Pravaas

Shilpa Dandekar

Taking years to meticulously hone her craft, Shilpa Dandekar has developed a reputation as one of London’s leading female chefs.

Her wealth of experience spans more than 4,500 miles, igniting with impressive beginnings learning her trade as a trainee chef with India’s famed Taj hotel group. A move from her home city of Mumbai to the UK in 2005 resulted in a discovering a new, previously unexplored talent for cooking modern British food. Various pubs shaped Shilpa’s modern British techniques and until she found herself revisiting her roots and embarking as a sous chef at London’s renowned Michelin-starred Indian restaurant Quilon.

While Shilpa’s time working for Chef Sriram Aylur taught her everything she needed to know about precision, it was through her next star chef employer, Raymond Blanc, that she developed her passion for the intricacies of European cooking that had been absent from her younger years. Quickly recognising her potential, Shilpa was appointed as Head Chef of the first Brasserie Blanc (near Bank) which she credits as a real starting point for her career.

Taking the next step

As her exploration of the capital’s culinary scene continued, Shilpa found herself increasingly mystified by the lack of creativity on offer in contemporary dining. She wanted to finally marry her two culinary loves together – the pairing of (ancient) traditional Indian dishes with more modern flavours and techniques found across dishes in Europe. In 2014, Shilpa took the plunge and started her own business with husband Faheem Vanoo. First came a successful takeaway and home delivery unit in South West London before launching her first bricks and mortar restaurant PURE INDIAN COOKING in Fulham.

Now, 10 years on, Pravaas in South Kensington is the realisation of all Shilpa and her family wanted to achieve. A destination shaped by years of expertise. Somewhere that her unyielding passion for the culinary arts and her insatiable desire to explore various kitchen styles allow her to create some truly exceptional dishes. Remaining steadfast to the essence of authentic fine Indian cuisine, Shilpa and her team extend a warm invitation for you to embark on a new culinary venture, where the flavours resonate with the very heart of India.