(September 14, 2025) An izakaya—Japan’s version of a laid-back pub is all about small plates, inventive drinks, and a buzz of friendly chatter. With JSan, Chef Vishesh Jawarani brings that tradition to Goa, blending Japanese culinary energy with the state’s famously unhurried susegad philosophy of relaxed contentment and easygoing living. “Goa teaches you to slow down and savour the moment,” Vishesh tells Global Indian. “That sense of calm is exactly what I wanted JSan to capture while still celebrating the intensity of Japanese flavours,”
With a master’s at Cleveland State University, and professional culinary training at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in New York, he now distills global lessons from Michelin-starred kitchens into a distinctly Goan experience.
JSan Goa
Early goals, unexpected detours
Born and raised in New Delhi, Vishesh went to the all-boys St Columba’s school. Always an athlete with a fierce hunger to win, he once dreamed of becoming a professional footballer and even played nationals before realizing the skill gap between players from Europe and India. “So not knowing what to do, I decided to pursue an undergraduate degree in business at Indiana University. I was there for two years, then decided to leave due to some personal issues; I came back to India and pursued a BBA degree from Amity University,” he reminisces. After that he earned a master’s in business from Cleveland State University and worked for a couple of years.
A stint with Sandeep Arora at Spiritual Luxury Living as a whisky ambassador and sommelier revealed a deeper passion. “I knew that I needed to pursue my passion for food,” he recalls, enrolling soon after at the Culinary Institute of America in New York. “The most important thing I learnt while studying abroad is networking; the ability to talk and connect with people is one of the few things you must learn as you are living abroad all alone. The other thing I learnt is how to approach things with a systematic approach. Operations, which is a very important part of any business, is what I learnt about at CIA and working in different kitchens,” he mentions.
Sharpening knives and skills
After graduating from CIA , Vishesh set out to refine his craft with externships at Daniel, Jungsik, Atomix, and Jean-Georges, followed by professional stints at Atoboy and Mari. He returned to India in 2024 and launched JSan. The name fuses the “J” from his surname with “san,” the Japanese honorific of respect.
“What makes it so unique is the entire setting of how it’s unlike what an izakaya space generally is, but the entire food aspect is that of an izakaya. An izakaya in general is a small setup of 20-30 seats, with a high-energy and high-intensity space, whereas JSan is the absolute opposite. It’s slow and embodies the Goan susegad vibe.”
Chef Vishesh Jawarani
Lessons from the Michelin frontlines
Working in New York’s Michelin-starred restaurants became his finishing school. “My experience working at such restaurants was nothing short of amazing. Every restaurant I worked at taught me something important about the hospitality industry,” he says. At Daniel he absorbed traditional French techniques and the art of customer experience, learning how front-of-house excellence defines success. Atoboy provided an intense kitchen baptism—“we were doing 150 covers in four hours with four-line cooks doing all the cooking”—that taught him to work hard, fast, and clean. Mari immersed him in open-kitchen interactions, showing how direct engagement with diners can transform a meal into an experience. “Each different kitchen taught me everything I know about cooking today and has greatly affected everything we do at JSan.”
Gaining different perspectives
Vishesh believes that living abroad gives us the chance to build new experiences, broaden network, and see the world through different perspectives, something that’s invaluable in today’s increasingly connected world. “As a chef, having studied and lived in the US, carrying my Indian heritage, and cultivating a strong appreciation for Japanese cuisine and culture, I look at being a global citizen as the ability to channel these diverse influences into food that resonates with both Indian and international audiences,” he says.
He notes sharp contrasts between kitchens in India and the U.S. “Working in kitchens in New York was very different. People didn’t take to cooking as just a job. They did it for the love of it; it was considered an art. Everyone followed systems and took pride in their work. They held themselves accountable for mistakes and worked hard on getting better. Whereas in India we are starting to notice these small changes in the industry, but we are still way behind western kitchens in terms of management, discipline and just taking accountability for your work. The other major difference that I saw, which is worth pointing out, is service standards. I feel India is still lacking in that department, although the past few years have seen a change in that scenario.”
Failures, fortitude, and fresh ambitions
After a failed attempt to open a restaurant with a friend in Kolkata in 2015, Vishesh learned resilience the hard way. “Give it all you have. You will have to give it more than 100 percent. Be patient and keep working hard. Success, recognition, and money will follow, and hard work will eventually pay off. Finally, be humble, especially in success. A little humility goes a long way,” he advises.
Recognition from diners now fuels his motivation. “To hear feedback regarding the service we are providing gives me great motivation because I am trying to change the service standards at JSan. Having only worked at Michelin, I recognise what’s lacking in service standards in India, and I am trying my level best to change it. Hence, it motivates me when people recognise that effort,” he says. A life lesson he wants to share is to never quit. “I had a late start in knowing what I wanted to do in life, but the minute I figured it out, the clarity I had was intense. It was a feeling that I had never experienced before about my career. I knew exactly what I wanted to do and what I had to do to achieve that goal, and a couple of years down, I have done exactly that,” he remarks.
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The road ahead
For now, Chef Vishesh Jawarani’s complete focus is on making JSan Goa a strong success story, with plans to bring the brand to a major city while also exploring a few other concepts. Looking ahead, his dream project is a restaurant built around a tasting menu—“one that allows me to showcase everything I’ve absorbed from working at Michelin-starred restaurants, along with my travels and experiences. That remains the long-term vision,” he signs off.
Also Read: From France to Bengaluru: Chef Vivek Salunkhe brings his culinary magic to Crackle
