(April 30, 2026) Coming from a South Indian family, the expectation at Ankish Shetty’s home was clear: become an engineer or a doctor. He followed that path initially, but during his engineering years, he realized he had no real passion for it.
That’s when he discovered cooking, not just as a skill, but as something that challenged and excited him. At the time, he was 24, and starting from scratch seemed like a risky idea when everyone around him already had stable jobs. He went ahead anyway. The risk was worth it.
Ankish went on to work at two Michelin-star restaurants in Switzerland and is currently based in New York, working as a Corporate Executive Chef, bringing an engineer’s precision to the high-stakes environment of the corporate culinary world. “My journey proves that it is never too late to follow your passion. If one is determined to make dreams come true, success comes faster than you think,” smiles Ankish Shetty, in a chat with Global Indian.
Being a chef is not merely a job for Ankish; it is his peace. “When I cook, I give my 100%. Every dish is an artwork that represents a journey I fought hard for,” says Ankish, the youngest corporate executive chef of Indian origin in the US-based company.
Team leader in NY
In his current role as an Executive Chef with Restaurant Associates, managing a corporate dining unit in New York City, Ankish and his team operate at a large scale, preparing meals for anywhere between 100 and 3,000 guests per day.
His role involves leading a team of around 15 staff members, ensuring consistency, quality, and innovation in every service. “The experience has been transformative, especially working in such a diverse and fast-paced culinary environment,” says the chef, who has been in New York for almost three years now.
His work starts at 8 am and goes on till 6 pm, managing both operations and leadership responsibilities. “Leading a team of 15 people while serving thousands of guests daily requires constant focus, planning, and adaptability,” says the chef, whose experience spans Indian, Indo-fusion, Greek, and American cuisines.
At Sodexo
Prior to Restaurant Associates, Ankish served as an Executive Chef at Sodexo, further refining his capabilities in food service.
Building on this experience, Ankish held the role of Executive Sous Chef at Estiatorio Plaka, contributing to the authentic Greek cuisine offered by the Baltimore restaurant.
Earlier, he was also an Executive Sous Chef at Kneads Bakeshop & Café, where he focused on artisan baked goods and catering services.
Diploma from Switzerland
Ankish pursued his culinary diploma at BHMS, Lucerne, Switzerland. This phase was a major turning point in his career. He had the opportunity to work at prestigious properties such as Mandarin Oriental (Geneva) and Grand Hotel Bains Kempinski (St. Moritz).
“These experiences exposed me to world-class standards of hospitality and precision.”
Arab leaders and biryani
He worked at Rasoi by Vineet, a Michelin-star restaurant, where he was a floater chef, handling multiple stations as required. “The pressure in such kitchens is immense.”
One such intense moment was during a plated dinner service for 10 Arab leaders.
In the middle of the rush, he accidentally picked up a hot biryani pot without oven mitts and burned his hand. Despite that, the service had to go on. At the end of the service, every staff member received a tip of 200 Swiss francs.
“I still have that money saved, not as currency, but as proof of belief,” smiles Ankish, who gave those notes to the two most important people in his life, his mother and wife. “For me, that wasn’t money. It was a sign that I would succeed one day.”
Global exposure
The biggest challenges were adapting to a new country like Switzerland, overcoming language barriers, and competing with younger peers while constantly trying to prove himself. “There was a strong internal drive to grow fast and reach the top.”
This global exposure deeply influences his work today. “It helped me transition from fine dining into large-scale corporate dining, where I now apply the same standards of quality and precision, but at a much larger scale.”
Across all of his global experiences, two lessons stayed consistent: precision matters at every level, and consistency is a form of respect, both for the guest and the cuisine. “Indian cuisine, in particular, carries depth, emotion, and expectation. That makes it powerful, but also challenging when adapting it to modern dining environments.”
Mangalorean family
Born on December 16, 1993, in Mumbai, Ankish comes from a culturally rich and deeply rooted Mangalorean family where food is not just nourishment, it is emotion, identity, and a way of expressing love.
His father was a music composer in Bollywood and had the opportunity to work with some of the most legendary music directors in the industry. “Growing up around creativity influenced me deeply, even though I didn’t realize it at the time.”
Inspiration
His mother was a homemaker and remains his biggest inspiration. “Her warmth, discipline, and unconditional support shaped who I am today,” says Ankish, who studied at St. Xavier’s School and later pursued engineering at SDM Dharwad.
Academically, he was an average student, not at the top, but always engaged. “I was very active outside the classroom, played football and badminton,” says Ankish, who led a dance team and organized flash mobs during engineering, which gave him confidence and leadership skills.
At that stage, he never imagined he would become a chef in New York City. “My life was following a conventional path, and cooking was nowhere near a defined career goal.”
Chef Ankish with colleagues
Turning point
His journey into cooking started organically. “My first and most loved dish is Mangalorean ghee roast. It connects me to my roots and represents bold, unapologetic flavors.”
The biggest turning point in his journey was his wife. “At that time, she was my girlfriend, and she saw something in me that I couldn’t see myself. She pushed me toward cooking and believed I could succeed.”
Extra garlic
One incident that stayed with Ankish happened when he was working as a sous chef. He prepared a fried rice and soy-based garlic gravy order with extra garlic, as the kitchen wasn’t busy.
Later, he realized the order was supposed to be Jain (no garlic), but the server had forgotten to mention it. “We were terrified, expecting a major issue. Instead, the customer called to say it was the best fried rice he had ever eaten and asked us to pack more for home,” recalls Ankish. That moment made him question whether it was his skill or the customer’s first experience with garlic.
Engineering helps in cooking
Ankish’s engineering background still influences how he works as a chef today. “When I moved fully into the culinary world, I carried that mindset with me. Creativity matters, but structure is what allows creativity to survive at scale.”
Engineering taught him how to break complex problems into systems, design for repeatability, and measure outcomes, not just effort.
Philosophy as a chef
Ankish’s focus as a chef is balance, bringing together flavor, creativity, and structure. “My style is Indian fusion, where I aim to combine the best of two worlds without destroying the authenticity of either.”
It’s not about mixing randomly, he says, but about respecting both cuisines.
Some of his signature dishes include Butter Chicken Bites with Butter Sauce, Pinwheel Deep Dish Pizza Curry, Twist Pasta Aglio Olio, and Bombay Masala Sliders.
Comforting food
Ankish enjoys simple, comforting food. “On most days, I eat Indian street-style sandwiches, chicken mayo, chutney cheese, or cottage cheese open sandwiches,” says the chef, whose ultimate comfort food is dal rice with chicken sukka.
Ingredient sourcing
He prefers sourcing fresh produce locally, especially from farmers’ markets. “For meats and certain seafood, I rely on specialized imports.” He particularly enjoys working with curry leaves and dry coconut flakes, which bring depth, aroma, and a strong connection to his roots.
Making India proud
Ankish says Indian food has global recognition, but its role in corporate dining and large-format service is still evolving.
The opportunity lies in translating bold flavors into scalable formats, preserving authenticity while improving accessibility, and designing menus that work operationally, not just conceptually. “Much of my work now centers on reimagining Indian flavors for modern dining contexts, without stripping them of meaning or depth,” says the chef, whose goal is to bring fine-dining-quality Indian fusion food into scalable environments like corporate dining.
He wants to challenge the perception that Indian cuisine is limited to curries and cannot be innovative, aiming to create a space where Indian food is seen as modern, versatile, and globally competitive. “Ultimately, I want to make India proud in spaces where Indian chefs are still underrepresented.”
Beyond the kitchen
Outside the kitchen, Ankish is a big fan of Formula 1. “If I weren’t a chef, I would definitely want to be an F1 driver in another life,” smiles Ankish, who also enjoys playing badminton and experimenting with high-protein vegetarian recipes.
For Ankish Shetty, the journey has never followed a straight line. It has unfolded as a series of recalibrations, each one reshaping direction without disconnecting from what came before.
- Follow Chef Ankish Shetty on LinkedIn
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