Wine & Dine
Textual content and Images by means of Mallika Chandra.
Divesh Aswani, 33
Commis Station
Location: Mahim
Speciality: Baked items, kitchen staples, condiments, confectionery, ice lotions
What led you to start out Commis Station?
I used to be 70 consistent with cent down the road with my analysis and construction for a cafe when COVID-19 hit. The one factor that have been left to do used to be to discover a house. So, a 12 months after the lockdown, I roughly simply broke the menu down into its elementary components and determined to take off. The one type that perceived to paintings on the time used to be the supply type.
What used to be the idea that of the unique eating place?
It used to be going to be an excessively informal house and not using a explicit theme. A spot the place you might want to get a actually excellent bowl of pasta, a pleasing noodle soup, a excellent roast hen or sandwich.
And used to be that the type of meals that you just have been making even prior to you ventured out by yourself?
I left Mumbai when I used to be 17 and I had the posh and the chance to coach at Le Cordon Bleu in Sydney. All through that route, I used to be operating part-time. I lived in Australia for 10 years and labored at other cafes serving quite a lot of cuisines. That’s the place I picked up maximum of my cooking taste from. I additionally ate out so much which roughly outlined how I cooked. Australia being a melting pot of cultures, there’s so much on be offering with regards to 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 other forms of cuisines and put it in combination as components at the menu. I love that you’ll be able to pass to a cafe as a circle of relatives of 4 the place a kid may need a noodle soup, the mummy would possibly need a sandwich or a salad or a contemporary pasta and so forth. I sought after to create an area the place there’s one thing for everybody, actually.
The identify Commis Station itself is a nod to skilled kitchen buildings. A captivating selection as an alternative of one thing extra comparable on your product. What used to be the concept there?
There used to be a large number of concept in the back of the identify. Necessarily, a commis is essentially the most junior individual within the kitchen hierarchy. The primary position that you’ll be able to practice for within the kitchen is that of a commis and you then climb up the ranks.
Following that hierarchy, the theory used to be to inform our purchasers and visitors that we’re your commis cooks. Everybody used to be cooking all through COVID-19, however they didn’t essentially need to make contemporary noodles or baos or gyoza wrappers. We would have liked to be where the place other folks would achieve out and say, “I think like consuming burgers this night, what are you able to do for me?” And we’d say, “We will ship you the buns, the BBQ sauce, the pickled cucumber, the hand-cut fries and also you simply have to place it in combination.”
In our brand, you’ll see the stripes at the lettering. The stripes resemble the ones at the aprons that commis cooks would put on again within the day. The commis station is the place all of the mise en position will get accomplished. So principally, the commis station by no means stops. Even all through provider, they’re doing last-minute prep jobs and ensuring that the kitchen is totally in a position to serve.
Why be offering simplified gourmand? What gaps are you filling?
The speculation may be very easy. We use our talent set and supply one thing that can not be simply completed at house. Folks discovered so much about cooking all through COVID-19, however even then, they had to get staples and condiments. Should you take a look at our sauce vary, we began with one thing acquainted — a Sichuan sauce. One among our top-selling dips is the Lebanese garlic unfold, which is largely a toum however we upload confit garlic to it to present it our twist. The whole lot needed to be increased, contemporary and one thing that can not be made or replicated simply at house. This can be a consistent struggle to do issues that folks aren’t doing.
I used to be shocked to peer how brief a time it took for a product to get comprised of scratch and get packed within the field.
Sure, however that does backfire infrequently. As an example, other folks want to consume bagels for breakfast. However we begin our shift at 8 am and by the point it’s in a position, it’s like 10 or 11 am and by the point it reaches them, it’s midday. However it is very important me to create an excessively comfy paintings surroundings for the staff. It used to be tricky once we began as a result of we didn’t know the way a lot we’d promote. Now we’re virtually positive that we’re going to promote X selection of sauces each week so the ones may also be made in small batches. And we’re fairly vocal in regards to the issues that we make in small batches, issues which are made-to-order, issues that want 48 hours’ understand. It tastes other when it’s contemporary. Versus any fancy eating place within the town, which might nonetheless be serving parts that didn’t promote the day prior to.
How did you pass about putting in your operations and house?
Tricky! It used to be very difficult. I don’t even need to take into accounts the ones days. The whole lot that will have long gone flawed went flawed. You roughly have to only be in a position for it. We confronted a large number of problems from licensing to water to the developers now not appearing up, and we have been construction all through COVID-19!
I used to be scouting for offers throughout the city as a result of such a lot of puts have been shutting down. So, I used to be searching for a espresso system from one position, selecting up any person’s cabinets from any other a part of the city, a second-hand oven from in other places. It used to be simply full-on hustle mode.
However it used to be a labour of affection and clearly we needed to be very cautious with what we spent. I wasn’t positive whether or not this used to be going to take off. Thankfully, issues labored out and Commis Station has been rising each with regards to the services and products we provide and the industry that we will tackle.
How do you set up to continue to grow?
It actually is helping to have an excessively robust staff. My staff has supported my choices and sponsored 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 means of instance. I’m very pleased with the truth that I’m all the time the primary one in and the final one out, I’m very hands-on and that’s central in maintaining the morale of the staff up.
The truth that I talk to all my shoppers and take their orders additionally is helping. I think that individuals have got so used to ordering on apps that they’ve forgotten the old fashioned manner of ordering meals by means of calling a neighborhood eating place man and asking what used to be to be had that night time. I’ve this workforce of make a choice purchasers who simply randomly select up the telephone once they don’t actually really feel like cooking and say, “Are you able to type me out this night?” And I feel that’s a really nice a part of the industry. I’ve constructed very robust relationships with my purchasers, a few of whom have even invited me over to their houses for particular events!
It will have to take time to take care of those robust relationships. Do you are taking out time to concentrate on advertising and social media?
It’s now not as neatly deliberate or designed as you might imagine it will be. Whilst you’re an entrepreneur and also you’re hands-on and also you’re cooking, managing a staff, doing gross sales and speaking to shoppers, you simply search for that five-minute hole and also you bounce on Instagram and publish no matter is being accomplished. Occasionally, I’ll be strolling by means of a pile of bread and suppose that it seems nice. And I’ll publish that. A large number of it’s only very spontaneous and really unplanned and I feel that’s what makes it stand out. It’s natural and now not staged.
For the reason that your providing is such a lot about being chef-driven and raising staples, do you are feeling just like the industry is intently tied on your character as a chef? How a lot of your self do you need to put out on social media in terms of developing content material?
Should you take a look at my profile as opposed to Commis Station’s, I for my part have extra fans. However I’m now not a chef who’s continuously on social media. It’s now not that I’m now not a social individual. However I’m now not any person who craves Instagram likes or thinks a lot about hashtags. I observe only a few other folks. For me, being on Instagram for industry is sufficient.
What are one of the vital demanding situations you face as a cloud kitchen?
The hardest section is determining the way to get the meals or the product to the customer in the most efficient conceivable manner. That’s all the time been the problem and all the time can be. Some days you’ll be able to pull off a dessert after which a couple of months later it’s so sizzling that you can not serve that dessert anymore. There’s a large number of science in the back of cooking, but it surely’s very onerous to put across that to the client.
It’s also tricky to stick motivated whilst doing the similar factor again and again for years. That’s why I just like the catering side of the industry as it breaks the monotony. We pass out, we cook dinner in entrance of other folks and we have interaction.
Do you are taking time without work?
I don’t. It’s basically as a result of paintings that I commute. I’ve been operating with Ishka Farms and generating a condiment vary with them that’s caper-focused. So I commute to Kochi fairly frequently as a result of I should be there for the manufacturing a part of it. I like pop-ups. I do a large number of collaborative dinners. As soon as the paintings is over, I spend an additional day or two for a laugh and are available again. That’s all the time going to be the posh of being a chef — you’ll be able to pass to any a part of the sector and feature a role.
How do you keep impressed?
It’s a procedure in itself and it in fact occurs when there’s a lull. A quiet length would possibly really feel like one thing is flawed however generally it’s not anything to fret about. It will simply be a festive weekend or perhaps persons are travelling. And so, each time there’s a lull, I take advantage of the time to create one thing new, publish about it and get eyes again onto Commis Station. An idle thoughts isn’t all the time the satan’s workshop.
A few of your pieces, particularly the tiramisu, have a cult following.
It does. I in fact were given the espresso system for the kitchen considering that I’d be this cool man promoting espresso within the compound. That by no means took place however as a result of that espresso system, I began making tiramisu. Existence works in mysterious tactics. On moderate, we promote about 150 to 160 pounds of the dessert per thirty days.
What’s the easiest order from Commis Station?
It’s all the time going to be the tiramisu as a result of that by no means permits you to down and it’s within the sharing structure, so everybody’s glad. However we will additionally can help you put a meal in combination, so ordering one thing from the bakery, some sauces, some condiments, some staples, is an effective way to head. I love to inspire other folks to roughly mix ‘n match. On every occasion any person requires baos, I’ll additionally counsel ordering the kimchi and sesame. Folks don’t all the time have the knack of striking issues in combination so the very best order would all the time be to take the tips of the chef.
Earlier: Kartikeya Ratan and Rishabh Doshi, Kiki & Pastor
Subsequent: Anushka Malkani and Nariman Abdygapparov, Masa Bakery
