#ELLEGourmetCoverStar: Chef Hussain Shahzad On Craft, Curiosity, And The Future Of Indian Dining

The kitchen at Papa’s hums with quiet intensity. Amid the clatter of pans and the hiss of searing meat, Shahzad moves with the composure of a conductor and the energy of a young apprentice. He tastes, adjusts, and teaches in the same breath. It’s a scene that captures his philosophy: food as storytelling, rooted in memory, layered with craft, and always looking forward. “The fun,” he says, “is not in reaching the destination. The fun is in the journey.”

Lessons From Abroad, Roots At Home

Shahzad’s culinary story began in Chennai with something as simple as an omelette sandwich for his brother. That small act led him to WGSHA in Manipal, the Oberoi Hotels in Mumbai, and eventually to New York, where he honed his skills at Eleven Madison Park. Living on a line cook’s salary shaped him as much as the kitchen did. “Most nights, I could only afford six to eight dollars for food. That meant halal carts, pizza slices, or a sandwich. Simple, humble food became my survival, and it taught me that comfort and memory can be as powerful as technique.”

Two mentors left the deepest mark: Daniel Humm in New York and the late Chef Floyd Cardoz, who persuaded him to return to India in 2015 and join Hunger Inc. Hospitality. “I was very lucky to find good mentors at the right time,” Shahzad reflects. “They guided me, motivated me, and reminded me to stay grounded. In this industry, it’s easy to get carried away by glamour. But the eye must always stay on the craft, that’s the core.” Today, as Executive Chef of Hunger Inc. Hospitality, guiding the kitchens of The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, Veronica’s, and Papa’s, he stands out as one of the most dynamic voices in Indian dining.

The Bombay Canteen: A Decade Of Relevance

When The Bombay Canteen opened in 2015, the idea of celebrating regional, seasonal Indian ingredients playfully was radical. A decade later, it remains one of the country’s most influential restaurants. “What has kept The Bombay Canteen relevant is our curiosity,” Shahzad explains. “The Canteen of 2015 had a certain identity. In 2025, it has evolved. The DNA remains the same. We celebrate India! But the way we do it has grown with the times. Our guests have evolved, so have we. That curiosity, that evolution, is what makes the restaurant what it is.” For him, nothing captures its spirit better than the Barley Salad with puffed grains, pomegranate, and spiced hung curd dressing. “It was my first dish on the menu in 2015, and it’s still our highest seller. It celebrates local grains, it’s avant-garde in technique, and it’s iconic in story. We say, ‘the juice is worth the squeeze.’ That’s exactly what this salad is.”

O Pedro: Learning A New Language

If The Bombay Canteen was about rediscovering India, O Pedro was about learning an entirely new language. When Cardoz suggested a Goan-Portuguese restaurant, Shahzad baulked. “I told him, you’re taking me from a swimming pool and giving me a bucket of water to swim in. I didn’t know anything about Goan food.” Cardoz encouraged him to dive in any way. 

Shahzad spent eight months in Goa, shadowing home cooks, and weeks in Portugal, eating his way through villages and restaurants. “Because I had no emotional connection to the cuisine, I could question everything objectively. I never settled for this is how it’s done. I always asked why.” That questioning shaped O Pedro. He spent over a month with a poee baker in Ribandar near Panjim, then tried replicating the bread in Mumbai. “It took me 48 attempts to get it right. In a commercial kitchen, consistency matters. You need a recipe anyone can replicate.”

Not everything needed reworking. “Beryl’s Fish Curry, from Chef Cardoz’s mother, has been on the menu since day one. Why fix what isn’t broken? That dish is the best way of celebrating Goa.” The result, Shahzad says, is “O Pedro is Goa created for Bombay,” rooted in tradition yet speaking to the contemporary diner.

Veronica’s: A Love Letter In Sandwiches

If O Pedro was about discipline, Veronica’s was born of nostalgia. “When I was a line cook in New York, I lived on sandwiches,” Shahzad recalls. “A Katz’s pastrami was a luxury I longed for. When I came back to India, I wanted to recreate it.” His first attempts failed, but during the pandemic, he revisited the recipe, leading to a pop-up called Sandwich Shack that sold out instantly. 

When the historic Jude Bakery in Bandra became available, it felt like destiny. “It was 200 metres from Floyd’s childhood home. He loved bread. Opening Veronica’s there was the perfect tribute.” Today, Veronica’s is a cult hit. The Big Floyd, a fried chicken sandwich, embodies its spirit, while Shahzad’s favourite is the painstaking Pass the Pastrami, cured, smoked, and slow-cooked over five days. “It’s labour-intensive, but worth every bit of effort.”

Papa’s: Fine Without Fuss

If Veronica’s celebrates community, Papa’s is pure intimacy. A 12-seater, open only four nights a week, it distils Shahzad’s learnings into an experience he calls “fine without the fuss.” The limited seating and schedule are intentional.“Papa’s is nine years in the making,” he says. “We didn’t want to import Scandinavian or French dining and drop it in India. We wanted something rooted in this moment, for Indian diners, elevated but unfussy. We wanted to genuinely welcome people every night. Once service feels transactional, it loses its soul. This way, we stay motivated, authentic, and personal.”

Defining Success

Despite accolades and waiting lists, Shahzad’s definition of success is simple: building people. “True success is being able to run sustainable teams across four restaurants and mentor the next generation. I want to see people who’ve worked alongside me go out and shine.” He admires chefs like Manish Mehrotra, whose protégés now lead globally, and Himanshu Saini, the first Indian chef with three Michelin stars. “When my cooks do great things, that’s when I know I’ve succeeded.”

Looking Ahead

So what excites him most about Indian dining? “The diners,” he answers without pause. “When I came back, India was ten to fifteen years behind New York. In the last decade, we’ve levelled up. Today, our restaurants are on par with the world’s best, sometimes better. And that’s because the audience won’t accept mediocrity anymore. That pushes us to do better every day.” For now, Mumbai remains home, and Papa’s his focus, though wider horizons beckon. “On a global level, India has the ability to create a strong dialogue. Papa’s can contribute to that in a very powerful way.”

And like in the kitchen at Papa’s, where his hands are never still, Shahzad’s mind remains curious, restless, and grounded. For him, the journey has only just begun!

Quick Fires: 

Kitchen Nickname: Huss.

Comfort Dish After A Long Day: Eggs in any form, especially with hot sauce.

Favourite Ingredient Right Now: Lemon pepper.

Favourite Drink: I love coffee. Dark roasted, less acidic, and always have it black.

Food Trend You Wish Would Disappear: Unnecessary molecular gastronomy. 

Dream City To Open A Restaurant In: New York.

Favourite Song On Loop:Main Shayar To Nahin from Bobby.

Favourite Movie: Happy Gilmore

Your 3 A.M. Speed Dial Person: Sameer Seth, Co-founder, Hunger Inc.

Editorial Director: Ainee Nizami Ahmedi; Digital Editor: Isha Mayer; Photographer: Meetesh Taneja; Stylist: Idris Nidham; Jr Graphic Designer: Radhika Trivedi (Cover Design); Set Design: Purnima Nath; Food Stylist: Nikhil Bendre; HMUA: Daniel Bauer Academy; Claire Carmelina Gil (rep by Anima Creatives) for Suvir; Creative production: Anushka Patil and Rishith Shetty; Assisted by: Aafreen Anjum, Ishan Sharma (styling), Sneh Lad (creative production), Vaishnavi Rana; Production: Cutloose Productions.