This week we caught up with Chef Dayashankar Sharma, to find out where his early inspiration came from and why he loves cooking at Heritage Dulwich.

Can you tell us what inspired you to become a chef and your journey in becoming a chef?

From an early age I always loved watching my mum cook for the family in our home, and almost all families in India make every meal from scratch, from breakfast to dinner, so there was plenty to see. For me, this was where my early inspiration came from.

For those who haven’t eaten your incredible food at Heritage Dulwich, how would you describe it, and what dishes can guests find on the menu?

The menu at Heritage will take you on a culinary journey. At Heritage, we pay homage to the diverse culinary culture of India, with our menu featuring very old, traditional dishes such as Badal Jam which comes from the Awadh Region in India, which was developed in the royal kitchens. I have reimagined this dish and put my own unique twist on it by recreating it with venison. Our menu also features the classic Murgh Makhani – a butter chicken with flavours of Delhi.

What is the winning dish on the Heritage Dulwich menu, that every guest should try?

All the dishes have been carefully crafted and evenly balanced but If I have to pick one that would be our Heritage Lamb Chops marinated in raw papaya.

Do you have any culinary heroes?

For me, Chef Satish Arora, the highly acclaimed chef in India and around the world is my culinary hero.

Are you working on anything new, that you can spill the beans on? 

We are working on our new Home Dining Concept “Jhakaas” which translates to being “fantastic” in English. It will be launching later this autumn so watch this space!

What is the best piece of advice you would give to an aspiring Chef?

One piece of advice I would give is, don’t count the hours in the kitchen but make the hours count.

If you had a free day in London to do what you want, where would you go?

When I have a rare day off, I spend it exploring London with my wife. We love exploring food markets and Borough market is one of our favourites. We begin there for brunch and later take a bus to Oxford Street. My wife loves shopping and after browsing through many outlets we head down to Chinatown slowly for a good roast duck in the evening and finally head home.