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Wine & Dine
Textual content and Images by Mallika Chandra.
Divesh Aswani, 33
Commis Station
Location: Mahim
Speciality: Baked items, kitchen staples, condiments, confectionery, ice lotions
What led you to start out Commis Station?
I used to be 70 per cent down the road with my analysis and improvement for a restaurant when COVID-19 hit. The one factor that had been left to do was to discover a house. So, a yr after the lockdown, I type of simply broke the menu down into its primary parts and determined to take off. The one mannequin that appeared to work on the time was the supply mannequin.
What was the idea of the unique restaurant?
It was going to be a really informal house with no particular theme. A spot the place you may get a extremely good bowl of pasta, a pleasant noodle soup, a great roast hen or sandwich.
And was that the type of meals that you simply had been making even earlier than you ventured out by yourself?
I left Mumbai once I was 17 and I had the posh and the chance to coach at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney. Throughout that course, I used to be working part-time. I lived in Australia for 10 years and labored at totally different cafes serving numerous cuisines. That’s the place I picked up most of my cooking fashion from. I additionally ate out rather a lot which type of outlined how I cooked. Australia being a melting pot of cultures, there’s rather a lot on supply by way of meals and that simply opened me up creatively.
In order that variety of delicacies has been carried into Commis Station?
It’s mainly what cooks would now outline as trendy Australian delicacies. They’ve taken influences from totally different sorts of cuisines and put it collectively as parts on the menu. I like that you would be able to go to a restaurant as a household of 4 the place a toddler may need a noodle soup, the mom may need a sandwich or a salad or a recent pasta and so forth. I wished to create an area the place there’s one thing for everybody, actually.
The identify Commis Station itself is a nod to skilled kitchen buildings. An fascinating selection as a substitute of one thing extra associated to your product. What was the thought there?
There was a number of thought behind the identify. Primarily, a commis is essentially the most junior individual within the kitchen hierarchy. The primary position that you would be able to apply for within the kitchen is that of a commis and you then climb up the ranks.
Following that hierarchy, the thought was to inform our shoppers and visitors that we’re your commis cooks. Everybody was cooking throughout COVID-19, however they didn’t essentially wish to make recent noodles or baos or gyoza wrappers. We wished to be the place the place folks would attain out and say, “I really feel like consuming burgers tonight, what are you able to do for me?” And we’d say, “We are able to ship you the buns, the BBQ sauce, the pickled cucumber, the hand-cut fries and also you simply need to put it collectively.”
In our brand, you’ll see the stripes on the lettering. The stripes resemble these on the aprons that commis cooks would put on again within the day. The commis station is the place all of the mise en place will get performed. So mainly, the commis station by no means stops. Even throughout service, they’re doing last-minute prep jobs and ensuring that the kitchen is totally able to serve.
Why supply simplified gourmand? What gaps are you filling?
The thought could be very easy. We use our talent set and supply one thing that can’t be simply achieved at house. Folks realized rather a lot about cooking throughout COVID-19, however even then, they wanted to get staples and condiments. In case you have a look at our sauce vary, we began with one thing acquainted — a Sichuan sauce. One in every of our top-selling dips is the Lebanese garlic unfold, which is basically a toum however we add confit garlic to it to provide it our twist. The whole lot needed to be elevated, recent and one thing that can’t be made or replicated simply at house. It’s a fixed battle to do issues that different folks aren’t doing.
I used to be shocked to see how quick a time it took for a product to get created from scratch and get packed within the field.
Sure, however that does backfire typically. As an illustration, folks wish to eat bagels for breakfast. However we begin our shift at 8 am and by the point it’s prepared, it’s like 10 or 11 am and by the point it reaches them, it’s midday. However it is very important me to create a really snug work surroundings for the group. It was tough after we began as a result of we didn’t understand how a lot we might promote. Now we’re nearly sure that we’re going to promote X variety of sauces each week so these could be made in small batches. And we’re fairly vocal concerning the issues that we make in small batches, issues which can be made-to-order, issues that want 48 hours’ discover. It tastes totally different when it’s recent. Versus any fancy restaurant within the metropolis, which can nonetheless be serving parts that didn’t promote the day earlier than.
How did you go about establishing your operations and house?
Robust! It was very robust. I don’t even wish to take into consideration these days. The whole lot that would have gone improper went improper. You type of have to simply be prepared for it. We confronted a number of points from licensing to water to the builders not exhibiting up, and we had been constructing throughout COVID-19!
I used to be scouting for offers throughout city as a result of so many locations had been shutting down. So, I used to be purchasing for a espresso machine from one place, selecting up somebody’s cabinets from one other a part of city, a second-hand oven from some other place. It was simply full-on hustle mode.
Nevertheless it was a labour of affection and clearly we needed to be very cautious with what we spent. I wasn’t certain whether or not this was going to take off. Happily, issues labored out and Commis Station has been rising each by way of the providers we provide and the enterprise that we will tackle.
How do you handle to continue to grow?
It actually helps to have a really robust group. My group has supported my selections and backed me up with the lengthy hours, when wanted, or tailored to serving at catering gigs we tackle on the final minute. I attempt to lead by instance. I’m very happy with the truth that I’m at all times the primary one in and the final one out, I’m very hands-on and that’s central in holding the morale of the group up.
The truth that I communicate to all my clients and take their orders additionally helps. I really feel that individuals have gotten so used to ordering on apps that they’ve forgotten the old fashioned method of ordering meals by calling a neighborhood restaurant man and asking what was obtainable that evening. I’ve this group of choose shoppers who simply randomly decide up the cellphone once they don’t actually really feel like cooking and say, “Are you able to type me out tonight?” And I feel that’s a really good a part of the enterprise. I’ve constructed very robust relationships with my shoppers, a few of whom have even invited me over to their houses for particular events!
It should take time to take care of these robust relationships. Do you are taking out time to concentrate on advertising and marketing and social media?
It’s not as nicely deliberate or designed as it’s possible you’ll assume it will be. If you’re an entrepreneur and also you’re hands-on and also you’re cooking, managing a group, doing gross sales and speaking to clients, you simply search for that five-minute hole and also you leap on Instagram and publish no matter is being performed. Generally, I’ll be strolling by a pile of bread and assume that it appears to be like nice. And I’ll publish that. A number of it’s simply very spontaneous and really unplanned and I feel that’s what makes it stand out. It’s natural and never staged.
Provided that your providing is a lot about being chef-driven and elevating staples, do you’re feeling just like the enterprise is intently tied to your persona as a chef? How a lot of your self do it’s important to put out on social media on the subject of creating content material?
In case you have a look at my profile versus Commis Station’s, I personally have extra followers. However I’m not a chef who’s always on social media. It’s not that I’m not a social individual. However I’m not somebody who craves Instagram likes or thinks a lot about hashtags. I comply with only a few folks. For me, being on Instagram for enterprise is sufficient.
What are a few of the challenges you face as a cloud kitchen?
The hardest half is determining the right way to get the meals or the product to the consumer in the very best method. That’s at all times been the problem and at all times can be. Some days you may pull off a dessert after which a couple of months later it’s so scorching that you simply can not serve that dessert anymore. There’s a number of science behind cooking, nevertheless it’s very laborious to convey that to the shopper.
It’s also tough to remain motivated whereas doing the identical factor again and again for years. That’s why I just like the catering facet of the enterprise as a result of it breaks the monotony. We exit, we cook dinner in entrance of individuals and we work together.
Do you are taking day without work?
I don’t. It’s primarily due to work that I journey. I’ve been working with Ishka Farms and producing a condiment vary with them that’s caper-focused. So I journey to Kochi very often as a result of I’ve to be there for the manufacturing a part of it. I like pop-ups. I do a number of collaborative dinners. As soon as the work is over, I spend an additional day or two for enjoyable and are available again. That’s at all times going to be the posh of being a chef — you may go to any a part of the world and have a job.
How do you keep impressed?
It’s a course of in itself and it really occurs when there’s a lull. A quiet interval may really feel like one thing is improper however often it’s nothing to fret about. It may simply be a festive weekend or possibly persons are travelling. And so, each time there’s a lull, I exploit the time to create one thing new, publish about it and get eyes again onto Commis Station. An idle thoughts is just not at all times the satan’s workshop.
A few of your gadgets, particularly the tiramisu, have a cult following.
It does. I really obtained the espresso machine for the kitchen pondering that I’d be this cool man promoting espresso within the compound. That by no means occurred however due to that espresso machine, I began making tiramisu. Life works in mysterious methods. On common, we promote about 150 to 160 kilos of the dessert per 30 days.
What’s the excellent order from Commis Station?
It’s at all times going to be the tiramisu as a result of that by no means enables you to down and it’s within the sharing format, so everybody’s completely happy. However we will additionally show you how to put a meal collectively, so ordering one thing from the bakery, some sauces, some condiments, some staples, is an effective approach to go. I prefer to encourage folks to type of combine and match. At any time when somebody requires baos, I’ll additionally recommend ordering the kimchi and sesame. Folks don’t at all times have the knack of placing issues collectively so the right order would at all times be to take the recommendations of the chef.
Earlier: Kartikeya Ratan and Rishabh Doshi, Kiki & Pastor
Subsequent: Anushka Malkani and Nariman Abdygapparov, Masa Bakery
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