RAKESH AGGARWAL
Owner
RAKESH AGGARWAL, Owner
Rakesh came to peruse his American dream in 1980 and started working with the 'power gourmet destinations' such as 'The Oak Room' at Plaza Hotel and 'Club 21'. After spending a decade in fine hospitality business he opened his first restaurant Baluchis in Soho neighborhood of Manhattan. That was the beginning of the first Indian restaurant chain in the country -Blauchi's. At one point he had 17 of them in NYC!
In 2005 Rakesh joined hands with world renowned Indian culinary authority Suvir Saran to open Devi which became the first Indian restaurant to get a Michelin star.
Rakesh is ably assisted by his son Rohan Aggarwal in the business and is known in the city circuits for his graciousness and passion for the food business.
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KUNAL LAMBA
General Manager
KUNAL LAMBA, GENERAL MANAGER
Food & Beverage hospitality runs in my blood, says Kunal Lamba. Quite literally so, as the son of a New Delhi restaurateur came to New York from his hometown via a stint in London.
Kunal has a bachelors in hotel management from the prestigious Wecomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in India. He was gainfully placed in one of the top hotels in South Asia the ITC Maurya (3 of US presidents have lived there in the last 10 years including Mr. Obama in November 2010).
Kunal was a restaurant manager at this Mecca of Indian cuisine (which houses the world famous Bukhara restaurant) where he nurtured his passion for the profession and wanted to broaden his horizons by travelling west. He left for London where he ran one of the grand daddies of Indian cuisine in the city-The Gaylord.(Est. 1966)
His further quest for travel got him into the US where he started as a Food and Beverage Manager at a Doubletree Hotel in New York but realized the real food buzz in Gotham city is not in hotels but on street side abodes of delectable cuisine like Devi.
It was Devi where he felt at home and that is evident in the way this man runs his dining room.
Kunal has also been interested in hospitality training and is a frequent guest faculty for the hospitality management program at La Guardia Community College, New York.
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DHEERAJ TOMAR
Executive Chef
DHEERAJ TOMAR, Executive Chef
Dheeraj Came to New York from New Delhi 3 years ago to peruse his culinary dream in the big apple.
He was a sous chef at Intercontinental Delhi where he mastered the art of fine tandoor cooking and banquet (quantity) cooking.
Prior to that he has worked in five star hotels in Dubai where his work has been featured in numerous publications.
Following traditional recipes is something Dheeraj is proud of!
