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Wine & Dine
Textual content and Images by Mallika Chandra.
Divesh Aswani, 33
Commis Station
Location: Mahim
Speciality: Baked items, kitchen staples, condiments, confectionery, ice lotions
What led you to begin Commis Station?
I used to be 70 per cent down the road with my analysis and improvement for a restaurant when COVID-19 hit. The one factor that had been left to do was to discover a area. So, a yr after the lockdown, I sort of simply broke the menu down into its fundamental components and determined to take off. The one mannequin that appeared to work on the time was the supply mannequin.
What was the idea of the unique restaurant?
It was going to be a really informal area with no particular theme. A spot the place you could possibly get a very good bowl of pasta, a pleasant noodle soup, a very good roast hen or sandwich.
And was that the sort of meals that you just had been making even earlier than you ventured out by yourself?
I left Mumbai once I was 17 and I had the posh and the chance to coach at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney. Throughout that course, I used to be working part-time. I lived in Australia for 10 years and labored at totally different cafes serving varied cuisines. That’s the place I picked up most of my cooking fashion from. I additionally ate out so much which sort of outlined how I cooked. Australia being a melting pot of cultures, there’s so much on supply by way of meals and that simply opened me up creatively.
In order that variety of delicacies has been carried into Commis Station?
It’s principally what cooks would now outline as trendy Australian delicacies. They’ve taken influences from totally different sorts of cuisines and put it collectively as components on the menu. I like that you would be able to go to a restaurant as a household of 4 the place a toddler might need a noodle soup, the mom may need a sandwich or a salad or a recent pasta and so forth. I needed to create an area the place there’s one thing for everybody, actually.
The title Commis Station itself is a nod to skilled kitchen constructions. An fascinating alternative as an alternative of one thing extra associated to your product. What was the thought there?
There was numerous thought behind the title. Basically, a commis is essentially the most junior individual within the kitchen hierarchy. The primary function that you would be able to apply for within the kitchen is that of a commis and then you definitely climb up the ranks.
Following that hierarchy, the thought was to inform our purchasers and friends that we’re your commis cooks. Everybody was cooking throughout COVID-19, however they didn’t essentially need to make recent noodles or baos or gyoza wrappers. We needed to be the place the place individuals would attain out and say, “I really feel like consuming burgers tonight, what are you able to do for me?” And we’d say, “We are able to ship you the buns, the BBQ sauce, the pickled cucumber, the hand-cut fries and also you simply need to put it collectively.”
In our brand, you’ll see the stripes on the lettering. The stripes resemble these on the aprons that commis cooks would put on again within the day. The commis station is the place all of the mise en place will get finished. So principally, the commis station by no means stops. Even throughout service, they’re doing last-minute prep jobs and ensuring that the kitchen is absolutely able to serve.
Why supply simplified connoisseur? What gaps are you filling?
The concept could be very easy. We use our talent set and supply one thing that can not be simply achieved at dwelling. Folks realized so much about cooking throughout COVID-19, however even then, they wanted to get staples and condiments. In the event you take a look at our sauce vary, we began with one thing acquainted — a Sichuan sauce. Certainly one of our top-selling dips is the Lebanese garlic unfold, which is actually a toum however we add confit garlic to it to present it our twist. All the pieces needed to be elevated, recent and one thing that can not be made or replicated simply at dwelling. It’s a fixed battle to do issues that different individuals aren’t doing.
I used to be stunned to see how quick a time it took for a product to get made out of scratch and get packed within the field.
Sure, however that does backfire generally. For example, individuals wish to eat bagels for breakfast. However we begin our shift at 8 am and by the point it’s prepared, it’s like 10 or 11 am and by the point it reaches them, it’s midday. However you will need to me to create a really comfy work setting for the group. It was tough after we began as a result of we didn’t understand how a lot we might promote. Now we’re virtually sure that we’re going to promote X variety of sauces each week so these could be made in small batches. And we’re fairly vocal concerning the issues that we make in small batches, issues which might be made-to-order, issues that want 48 hours’ discover. It tastes totally different when it’s recent. Versus any fancy restaurant within the metropolis, which can nonetheless be serving parts that didn’t promote the day earlier than.
How did you go about organising your operations and area?
Powerful! It was very powerful. I don’t even need to take into consideration these days. All the pieces that would have gone fallacious went fallacious. You sort of have to simply be prepared for it. We confronted numerous points from licensing to water to the builders not exhibiting up, and we had been constructing throughout COVID-19!
I used to be scouting for offers throughout city as a result of so many locations had been shutting down. So, I used to be looking for a espresso machine from one place, selecting up somebody’s cabinets from one other a part of city, a second-hand oven from some other place. It was simply full-on hustle mode.
But it surely was a labour of affection and clearly we needed to be very cautious with what we spent. I wasn’t certain whether or not this was going to take off. Happily, issues labored out and Commis Station has been rising each by way of the providers we provide and the enterprise that we will tackle.
How do you handle to continue to grow?
It actually helps to have a really sturdy group. My group has supported my selections and backed me up with the lengthy hours, when wanted, or tailored to serving at catering gigs we tackle on the final minute. I attempt to lead by instance. I’m very happy with the truth that I’m at all times the primary one in and the final one out, I’m very hands-on and that’s central in preserving the morale of the group up.
The truth that I communicate to all my prospects and take their orders additionally helps. I really feel that folks have gotten so used to ordering on apps that they’ve forgotten the old-fashioned means of ordering meals by calling a neighborhood restaurant man and asking what was accessible that evening. I’ve this group of choose purchasers who simply randomly decide up the cellphone after they don’t actually really feel like cooking and say, “Are you able to kind me out tonight?” And I feel that’s a really good a part of the enterprise. I’ve constructed very sturdy relationships with my purchasers, a few of whom have even invited me over to their properties for particular events!
It should take time to keep up these sturdy relationships. Do you are taking out time to deal with advertising and social media?
It’s not as nicely deliberate or designed as you might assume it could be. If you’re an entrepreneur and also you’re hands-on and also you’re cooking, managing a group, doing gross sales and speaking to prospects, you simply search for that five-minute hole and also you leap on Instagram and publish no matter is being finished. Typically, I’ll be strolling by a pile of bread and assume that it appears to be like nice. And I’ll publish that. Plenty of it’s simply very spontaneous and really unplanned and I feel that’s what makes it stand out. It’s natural and never staged.
Provided that your providing is a lot about being chef-driven and elevating staples, do you’re feeling just like the enterprise is intently tied to your persona as a chef? How a lot of your self do it’s important to put out on social media relating to creating content material?
In the event you take a look at my profile versus Commis Station’s, I personally have extra followers. However I’m not a chef who’s continuously on social media. It’s not that I’m not a social individual. However I’m not somebody who craves Instagram likes or thinks a lot about hashtags. I observe only a few individuals. For me, being on Instagram for enterprise is sufficient.
What are among the challenges you face as a cloud kitchen?
The hardest half is determining tips on how to get the meals or the product to the shopper in the absolute best means. That’s at all times been the problem and at all times shall be. Some days you possibly can pull off a dessert after which a couple of months later it’s so sizzling that you just can not serve that dessert anymore. There’s numerous science behind cooking, but it surely’s very arduous to convey that to the client.
Additionally it is tough to remain motivated whereas doing the identical factor over and over for years. That’s why I just like the catering facet of the enterprise as a result of it breaks the monotony. We exit, we cook dinner in entrance of individuals and we work together.
Do you are taking day without work?
I don’t. It’s primarily due to work that I journey. I’ve been working with Ishka Farms and producing a condiment vary with them that’s caper-focused. So I journey to Kochi very often as a result of I’ve to be there for the manufacturing a part of it. I really like pop-ups. I do numerous collaborative dinners. As soon as the work is over, I spend an additional day or two for enjoyable and are available again. That’s at all times going to be the posh of being a chef — you possibly can go to any a part of the world and have a job.
How do you keep impressed?
It’s a course of in itself and it truly occurs when there’s a lull. A quiet interval may really feel like one thing is fallacious however normally it’s nothing to fret about. It might simply be a festive weekend or possibly persons are travelling. And so, each time there’s a lull, I exploit the time to create one thing new, publish about it and get eyes again onto Commis Station. An idle thoughts shouldn’t be at all times the satan’s workshop.
A few of your objects, particularly the tiramisu, have a cult following.
It does. I truly received the espresso machine for the kitchen pondering that I’d be this cool man promoting espresso within the compound. That by no means occurred however due to that espresso machine, I began making tiramisu. Life works in mysterious methods. On common, we promote about 150 to 160 kilos of the dessert per thirty days.
What’s the good order from Commis Station?
It’s at all times going to be the tiramisu as a result of that by no means helps you to down and it’s within the sharing format, so everybody’s comfortable. However we will additionally assist you to put a meal collectively, so ordering one thing from the bakery, some sauces, some condiments, some staples, is an efficient option to go. I prefer to encourage individuals to sort of combine and match. Each time somebody requires baos, I’ll additionally recommend ordering the kimchi and sesame. Folks don’t at all times have the knack of placing issues collectively so the proper order would at all times be to take the options of the chef.
Earlier: Kartikeya Ratan and Rishabh Doshi, Kiki & Pastor
Subsequent: Anushka Malkani and Nariman Abdygapparov, Masa Bakery
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