), no one in our generation has it quite like Kunal does.)
You had quoted, “MasterChef India is not a cooking show. It’s a show of temperament. The most even temperament wins.” Please elaborate.
We might be the best cooks, right? But when the clock’s ticking, and mid-challenge you receive instructions to switch off the gas for 10 minutes, then it becomes all about keeping a check on your temperament. What matters is not how great a cook you are then. But how you hold yourself in those moments of stress.
So, whether we like it or not, MasterChef is gamified. These hurdles are added to make the show interesting for the audience. How you navigate those hurdles is 30% of the construct, while food is 70%.
As a fan of The Traitors India S2, I have to ask you about your experience on the show. Also, what other food tips did you give Ansh Chopra?
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Ansh wanted to learn to make vada pav too. He is such a vada pav paglu. But if I were to come back… I think ho gaya yaar! Life mein ek cheez ek hi baar karni chahiye. (In life, it’s enough to try something new just once.)
In an alternate universe, if I had to do only one reality show, it would have to be The Traitors (India). It’s a different format of gameplay.
What would I do differently? Keep my mouth shut!
What did you feel when you picked up a Death Card towards the end?
Aap kya hi feel karoge? Eight death cards hain, aap sabse pehle wahi card utha rahe ho! Toh kya hi feel karoge?
You can’t really plan for it. The game is always ahead of you.
You think you’re playing chess. But then suddenly, there’s a game of cards where the probability is one in eight, and what you pick up is that one of eight.
I knew Rida (Tharana) would do well. I had expectations from Muna (Munawar Faruqui).
See! That’s the problem with celebrity Traitors; people come with preconceived notions. Because you know the contestants, right?
So contestants might feel — “This is a reality TV person; let’s take him out.” All of that happens!
If there were a non-celebrity version of The Traitors, like in the UK, there would be no baggage.
Participants would not know anything about each other. So, there wouldn’t be any preconceived notions that come with it.
Yaha pe thhoda mushkil ho jata hai. (It’s a little difficult in this scenario.)
I watched the first season of The Traitors India.
But only six episodes.
That’s why I lasted five!
(Breaks into laughter.)
Also Read: Traitors 2: Ansh Chopra Finally Learns To Make Fried Rice From Ranveer Brar; Recipe Here!
Rapid-Fire With Ranveer Brar
1. Your favourite Odia dish from the 080 menu
Kanika Bhaat.
Mera aur Vikas(Khanna) ka, dono ka favourite hai.
(It’s mine and Vikas’ favourite.)
2. Your comfort dish
Khichdi.
3. A dish you find underrated
Karela. (Bitter Gourd)
4. A dish you find overrated
I mean, it’s a great dish, par itna?
5. An ingredient you cannot do without
Dhaniya. (Coriander)
6. A travel destination you want to visit for its food
Brazil and the Chettinad region in Tamil Nadu.
7. A person you are most happy to serve your food to
Woh nuks nahin nilkaalta. Chup chap khaa leta hai.
(He eats food with love, and doesn’t find faults in it.)
8. Any food philosophy you have unlearned over time
‘Cooking is about control’ — I have unlearned this.
Cooking is not about control. It’s about going with the flow.
9. A food fad/trend you disagree with
No judgement. Jiske jo chalta hai, woh chalne do.
(Let people do their thing.)
10. Bengaluru restaurants you’d recommend
11. Describe a dish that represents
Yeh kabhi kisi ne nahin poocha. Sab log poochte hain to describe dishes that represent film stars.
-Vikas Khanna
Parathas.
Wholesome. Complete. Soulful. And Punjabi!
Biryani.
Manjha hua. Jo time ke saath thayyar ho jata hai.
( Someone who matures and becomes wiser with time.)
Thali.
He is the whole thali. He is the whole package.
–Kullu (Aaditya Kulshreshth)
Kullu kamina!
Kullu would be raat ki bachi hui biryani jo Bhopal mein khaate hain.
(Kullu would be leftover biryani in Bhopal that’s devoured the next day.)
Vada Pav.
12. Your advice for aspiring chefs and restaurateurs
Don’t give up, but don’t get self-obsessed with an idea.
Let your idea metamorphosise with time.
FAQs
Who is Ranveer Brar?
Ranveer Brar is one of India's well-known celebrity chefs. He is also a judge on MasterChef India, cookbook author, restaurateur and an actor.
Which restaurants are owned by Ranveer Brar?
Chef Ranveer Brar owns Kashkan and Kashkan Kissaghar, Indian restaurants in Dubai, specialising in diverse regional Indian cuisines.
Whom does Ranveer Brar credit for his storytelling skills?
In an interview with Curly Tales, Chef Ranveer Brar revealed he credits his mother and the city of Lucknow for his storytelling skills.
