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This episode of the Chef JKP Podcast features Saradhi Dakara, chef and co-founder of Stellar Society, for a conversation about food, identity, entrepreneurship, and what it truly takes to build something of your own from the ground up.

Chef James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Saradhi to trace a journey that began in a small town in Andhra Pradesh, wound through some of Dubai's most high-profile hotel kitchens, and ultimately led to the founding of Oria and a bold new chapter in his career.

At its core, this is a conversation about grit, reinvention, and the belief that community, not just cuisine, is what makes a restaurant truly great.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Saradhi's childhood food memories and what a South Indian Sunday really looks like when three families cook together
• Why he refused to sit the engineering entrance exam and how that single decision changed everything
• How he got shortlisted out of sixty students to join Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai
• What it was like arriving in Dubai for the first time and discovering that everything he had learned needed to be unlearned
• The mentors who shaped his approach to leadership and proved that teams can be built through love rather than fear
• His journey through some of Dubai's most important kitchens and what each one taught him
• Why he stepped away from executive chef roles to start something entirely his own
• The thinking behind Stellar Society and the founding of Oria, its Mediterranean and Asian-inspired flagship
• What nobody tells you about going from chef to restaurateur and why he still introduces himself as a chef, not an owner
• His vision for the future of Stellar Society, including upcoming concepts and a restaurant named after his mother

CHAPTERS

00:00 A young chef in Dubai, the story that sets everything up
04:00 Childhood food memories, thali, and Sunday feasts with three families
13:00 Family expectations, engineering, and the exam he deliberately skipped
25:00 Catering college, the Jumeirah interview, and being asked to sing
30:00 Landing in Dubai for the first time and starting from zero
37:00 Mentors, molecular gastronomy, and the lessons that never left him
52:00 The Marco Pierre White opening at Conrad Dubai and the Michelin world
01:16:00 The concept behind Oria, Mediterranean meets Asian, and building a soul into a restaurant
01:24:00 From chef to restaurateur and what nobody prepares you for
01:51:00 Advice to a 16-year-old Saradhi and the story behind the oyster shell mosaic

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This episode of the Chef JKP Podcast features Laura Lai Coughlin, one of Dubai’s most recognizable voices in food media, for a conversation about food, storytelling, journalism, and the path that took her from family kitchens to the centre of the city’s dining scene.

Chef James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Laura, food writer, presenter, content creator, and host of Best of Dubai, to unpack her journey from growing up with two parents who cooked professionally, to studying marketing, moving to Shanghai, and eventually building her editorial career in Dubai across titles like Explorer and What’s On.

Laura reflects on rising to Head of Content, why she chose to step away from full-time publishing, and how that opened the door to a more personal chapter of work. The episode also explores the thinking behind Best of Dubai, the changing nature of food media, and why championing chefs, restaurants, and the wider hospitality community matters so much to her.

At its core, this is a conversation about instinct, reinvention, and building a career around people, stories, and the culture of food.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Laura’s childhood food memories and how growing up with two cook parents shaped her relationship with food
• Why she studied marketing, even though storytelling and journalism were always close by
• How moving to Shanghai changed her life and opened the door to freelance writing
• Why Dubai became home and how her early publishing years shaped her career
• What it was like rising through the ranks to become Head of Content at What’s On
• Why she stepped away from full-time media in 2022 to build something more personal
• How Best of Dubai started and why the format connected so quickly
• What she has learned from interviewing chefs, restaurateurs, and hospitality people across the city
• Why Dubai’s food community stands out for its support, energy, and collaboration
• Her thoughts on the future of dining in Dubai and across the wider Middle East

CHAPTERS

00:00 Laura thought she had been cancelled after a Best of Dubai video blew up
04:00 Childhood food memories, congee, and growing up around food
09:40 Studying marketing, loving theatre, and finding her voice
16:40 Moving to Shanghai and the internship that changed everything
26:00 Freelance writing and the start of her journalism journey
27:30 Moving to Dubai and building her editorial career
34:20 Joining What’s On and rising to Head of Content
45:00 Why she left full-time media in 2022
49:00 The story behind Best of Dubai and how the series took off
01:25:00 Her views on the future of dining in Dubai and across the Middle East

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This episode of the Chef JKP Podcast brings together two standout names from Dubai’s dining scene for a conversation about friendship, entrepreneurship, hospitality, and building something meaningful in a competitive market.

Chef James Knight-Paccheco is joined by Chef Neha Mishra, founder of Kinoya, and Panchali Mahendra, CEO of Atelier House Hospitality, for a special dual-guest episode centered around their newest venture together, Tezekuri.

Neha shares how a dinner at home, built around hand rolls and conversation, sparked the idea behind the restaurant, while Panchali reflects on why the concept had been on her mind for years and why timing matters so much in hospitality.

Together, they speak about protecting friendship while building a business, collaborating without ego, and creating a restaurant with real intention. From the menu and design to the guest journey and hidden vinyl-led martini speakeasy, every detail was shaped with purpose.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• How a dinner party turned into the idea behind Tezekuri
• Why Neha Mishra and Panchali Mahendra decided to build together
• Protecting friendship while navigating the realities of business
• Why specialization matters more than ever in modern hospitality
• Designing a Japanese-inspired dining experience in Downtown Dubai
• The philosophy behind the hand roll concept and rice-focused menu
• Building a restaurant around intention, craft, and discipline
• Why they created a hidden vinyl-led martini speakeasy
• The role of music, atmosphere, and intimacy in hospitality
• The power of supper clubs as testing grounds for concepts
• Their thoughts on Dubai’s competitive restaurant landscape
• Reflections on recognition, 50 Best, and what success really means

CHAPTERS

00:00 Friendship, partnership, and what mattered most while building together
02:00 Introduction to Neha Mishra, Panchali Mahendra, and Tezekuri
04:45 How a dinner party sparked the idea for the restaurant
08:45 From first conversation to finding the location and building the concept
12:05 Protecting the friendship while building a business together
14:35 Designing the space and aligning on aesthetic vision
21:10 Building the menu around rice, craft, and Japanese discipline
25:45 Hiring the right head chef and creating the right team
32:30 The story behind the hidden speakeasy and martini listening room
36:20 Why vinyl, music, and intimacy matter to the guest experience
46:00 Soft launch feedback, refinement, and opening in a competitive market
57:10 50 Best, supper clubs, legacy, and the future of the brand

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Neha Mishra
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/astoryoffood/

Panchali Mahendra
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Season 12 of The Chef JKP Podcast kicks off with a solo episode, bringing you closer to the stories, people, and conversations you’ll hear across the season.

With 14 episodes ahead, this season features chefs, operators, and industry voices sharing their journeys, decisions, and defining moments inside hospitality.

In this opening episode, Chef JKP reflects on what’s been happening behind the scenes, shares updates from the industry, and answers questions from listeners around the world, from kitchen culture and leadership to building concepts, handling pressure, and navigating the realities of the business.

It’s an honest, unfiltered introduction to the perspectives you’ll hear throughout Season 12.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

• What to expect from Season 12 and why it’s the biggest yet
• Listener Q&A from across the world on real industry challenges
• Career decisions that feel risky but change everything
• What actually makes a restaurant concept work
• Why team culture is everything in a kitchen
• The balance between creativity, discipline, and leadership
• How chefs think about branding, growth, and standing out
• The reality behind awards, recognition, and success
• Handling pressure, failure, and tough services
• The mindset required to sustain a long-term career in hospitality

Chapters

00:00 Welcome to Season 12 and what’s ahead
00:02 Why this season is extended to 14 episodes
00:04 Listener Q&A begins with global questions
00:08 Career risks and moving to new markets
00:14 Building strong restaurant concepts
00:18 Team culture, leadership, and emotional intelligence
00:23 Design, branding, and guest experience
00:28 Industry insights, awards, and recognition
00:35 Handling pressure, mistakes, and growth
00:42 The hardest lessons in hospitality and closing thoughts

Proudly Brought to You by Valrhona

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This special collaborative episode of the Chef JKP Podcast brings together three voices from different corners of the culinary world for a conversation about identity, storytelling, and the power of food to connect cultures.

Chef James Knight-Paccheco is joined by Tasneem Rawat, host of The Café, and legendary South African celebrity chef Jenny Morris, who joins the conversation remotely.

Known across South Africa as “The Giggling Gourmet,” Jenny Morris has spent decades shaping how people experience food through television, books, and culinary storytelling. Her journey reflects a deep commitment to celebrating African ingredients, preserving culinary heritage, and making food accessible, joyful, and deeply human.

In this episode, the conversation moves beyond recipes and kitchens. It explores the role chefs play as cultural storytellers, the responsibility of representing regional food traditions, and how media has transformed the way chefs connect with audiences around the world.

Jenny reflects on building a career in food long before the modern celebrity chef era, navigating television, publishing, and education while staying grounded in authenticity. Tasneem brings her perspective as a media host and interviewer, exploring how conversations around food shape culture, while Chef JKP draws connections between global gastronomy and the evolving culinary identity of the Middle East.

At its heart, this episode is about the power of conversation around the table. About laughter, curiosity, and the shared language of food that connects people across continents.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Jenny Morris’ journey into the culinary world and becoming a television personality
• The rise of food television and how it changed the role of chefs
• Preserving African culinary traditions and storytelling through food
• The importance of authenticity in media and cooking
• How chefs become cultural ambassadors through their work
• The role of conversation and storytelling in food media
• Perspectives from the Middle East and Africa on culinary identity
• Why food remains one of the most powerful connectors between cultures

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to this collaborative episode
03:40 Meeting Jenny Morris and her culinary journey
11:20 The rise of food television and media chefs
20:10 Preserving African food traditions
31:40 Storytelling through cooking
43:15 Cultural identity and regional cuisine
54:30 Media, audiences, and the evolution of food conversations
66:10 Reflections on food, culture, and connection

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Front row at Middle East & North Africa’s 50 Best Restaurants 2026, from a night at Mandarin Oriental Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi.

There’s a certain kind of tension in the air before the list is revealed. The chefs arrive, the teams gather, the community tightens up, and for a few hours, the region’s hospitality story sits in one room.

In this special event episode, Chef JKP speaks to chefs, restaurateurs, writers, and key voices from across the MENA dining scene, capturing the moments that happen between the flashbulbs. What it means to make the list, why the number is “just a number,” how teams earn recognition, and how the region is evolving from imported concepts to truly homegrown destinations.

From quick-fire questions to honest reflections on craft, culture, pressure, and pride, this is a snapshot of a historic night for Middle East hospitality.

What You Will Hear in This Episode

• Arriving at MENA 50 Best 2026 and the suspense before the reveal
• Chefs on what it means to be included, and why teams matter most
• The MENA dining landscape and how it compares globally
• Writers on the role of awards in putting talent on a world stage
• Why the ranking is “just a number,” and what recognition really represents
• The shift from imported to homegrown concepts across the region
• Community, collaborations, and cooking beyond borders
• Standout dishes and moments from chefs across the list

Chapters

00:00 Welcome from MENA 50 Best 2026 and what to expect from the night
00:07 Chef Fabrice on the daily grind and why being recognised “is beautiful”
00:15 The real point of 50 Best nights, community, connection, and not over-fixating on the list
00:24 Mohamed Orfali on pride, responsibility, and leading the region’s food scene forward
00:32 A dream moment on stage, the team behind it, and the “could this be real?” reaction
00:40 Building restaurants without creating new problems, and how small teams grow into leaders
00:49 The reveal is over, a new No.1 is announced, and the room turns electric
00:56 Winning brings more eyes and more pressure, and what it takes to keep earning it
01:04 What the night represents at its best, unity across cuisines and celebrating each other
01:12 The soul of hospitality, love, craft, and why some chefs “deserve” the recognition
01:20 A chair’s view of the region through food, and the cuisines that shaped their palate
01:28 Closing wrap from the night and the final takeaway on where the region is headed

Proudly Brought to You by Potatoes USA

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Welcome to the third episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In SNACKS Episode 3, Chef JKP brings together insights from Björn Frantzén and Regan Hillyer, exploring leadership, mental resilience, and how emotional state influences performance inside high-pressure kitchens.

Björn reflects on leadership from lived experience at the highest level of gastronomy. He speaks about accountability, hiring and training responsibility, and why a leader must first look inward when performance drops. Drawing from his time building world-class restaurants, he explains that what truly separates elite kitchens is not technique alone, but culture, pride, and a team that believes deeply in how and why the work is done.

Regan brings a complementary perspective grounded in wellbeing and performance psychology. She breaks down how stress shows up in the body before people are even aware of it, why most leaders miss those signals, and how breath, awareness, and presence directly affect decision-making. She connects leadership to service, explaining why calm is not passive, ego blocks performance, and true leadership is felt more than announced.

Together, this SNACK examines why great kitchens rise or fall on the emotional state of the people inside them. From how stress transfers through leadership to how energy carries into food itself, this conversation reframes performance as something shaped long before service begins.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• Leadership accountability and owning team performance
• Why culture matters more than control
• What elite Michelin-level kitchens have in common
• Personality, pride, and belief inside great teams
• Recognising stress responses in real time
• Breath, presence, and decision-making under pressure
• Leadership without ego
• Why calm is a leadership skill
• How energy transfers from kitchen to plate
• Creating environments where teams perform with clarity

CHAPTERS

01:00 Leadership responsibility and accountability
03:00 Hiring, training, and owning outcomes
05:00 What defines top-level kitchens beyond technique
07:00 Culture, pride, and chef personality
09:00 Recognising stress in the moment
11:00 Breath, presence, and performance
13:00 Leadership as service, not ego
15:00 Energy, food, and emotional transfer
17:00 Final reflections on calm and excellence

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Björn Frantzén

Personal
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Restaurants
https://www.instagram.com/restaurantfzn

https://www.instagram.com/restaurantzen.sgp

https://www.instagram.com/restaurantfrantzen

Regan Hillyer

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Welcome to the second episode of the SNACKS series.

SNACKS are short, bite-size episodes from the Chef JKP Podcast, built to spotlight the strongest ideas from our most impactful conversations.

In SNACKS Episode 2, Chef JKP brings together insights from Himanshu Saini and Peggy Pui Ki Li, exploring pressure, recognition, and what really changes after success arrives.

Himanshu speaks candidly about what Michelin recognition actually feels like. From the uncertainty of awards season to the pressure that follows, he reflects on how visibility reshapes a restaurant, its guests, and the expectations placed on the chef. He shares the emotional weight of recognition, the responsibility that comes with it, and why peace and patience matter more than chasing the next milestone.

Peggy brings a complementary perspective shaped by years of operating at the highest level of hospitality. She breaks down the difference between commercial and fine dining, how attention to detail defines premium experiences, and why leadership, clarity, and mental resilience are essential when operating under constant scrutiny.

Together, this SNACK episode explores what happens after recognition. The pressure it brings, the responsibility it creates, and how chefs navigate visibility, expectations, and their own wellbeing without losing focus on the craft.

WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE

• What Michelin recognition actually feels like in real time
• The pressure that follows awards and global attention
• How visibility changes guests, expectations, and business
• Mental health challenges after success arrives
• Managing distractions outside the kitchen
• Leadership through uncertainty and responsibility
• Commercial dining versus fine dining operations
• Attention to detail at the highest level of hospitality
• Developing talent and kitchen culture
• Staying grounded while navigating recognition

CHAPTERS

01:00 The reality of Michelin announcements
03:00 Pressure, nerves, and expectations
05:00 Visibility and changing audiences
07:00 Managing attention beyond the kitchen
09:00 Mental health and balance
11:00 Leadership under pressure
13:00 Commercial versus fine dining
15:00 Talent, culture, and long-term thinking
17:00 Final reflections on recognition

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Himanshu Saini

Instagram

https://www.instagram.com/chefhimanshusaini

Restaurant

https://www.instagram.com/tresindstudio

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Instagram

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