Beyond butter chicken: How Hunger Inc is redefining India's cuisine for a new era

Tatler Asia

07-05-2025

Forget tired stereotypes, Mumbai's Hunger Inc reveals how a new generation is crafting the future of Indian food, rooted in tradition but fearlessly innovative
Across Asia's vibrant food landscape, culinary innovation is constant. Yet, there's a particular energy crackling around Indian cuisine lately, an evolution moving far beyond the familiar comfort food narratives. While diasporic interpretations have long enriched our cities, a powerful movement within India is redefining the cuisine on its own terms, merging deep-rooted traditions with a confident, contemporary vision.
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Leading the charge is Hunger Inc Hospitality, the dynamic Mumbai group behind game-changers such as The Bombay Canteen, a 2024 Tatler Best Asia 100 Restaurants and 100 Bars winner; Veronica's, an all-day sandwich shop and deli; confectionery venture Bombay Sweet Shop; O Pedro, a Goa-inspired bar and restaurant; contemporary Indian restaurant Papa's which offers a 12-seat chef's table experience, among others. To understand this shift, we spoke with Sameer Seth, the Founder and CEO of Hunger Inc, and Hussain Shahzad, the group's executive chef, to find out more.
Co-founder and CEO Sameer Seth experienced the earlier perception firsthand while working abroad years ago, where Indian food was often simplified or used merely as flavour accents. 'What's happening now,' Seth explains, 'is this amazing moment where so many of us who went abroad and came back to India are feeling proud—proud enough to take risks and do things with our culture and cuisine in ways we couldn't have imagined were possible in India even just ten years ago.'
Above Sameer Seth, founder and CEO of Hunger Inc
Above Hussain Shahzad, executive chef at Hunger Inc
This isn't just about bringing global experience home; it's about shattering old moulds. 'We are being able to interpret things beyond the stereotype,' Seth emphasises. 'Indian food was considered very specifically, around certain curries... and we are getting to challenge all of that today. And that's the interesting and exciting part.'
For Hunger Inc's executive chef Hussain Shahzad, a key challenge lies in escaping what he calls the 'trap of authenticity.' In cuisines with long histories, he argues, 'that trap... just prevents a cuisine from evolving.' The breakthrough? 'Today, that trap of authenticity is being broken because we're trying to define what authenticity means to us.' It's about informed evolution, not discarding the past. 'As chefs today, we're putting out more of those stories—our experiences on a plate—rather than just trying to create a better version of a dish that was created back in the day.'
Seth crystallises their philosophy memorably: 'We're creating the traditions of tomorrow, today—what will become someone's flavour memories, someone's nostalgia, ten years from now.'
When Hunger Inc opened The Bombay Canteen a decade ago, the mission was simple: 'to celebrate India,' recalls Seth. That founding 'war cry' has since evolved. 'Today, it's about understanding what new India wants—and how we can serve that in a way that truly excites them.' That ethos finds perhaps its clearest expression at Papa's, a 12-seater chefs' counter restaurant in Mumbai. Shahzad avoids the label 'modern Indian'. 'I feel it's forward-thinking Indian food,' he says. 'It's Indian food rooted in today—just more forward-thinking in how we approach it.'
Above Papa's in Mumbai
Above The exterior of Veronica's
This forward momentum extends to every detail of the dining experience. Forget hushed tones and neutral palettes. 'Why does it have to be white tablecloths or greys and blue...?' Seth asks. 'India is about colour. India is about celebration.' At Papa's, that spirit translates into a setting that feels more like a dinner party at Hussain's home than a traditional fine dining room. It's an approach grounded in respect for origins, echoing the philosophy of their late co-founder, chef Floyd Cardoz. 'Until you take time to understand tradition, you can't innovate,' Seth reflects. 'It's about bringing that forward into new India—without veering into gimmickry.'
The depth of Indian tradition offers an almost limitless canvas. 'Ten years in, I feel we're just scratching the surface,' Shahzad says with relish. 'Every 100 kilometres, the cuisine changes—the emotion of eating changes.' That spirit of exploration surfaces in strikingly inventive ways on their menus: take Bugs Bunny, a rabbit shawarma laced with chaprah (red weaver ants used by tribal communities), or a meticulously layered Wellington that channels the intricate flavours of a Kashmiri Wazwan feast. 'The flavours remain true to the Wazwan,' Shahzad explains, 'but the form is that of a Wellington. And to me, there's nothing about that that isn't Indian.' Even the rhythm of the meal at Papa's—beginning with savoury riffs on classic desserts—draws from Shahzad's own Bohri Muslim heritage.
This blend of audacity and reverence is captivating diners. While international guests are intrigued, Papa's has also become 'a source of pride' for Indians, who see in it a reflection of their cuisine's bold new trajectory. Storytelling is key—the team ensures guests understand the why behind each dish. It might be the unexpected pleasure of encountering distinctly Indian flavours in a globally recognisable ceviche or decoding the playful irony of an Ahi tuna samosa, or as Shahzad describes it, 'a samosa in spirit—but not in essence'.
Looking across the continent, both Seth and Shahzad see India's dining scene on a sharp upward trajectory, joining the ranks of Asia's established culinary powerhouses. 'I feel like the game in India is levelling up,' says Shahzad. 'All boats rise with the tide—and that's exactly what's happening right now.' He believes the country is entering a new phase: 'an era of innovation, as opposed to that era of refinement… For years, we were just focused on making better versions of butter chicken.'
Hunger Inc is actively shaping the next generation of Indian hospitality through initiatives such as Canteen Class and the Canteen Open House. The former began as a series of Saturday afternoon sessions at The Bombay Canteen—later moving online—designed to bridge the gap between academic theory and industry reality. The latter builds on that ethos, bringing together over a thousand attendees for workshops, mentorship sessions, and real-world insights. At the heart of both is a mission, as Seth puts it, to share 'the story of India, of today—the new India.'
Above Summer Menu at The Bombay Canteen
Above Paparazzi cocktail at The Bombay Canteen
When asked about the biggest misconception they hope to challenge, their responses cut deeper than the usual clichés. For Shahzad, it's about freeing Indian cuisine from the narrow definitions imposed on it. 'It's the shackles of authenticity that people put on it,' he says. 'What we're trying to do is open people's minds to the idea of India as a whole.'
Seth adds a vital point about contemporary India's capabilities. 'Come to India, you will find some of the best cheese, some of the best whiskey, some of the best gin. All being made here now,' he says. 'What it means to be an Indian restaurant today isn't limited to using the same ingredients we've relied on for the past hundred years.'
Indian cuisine today is a living, breathing entity, steered by innovators who honour their roots while boldly charting new territory. As Seth points out, much of this heritage remains undocumented, waiting to be uncovered through curiosity and connection. 'The only way you will discover more is to ask more questions and showcase that curiosity,' he says. 'It's only through travel that you'll see—and be inspired by—what the India of tomorrow could be.' For diners across Asia and beyond, embracing that curiosity promises delicious revelations. Mumbai, it seems, is calling.
Above Canteen Class at The Bombay Canteen