In dining rooms, well, everywhere, waiters can be heard telling stories of the origin of the dishes. Some will entail chef’s creative process, while others will present narratives that harken back to the authenticity of the dish. At any of the nine Dishoom dining rooms throughout the UK, the staff share similar stories behind the menu — like the tipple tale of the commander, his wife and her lover, told to guests who dare to order a three martini set, inspired by the scandal of Commander Nanavati from the late 1950s in Bombay. However, at each new Dishoom that arrives on the scene, the storytelling is ever more scrupulous.
Cousins and co-founders, Kavi and Shamil Thakrar, have built a restaurant group, rather a brand, rooted in imagination wherein each new location that opens starts with a fictional tale of a character at an Irani Cafe in Bombay, the basis behind their concept overall. These stories, that iterate throughout the development of upcoming locations, help inform the design and cyclically, the stories themselves are inspired by the surroundings.
Take for example, the newest location in the Dishoom portfolio located in London’s Canary Wharf. Known as a financial epicenter in the city, the restaurant’s guiding tale appropriately features Nauzer, a young boy in 1970s Bombay, whose desire to rise above the modest earnings of his family’s Irani cafe ultimately leads to his demise. The Dishoom ‘logo’ here is a bit more 70s, with its groovy typeface, much like the geometric chandeliers seen in the Kensington Dishoom which, suitably, is housed in an Art Deco style building.
Looking at their online presence, boasting a library of fictional chapters and extensive blog posts, it is plausible to wonder if there’s a team of literary agents on their payroll. While Shamil admits he now has help in penning his tales, he remains as the principal story teller and creator of characters. Likening himself as the Walter Mitty of the restaurant world, Shamil, the raconteur, is only as effective as his counterpart, Kavi, the impresario.
While Shamil’s imagination comes to life at Dishoom, Kavi lends a far more tactical approach, for as he says, ‘ultimately we’re a restaurant business that has to physically build spaces and other stuff. So, a lot of the physicality of what we do and even the food, sits with me. I do spend a lot of time thinking about food and what we should be serving our guests or what’s new.”
Beyond shaping the day to day, Kavi’s contributions take the two and more importantly, the team, back to the source — Bombay. If working for one of London’s most sought-after restaurants isn’t enough of a perk, the staff at Dishoom enjoys the incentive of an all-expenses paid trip to Bombay, with Kavi as the expert host. The catch? To be invited to the coveted Dishoom Bombay Bootcamp, team members have to complete five years of employment at Dishoom.
Restaurants are notorious for their endless turnover, so it’s easy to assume that Dishoom has to foot the bill for only a small group of travellers each year. That assumption is astoundingly incorrect. In 2023, Kavi will host two hundred team members through the streets of Bombay, sampling the original versions of their best-selling dishes like the buttery vada pav that, in fact, is the dish that defines the city. Beyond the exposure to the con- cepts behind their vision, Kavi offers the team a way to better their product as a whole as well.
Take the keema pav for instance. When Kavi and Dishoom chef, Naved were eating the spiced meat sandwich at Radio Restaurant in Bombay, they realised that the green base used in this version was far tastier than the red base served at their restaurants in London. So, they went back and changed it. The constant state of evolution is applied to their food and brand, where every decision is based on iteration and improvement, even if their customer base may not always agree.
When an angry Hindu customer wrote into Dishoom, bashing the group for supporting Muslim holidays, Kavi and Shamil decided to follow suit of the Iranian cafes from Bombay’s 1920s — the only places at that time where Muslims and Hindus would be seen eating in the same place. As Shamil puts it, ‘we always took very seriously the idea that Dishoom should break down barriers,” and they do so with celebrations throughout the year that amplify not only the Hindu holidays they themselves observe, but the traditions of the Muslim and Parsi calendars as well. Through that desire to share all aspects of the culture, Kavi and Shamil learned that in Ramadan tradition, observers will donate to charity during their fast as they feel the pains of having so little. From this lesson, Dishoom charity was thus born.
As their zakat, or act of charity, the group launched their meal for a meal program. With each meal ordered at Dishoom — whether it be in store or online for delivery — the team donates a meal to a child in need. As they share roots in both the UK and India, Kavi and Shamil work with partners at Magic Breakfast in the UK and The Akshaya Patra Foundation in India. As of January 2023, they have provided fifteen million meals and counting. And while the thanks should go to them for their philanthropic endeavours, the two still speak of their appreciation for the hate mailer for inspiring them to take on this initiative.
As their journey began over a decade ago, some might consider Dishoom a front runner in offering a fun and hip Indian dining experience. But being amongst the first does not stop the team from continuing to innovate. As we continue to follow the story of Kavi, Shamil and the brand they’ve built, don’t be surprised if their next location takes on a retro future concept where a young person — likely a lady — will tell the tale of an Irani cafe operating in the year 2023, imagined in 1953.
With every story told, the cousins behind Dishoom persevere on as a brand committed to bringing the world a fresh take on desi dining, from Bombay, with love.
Words Gauri Sarin
Date 24-06-2023