One of the best experiences I had in a restaurant was when I sat at a table in Marylebone (London), decorated with floral cloths and comfy pillows. Nestling into my seat I was struck by beautiful spicy notes, warming ginger that mirrored the welcome from the maître d'. Perusing the menu, almost everything was a blend of cultures, cuisines and flavours. Dishes that are so unfamiliar, yet deserve to have a home. This restaurant and cooking style, which is proudly inauthentic, feels deeply authentic and full of love, and you can understand why when you learn about the experience of its founder, Ravinder Bhogal.

Ravinder is a journalist, chef and restaurateur, who was born in Kenya to Indian parents. She’s a monthly food columnist for the FT Weekend magazine and The Guardian’s Feast magazine, a contributing editor at Harper’s Bazaar, and regularly writes for The Observer Magazine and Vogue online. Basically one of the most influential women in food.

Jikoni is one of my favourite restaurants and now ‘Comfort and Joy’ (Ravinders 3rd book) is one of my new favourites too! It’s one of those cookbooks to read, but also one that deserves to have its pages stained and spattered. Ravinder’s commitment to lavish vegetables with the same joy and creativity you’d bring to a steak or a chop has resulted in a globally-inspired collection of recipes.

There are fragrant and fortifying curries and stews including a mango and golden coin curry; hefty salads packed with fistfuls of good things such as heritage tomato salad with lime leaf dressing, ginger and chilli. 

Basically this is the kind of food I want to eat all the time. I ask Ravinder about how she conjures recipes and why cooking is the ultimate expression of love. I think you’ll love this chat.

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