‘The Space We Live In’
Vanika Choudhary is at the forefront of modern Indian fine dining. The nomadic chef has gained international recognition, named ‘La Liste Talent of the Year 2024’ & hosting residencies globally including pop-ups at Green Michelin Starred Silo &180 Corner, London, and with Jeong Kwan in Korea & Mumbai. May 2024, Vanika closed her Mumbai restaurant Noon, which celebrated Indigenous ingredients, ancient technique, traditional cooking & fermentation. Her focus now is on research, development, cooking worldwide before her next project.
Vanika’s philosophy centres on traditional cooking methods from her native Jammu & Kashmir, using produce rarely seen in Mumbai. She works with a predominantly female team, social enterprises, farmers’ collectives, and food anthropologists to revolutionise ingredient sourcing in India. Inspired by her grandmother’s pickling & her father’s homegrown produce, Vanika’s fermentation library includes 50 ferments, focusing on koji, miso (with tur dal), and garum (with nolen gur). She has recently spent time living with Chef & Monk Jeong Kwan in Chunjinam hermitage of the Baekyangsa temple, South Korea.
Photo Credit: Kashvi Gidwani