Chef Dhruv Oberoi On His Tryst With Spain And A Remarkable Cooking Journey

Nothing punctuates a winter afternoon in Delhi better than basking in the shade of an old Banyan tree and biting into an unlimited supply of Chilean cherries brought to the capital from Chile.

And such was my Tuesday evening at Olive Bar & Kitchen. The highlight was a lunch cooked by the incredible chef Dhruv Oberoi amidst the beautiful premises. As the evening slowly settled in, Chef Oberoi served us a specially curated cherry-filled menu. Everything, from the appetisers to the mains, despite being savoury, starred a distinct taste of this ripe, unbelievably sweet fruit.

Chef Oberoi, currently the executive chef at Olive—one of Delhi’s most-loved and sought-after restaurants—has been with the group for 20 years. He started as a management trainee in February 2006. For anyone who has heard of, been to, or is an Olive regular, it’s a common experience to feel like you’ve been transported far into the narrow lanes of Milan or Solentino.

Today, Chef Oberoi leads with his unique culinary language, techniques, and experiences. His experience of working in Spain, learning under acclaimed chefs, and witnessing Olive become a household name has enriched his journey. “The journey has been about finding myself, my style, and accepting and celebrating the changes as I go through it,” said the Chef.

Talking about the Chilean cherries’ menu that he put together in less than a week, he explained that the idea was to give cherries a savoury twist and not restrict them to dishes with a sweeter profile or desserts.  “After a lot of back and forth, we picked five to six recipes with strong Spanish and French influences and ran many trials with them,” he added.

Some highlights from the menu included the Bhavnagiri chilli rellenos with almond ricotta and goat’s horn chilli merken cherry romesco, and the cherry ceviche with leche de tigre—a zesty, spicy, milky marinade from Peruvian ceviche.

Recounting his journey, Chef Oberoi mentioned that his time in Spain shaped his approach to cooking in more ways than one. “Working at 41 Degrees Experience—now Enigma—under Albert Adrià and the former El Bulli team was an eye-opener,” he said. It not only changed how he looked at a cuisine but also his relationship with ingredients, the kitchen, flavours, and textures.

One of the most remarkable lessons Spain taught him was the importance of flexibility and understanding ingredients. “Cooking there taught me that recipes are never fixed formulas but the interaction of ingredients. One could do a recipe in many ways, but the trick is to understand the behaviour of ingredients,” Chef Oberoi said. This technique-driven approach, one that prioritises function over form, remains with him even now. It shapes how he adapts and creates dishes across cuisines.

The similarity between Spanish and Indian food cultures and flavours surprised him. When I asked him about the prominent differences between the two cuisines, he exclaimed that he was more shocked to find how similar they were.

The use of chickpeas stood out—Spanish chickpea stews with chorizo reminded him of home despite different spices. “Of course, nothing can come close to our chhole kulche and chhole rice, but they use chickpeas too,” the executive chef laughed.

Talking about the key difference between the two cuisines, he mentioned that Spaniards eat everything spicy, much like Indians, while allowing each ingredient to shine with its own flavours. It’s a contrast he recalls when he talks about how over-spicing of Indian food can make the main ingredient get lost.

Currently, Chef Oberoi is working at Bengaluru’s The Hood, a restaurant featuring a rotating menu that spotlights one world region at a time. Reflecting on his experience, he is particularly impressed by the city’s diners, describing them as equal parts curious and adventurous. “They ask questions, show interest, are more informed, and want to explore newer cuisines,” he added.

This stands in contrast to the Delhi diner, as Oberoi was met in Bengaluru by an audience more experimental and risk-taking. This shift has allowed him to push his boundaries, play around with ingredients, and cook more freely. “The city enjoys a food culture that dares to try, reject, and try again,” he added. While restaurants may open and close quickly here, the willingness to take risks remains constant, and that’s what excites him.

Because of this openness, Oberoi notes that dishes he wouldn’t even dare to attempt in Delhi are not only possible here, but actively demanded and loved. Paired with this is a curious diner who gives feedback and values the chef’s craft.

As Chef Oberoi prepares to welcome newer, quainter, and lesser-known neighbourhoods into The Hood, one thing remains clear. His food is only going to grow, branch out, and span across all that he experiences. At the end of the day, it’s really all about loving and having fun with what you make and what you do, which is what drives the chef to keep learning.