CULINARY Magician

HEAD CHEF OF JAPANESE RESTAURANT MIZU IN MUMBAI, LAKHAN JETHANI SPELLS OUT HIS CULINARY JOURNEY FOR THE SINDHIAN

The first time I walked into Mizu in Mumbai was in 2022; a little late to the party. It was the new Japanese restaurant everyone was talking about, and I knew I couldn’t miss out. I’m glad I didn’t, because little did I know that I would be chatting with head chef Lakhan Jethani a few months later, about his career, life, and the journey to setting up his own restaurant.

Hospitality wasn’t a career Lakhan or his family envisioned for him, but some of his fondest memories are of being engrossed in cooking shows as a young boy. Today, with Mizu, Lakhan is exactly where he wanted to be - at the helm of a unique restaurant where he is free to experiment, explore the limits of ingredients, and take traditional flavours to the next level. He does all this with the simple concept of sourcing seasonal Indian ingredients that compliment and accentuate Japanese dishes, bringing forth an interesting balance between these two cuisines. The interplay is almost rhythmic, much like his other creative outlet of music, which he often dabbles in on his harmonica and trumpet.