Commerce to Culinary: Kishi Arora picks food stories from journeys around the world

Amrita Paul

Kishi Arora, wanted to be a chef for as long as she can remember. So several years ago when she graduated from Shri Ram College of Commerce, instead of opting for a conventional post graduate course, she attended American Culinary Institute of America where she specialised in baking and pastry.

In 2007, Kishi set up Foodaholics, which specializes in superior desserts and offers technical food consulting, with a trained chef on board.

“Our modus operandi generally involves clients calling or emailing us, followed up by personal one-on-one consultation. Ninety per cent of these consultations end up as realised orders. We don’t have set menus and customise orders for each and every client. Our effort is to get involved with each and every customer and understand their requirement, their taste and work towards delivering the same,” says Kishi.

Having studied and worked in the US, Kishi initially faced a few hurdles in getting fresh produce, ingredients and also equipments in place but looking back, it all feels worth it to see her dream coming true.

Over the years she also feels that the Indian market has also been opening up to international food trends. She adds, “I think right now people are ready to go beyond chocolate and experiment with different combinations of flavours, which is encourages us, as chefs, to push the envelope a little more.”

The 33-year-old loves travelling and her trips within India and abroad facilitate her to connect with food a little more and find what more she can bring to the table.

She says, “Food is a subject that connects everyone; it’s a big conversation starter for all people. To me, it’s technical but a client is excited about how scrumptious/ striking/ exotic it tastes. Because of course, desserts can symbolize enjoying the good things of life – happiness, celebration, indulgence, festivity, temptations, reward, and excitement.

Kishi wants to bring a smile on the faces of anyone who tries her desserts and make them come back over and over again for more. She adds, “I want to ensure that I keep growing and that my innovation doesn’t stop at working on one product but goes on to redefine the meaning of surprise and creativity in food, especially desserts.”

Feature Pic Credit: Outlook