Kaguirong Gonmei’s signature dish is Sweet, Sour and Spicy Roasted Pork Ribeye. And it is always in demand among customers. Kagui and business partner Rocky Peshai have created an intimate, inviting space with soft lighting above the noise and clamour of Safdarjung, South Delhi. Kagui’s Kitchen is located in the back porch of Kagui’s apartment with enough space for three or four tables providing place settings for two at each table. The big table seats four.
Kagui has a day job as a project analyst with an international company. In addition, he is also a well-known singer-songwriter of English and Hindi songs giving performances with his band in the city. Being a foodie has naturally led to his love of cooking and experimenting with new dishes. The question always seemed to be looming, why not turn a well-loved hobby into something more? Why not cook for customers as well? They had no dearth of customers and it was an easy transition by making creative use of the space available. While Rocky is an investing partner in this business, Kagui is the man who puts together new recipes to tantalise their willing customers.
I asked chef Kagui, Is this your dream job? ‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘this is my dream job precisely. I love to cook and would love to do it full time if I could sustain my family financially. However, I enjoy doing both jobs as of now. I don’t have any complaints and I don’t want to be driven by money to plate up good food.’ That was key not only in understanding the pair’s efforts but in a larger aspect, that was key to apprehending how to enjoy life.
This is the big difference between the usual restaurant, serving good food at high prices, and Kagui’s dream space where customers are treated as friends, as part of the family. ‘So far,’ Kagui explains, ‘our customers are pork lovers and they are from the Northeast as well as other parts of India. Occasionally, we get orders for veggies and it’s not a problem because I love experimenting and creating new dishes both veg and non-veg.’ Two friends who had recently visited Kagui’s Kitchen, sent pictures of their meal; the main dish of pork ribs was decorated with fresh green salad and a necklace of pomegranate seeds! It looked refreshing, exciting and unexpected. Could you use pomegranates in a dish? I wondered. Wasn’t it strictly a fruit? I had to ask the master chef.
Kagui’s answer was, ‘Biting into a burst of pomegranate jewels along with some veggies gives a dramatic taste to your palate. I have been writing salad recipes for sometime now and I am not scared to try out a combo of fruits and veggies which usually most people won’t use together.And of course, a touch of basic vinaigrette always elevates the taste of the salad.’
While he is self-taught, he says his mother was one of the inspirations behind his love for cooking. ‘It is all in the technique,’ he says. To highlight this remark, he mentioned that even if he used all the same ingredients as his mother to make her famed pumpkin and pork dish, it never turns out the same as hers. A story many cooks are familiar with.
The two friends are often asked, why are you doing this? One answer was that Kagui wanted to serve his creations and get feedback from people. It was first conceived as a menu-tasting project but since then, the little venture of a backyard dining project has brought in funds needed for buying ingredients for the concept.
‘Our clients are mostly our friends and people who follow us on social media.’
Kagui concludes: ‘Cooking gives me so much joy. I have stopped calling it a stress buster because it is an art where you prepare intentionally and think of the people you are cooking for and exactly how you want your food to taste and look like, just as the artist in his imagination knows how he wants the picture to look on canvas. Cooking is a labor of love and let’s keep it that way.’
Some evening, if you want to be nice to yourself, try Kagui’s Kitchen. It sounds like the kind of place with a touch of class where you can still feel at home and not have to worry about too much cutlery!
Kagui’s tips
Add some salt in the water and bring it to boil and throw in your favorite vegetables like broccoli, snow peas, cabbage, cauliflower etc. Let it boil for a minute, drain and throw them in a pan of ice-cold water for 1 minute to retain the color and its crunchiness. This process will also stop the veggies from cooking further. Drain and serve immediately. I always do this just before serving.
For meat: I think the timing to cook meat is very subjective. It totally depends on what meat you are cooking and how you like to eat them as in rare, medium rare or well done. I always suggest for protein like chicken and pork to be well done, but take care not to overcook or undercook them. Marinating overnight and right seasoning is key to getting your meat right. To roast pork, I usually roast it at 180ºC for 45 minutes to an hour. I would occasionally check the meat and flip sides and if needed, cover it with a foil to prevent it from getting dry or burnt.
