Chef

Kelvin Cheung

“I am like two different people. At work, I am this intense, detail-oriented person who likes to follow a specific system of function and flow. Outside of work though, I am very chill. I like to keep it this way,” says the third-generation restaurateur who has witnessed many a kitchen storms. “Restaurant business is hard. I rarely saw my father while growing up. Our entire family was dedicated to working. Everyone able, who had time, was at work. That’s the nature of the business. It requires that kind of dedication and sacrifice.” Born in Toronto, raised in Chicago and settled in India — Kelvin is well-travelled and exposed and has clocked frequent flier miles in search of food and inspiration. The move to India was life-changing and in his own words, “my scene changed exponentially.” In India, my knowledge of flavours, recipes, inspired me to create and push my boundaries. This is a high pressure, high-stress situation. It’s a very demanding lifestyle in this industry, where the hours are long and you don’t get any off time. But there is so much to learn every day.”