Gaurav Kuthari

The Climb

In the kitchen at CHAAT in Hong Kong, precision and theatre sit on the same line. Gaurav Kuthari served there as Head Chef early in his career, working in a setting where the tandoor ovens give the cooking its heat and tempo. Moving upward within the same restaurant is not the usual route, but his path shows what can happen when instinct is refined over years and the small decisions that give a kitchen its character are kept in view.

Today

Since 2024, Kuthari has held the Chef de Cuisine title at CHAAT in Hong Kong. The position keeps him in the same kitchen he entered in 2020, now with responsibility for the cooking under that title. The continuity matters: it is a case of a chef taking on more authority without leaving the room where the work was first established. Kuthari frames the work as shared practice rather than individual display: “We are very happy to work together to create an extraordinary experience that blends both sides' culinary ideas.” That approach shows up in the food as clear, specific construction. A kulcha can carry minced duck and foie gras; butter chicken can be built around spiced tomato and fenugreek; salmon can be taken through a lehsuni tikka treatment; lamb chops can come from an authentic tandoor oven. The point is not effect for its own sake, but control of detail and placement.

Signature

Gaurav's signature dishes include duck keema kulcha, Old Delhi butter chicken, Lehsuni salmon, and Kahsundi lamb chops.

In Their Words “We are very happy to work together to create an extraordinary experience that blends both sides' culinary ideas.”

Recognition

Gaurav's honors include One MICHELIN Star and One Diamond honouree.