Get to know… Saransh Goila
Currently I am: Working on launching Goila Butter Chicken in a soccer club in London. Saransh Goila's high point in life was feeding his butter chicken to David Beckham.
High point in life: A pop-up in Melbourne, where I served 1,500 people in 15 days, and being invited to MasterChef Australia S10 as a guest judge.
Low point in life: When my brand almost shut down in the pandemic.
On my playlist: Life without Fantasies, by Neon Dreams; Little Light, by Gabrielle Aplin; Birds of A Feather, by Billie Eilish.
Today I'm craving: Sindhi kadhi and matar pulao.
Last thing I ordered online: Kolkata-style chicken biryani. Sprawling mansions don't float Goila's boat. (ADOBE STOCK)
One thing I would never buy: A big home.
App I check before bed: WhatsApp.
Advice I'd give my 18-year-old self: Have more fun, Saransh!
My favourite subject in school: Theatre and arts. I have always been passionate about theatre and trained under director Barry John.
I'd swipe right on: My girlfriend, and if it's food, then gulab jamun.
My secret skill: I write good film reviews.
A superpower I wish I had: To be able to make someone happy with the snap of my fingers.
My favourite Sunday memory: Cooking with grandpa, who was a passionate cook. In Delhi winter, he would make pahadi dum aloo, grinding masalas and adding lots of ghee! It's a special dish that reminds me of him.
My plans for next Sunday: Attending an engagement party.
My most star-struck moment: Meeting David Beckham, and feeding him Goila Butter Chicken.
My favourite bad habit: Ordering a late-night chocolate cake or tiramisu from The Pastry Journal in Andheri, Mumbai, and enjoying the leftovers the next day.
If I could travel back or forward in time: I'd rewind and pursue the acting role that I refused.
The best thing about fame: You get fed well no matter where you go, and you can change people's perceptions. My own mission is to make people around the world understand the depth and diversity of Indian cuisine.
The worst thing about fame: People expect you to be perfect at all times. That's a lot of responsibility, and the leeway for making mistakes is very slim.
From HT Brunch, June 28, 2025
Follow us on www.instagram.com/htbrunch
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
News18
28 minutes ago
- News18
Bengaluru Man's Post On How Speaking Local Language Changes Everything Is Viral
Last Updated: An entrepreneur revealed how people often assume he is from North Indian, partly due to his upbringing and skin tone. An entrepreneur shared a personal experience that struck a chord online. Raised in North India and speaking with a Hindi accent, Srijan R Shetty said people often assume he's a North Indian, partly due to his upbringing and skin tone. However, when he speaks Kannada, especially with a Mangalorean-style accent, the response from locals becomes noticeably warmer and more welcoming. His post on X (formerly Twitter) comes amid broader conversations about cultural connections and everyday interactions in Bengaluru. 'Every time, I start speaking in Kannada with a stranger, I'm met with eyes full of surprise and joy," Shetty said. He further wrote, 'The conversation is joyous, and there is always a question of how I manage to pick up Kannada. Once they realise I'm one of their own, it's funny about how my diction is a bit off, and maybe it's because I'm Mangalorean. They usually say this to not embarrass me because my diction isn't perfect," he added. He also explained that while there are political issues related to language and identity, most people in Bengaluru are welcoming. 'Yes, there's a narrative that some locals feel left out of the city's rapid growth," he acknowledged. 'But I've found that very few will force you to speak Kannada. On the contrary, even small efforts are met with kindness and inclusion," he said. Shetty added that Kannada has many regional versions, and some, especially those influenced by Konkani, can be difficult to follow. Still, he believes what matters most is the willingness to try. 'People recognise effort," he added. 'In my experience, if you try to speak the language, you're often treated like one of their own." He ended his post with a light-hearted line: 'P.S.: In my books, if you have supported RCB through their bad times, you are Bangalorean enough." Posted on June 26, the post has received over 9,000 views and has resonated with many users. A user commented, 'Totally relatable. I'm a Tulu-speaking Mangalorean, born in Dubai, lived in the US, and now settled in Bangalore. And yes, I'm a Shetty too." Another user said, 'In my city, if I speak in Kannada, people reply back in Hindi 50 per cent of the time. In Bangalore, people reply back in English for 10 per cent of the time. No surprise or no poor dialect, got the most fun dialect (UK). Just that peeps want to make you comfortable, so they switch languages." Few responded with playful comments, teasing Shetty: 'Nice try, Srijan from Delhi." Just like Srijan R Shetty's post on speaking Kannada struck a chord online, another story is winning hearts; a Tibetan man's heartfelt message about embracing the local language. Watch the video here: After drinking Kaveri water you speak Kannada automatically. This statement is not true for our fellow North Indians. #StopHindiImposition. — Dr Prisha Sargam (@PrishaSargam) June 14, 2025 In a vox pop-style video, the young man speaks fluent Kannada and talks about how deeply connected he feels to the language. His respect for Kannada and his smooth command over it have earned him a wave of appreciation from people across platforms.
Indian Express
2 hours ago
- Indian Express
Nostalgia on a plate: Calcutta's must-try dishes, iconic spots and hidden gems
There is a certain charm to going back to the city you grew up in, even if it seems stuck in time. Maybe that's the charm. Anyone who is from Calcutta will vouch for this. It's a city where time appears to have paused. The people are the same, the restaurants are the same, and the city looks the same. The streets look untouched by the wave of glass-and-steel modernity that has swept through other metros. And if you hang out with the right people, it's one of the few cities in which you feel people actually enjoy the simpler and finer things in life – reading, talking to each other, playing cards, meeting over a cup of tea or a glass of Bloody Mary. I spent a long weekend in my hometown last week and returned 2.5 kgs heavier, a 500 gm gain per day. I owe this to Calcutta's legendary country clubs, whose menus have stood the test of time, and to its restaurants steeped in history and carpet dust. There's a Chinatown (Tangra) that serves authentic Hakka cuisine – I've been going there since I was five – and a pastry shop that could put some of the finest bakeries in Paris to shame, given that it has been churning out soft buttery cakes, truffle pastries and fruit tarts since 1985. So, what would my dream gastronomical holiday in Calcutta look like? Let's start with chicken biryani and mutton chaap at Shiraz in Park Circus. Founded in 1941, Shiraz makes the most delectable Kolkata-style biryani – very similar to Lucknowi biryani – that's light, aromatic and always comes with a large potato cooked in the meat stock, a boiled egg, and perfectly spiced rice. The chaap, unique to Calcutta, is a slow-cooked, spiced mutton or chicken in thick gravy, always served with biryani. And if you're feeling truly gluttonous, I'd recommend the rezala –– a sublimely cooked chicken or meat in a white gravy, lightly spiced with a dry red chili. For context, a plate of special chicken biryani (two pieces of chicken, a boiled egg, a potato and enough rice to feed three people) and one mutton chaap will cost you about Rs 900, including taxes. If you are not too finicky, stop for phuchka on Russell Street or Ballygunge. Phuchka is the more refined sister of paani puri or gol gappas: mashed spicy potato laced with roasted masalas, green chillies and coriander, served with a tamarind-spiced water (with a mild touch of bacteria). Don't forget alu kabli – sliced potatoes mixed with tamarind pulp, chillies and masalas – that will clear your sinuses in seconds. You won't find it anywhere else. A visit to Calcutta is incomplete without a meal at Mocambo, which has been around since 1956. Its low hanging red-cloth lamps, white tablecloths, red leather chairs, and waiters – or 'bearers,' as they're called here – in full regalia are all throwbacks to another era. You go for the nostalgia – prawn cocktail, stuffed crab, tetrazzini, baked Alaska – washed down with a Tom Collins or Screwdriver priced around Rs 200. Regulars like me complain that the food isn't what it used to be. And yet, we return. If you don't get a table there, you can always go to The Other Room at the other end of Park Street which has the same décor, same menu and same prices. If you're lucky, try and get a member to take you for a meal to one of the many country clubs in the city. Go have a cold coffee or Bloody Mary and fish fingers while looking out at the greens at The Tollygunge Club. Or beer and Chinese food or the steak with a fried egg at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, you might even get to see a football or cricket match. And if you can, go have some Chinese food at the Bengal Club. Yes, many of us Calcuttans are spoilt because of our club memberships, but rather than complain, get yourself signed in and share the joy. I don't usually eat Bengali food outside when I'm home, but if you're looking for a traditional spread, try Kewpies or 6 Ballygunge Place. The former is my pick. For Calcutta Chinese, head to Golden Joy, Beijing, or Kafulok in Tangra, the city's Chinatown. These aren't fine-dining restaurants, but they're clean, air-conditioned, and serve food that defines the genre: rice noodles, lemon chicken, roast chilli pork, fried rice, Thai soup (which has nothing to do with Thailand). Chinatown which spreads over to Tiretti Bazaar and Tangra also house two iconic sauce factories in India – Pou Chong and Sing Cheung – legends in their own right. End your day with a pastry from Kookie Jar. Not Flurys. Not Kathleen. Kookie Jar opened next to my school in 1985, and to this day offers the finest truffle pastries, lemon tarts, black forest cakes, and nutty corners. In fact, the Ambanis served their cakes at the most recent big fat Indian wedding. You would really be missing something if you didn't try their creations. If your heart beats for Bengali sweets, stop by any neighbourhood mishti shop. All the sweets are made fresh each morning, and the variety is unmatched. It might also explain the beautiful physiques of most Bengali men and women. If you want to get fancy, go to Balaram Mullick or KC Das. And then, as any true Bengali will tell you, complete your day with a swig of Carmozyme or Gelusil. I can lay an educated guess that the sales of digestive liquids or tablets like Unienzyme are unsurpassed by any other city. Author of The Sweet Kitchen, and chef-owner of Food For Thought Catering ... Read More
NDTV
3 hours ago
- NDTV
Brad Pitt's $5.5 Million Los Angeles Home "Ransacked" By 3 Thieves
Hollywood actor Brad Pitt's house in Los Angeles has been "ransacked" by three thieves, the law enforcement department has said. The Los Angeles Police received information about the burglary at around 10:30 pm on Wednesday at Mr Pitt's Los Feliz residence. The actor was reportedly not at home at the time of the incident. Three unidentified men allegedly scaled the front gate, broke in through a window and "ransacked" the 61-year-old's property, according to the New York Post. Officials have not yet disclosed the number of items stolen or their total value. The police initially did not reveal the identity of the owner, but the address matched to actor's residence. Mr Pitt was on a promotional tour to London for the premiere of his movie "F1", which was released in theatres on Friday. Mr Pitt reportedly bought the 2,092 square foot property, known as "The Steel House," for $5.5 million in 2023. It is built in an L-shaped floor plan with three bedrooms, two bathrooms and is designed in a minimalist style from the 1960s. It is outfitted with solar panels, an expansive outdoor pool and a built-in sauna, among other luxuries. The property has coloured Persian-style rugs on creamy terrazzo floors, diamond chairs on the patio, a plush blue velvet sofa in the living room and classic furniture pieces. Last month, a man was arrested for crashing his car through the front gate of Mr Pitt's ex-wife and actor Jennifer Aniston's home in Los Angeles. The man, a Mississippi resident, was charged with vandalism and stalking. This year, thieves also broke into the Los Angeles residence of musician Keith Urban and Hollywood actress Nicole Kidman.
