“Every Plate Is a Love Letter”: Chef Hussain Shahzad on Legacy, Loss, and Papa’s Bombay

Chef Hussain Shahzad is the Executive Chef at Hunger Inc. Hospitality, the group behind The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, Veronica’s, and Papa’s. A graduate of WGSHA, Manipal, he honed his skills at Eleven Madison Park in New York and has worked across the USA, Portugal, Turkey, Australia, and Spain.

Mentored by the late-celebrated Chef Floyd Cardoz (Culinary Director at Hunger Inc. Hospitality), Hussain brings his high-energy, globally-influenced, and flavour-forward approach to Indian cuisine. His food marries technique with local inspiration, reimagining traditional flavours in contemporary ways. He continues to push culinary boundaries while mentoring the next generation of chefs.

What is your favourite childhood memory of food? 

One of my favourite childhood food memories is sitting beside my grandmother as she made fresh rotis. She would tear off a warm piece, drizzle it with ghee, add a bit of jaggery, and hand it to me with so much love. It’s the earliest memory I have, and one that will always stay close to my heart.

Did you ever imagine Papa’s would turn into the massive establishment that it has turned into? Or was it always a part of the plan? 

I think anytime you open a new space, the hope is always for it to be successful, no one starts something with the intention for it to fail.

With Papa’s, the vision was always to create something cozy, intimate, and deeply personal. We wanted it to feel warm and welcoming – an experience that felt like a friend’s home rather than a traditional fine dining restaurant. It was, at its heart, our love letter to Chef Floyd.

Of course, with time and the dynamics of demand, it’s grown into something larger than we could have imagined. But even in that growth, we have tried to hold on to the intimacy and intention it began with. Fine dining had become too solemn, and we wanted Papa’s to be everything but that: fine, but without the fuss!

From all the VVIP guests you have hosted, what was an interesting interaction with food you created for one of your VVIP guests? 

At Papa’s, we genuinely do not believe in the idea of VVIPs, every guest who walks through our doors is treated with the same warmth, care, and attention. That’s the philosophy we built this space on. Whether it is someone dining with us for the first time or someone whose name the world knows, the experience we aim to offer remains equally thoughtful and personal.

What inspired you to start Papa’s Bombay—specifically, any inspiration from your personal life? 

Papa’s was born out of something deeply personal. It started as a love letter to Chef Floyd Cardoz, someone who shaped not just how we cook, but how we think about food, hospitality, and creating meaningful experiences.

But beyond that, it was also inspired by a more personal longing to create a space that felt like home. The kind of place where every detail, every dish, every interaction carried intention and care.

Growing up, some of my most special memories were made around the table – with family, with friends, with food that meant something. Papa’s became a way to channel that feeling into a dining experience. It was never about chasing a fine dining label. It was about creating a space that was intimate and warm, where excellence didn’t come with formality, and where storytelling was served alongside the food.

What has been the biggest struggle you have experienced in the food industry? How did you overcome it? 

When I first moved to Bombay, one of the biggest challenges in the food industry was sourcing. Back then, the ecosystem just wasn’t equipped to support the kind of quality and consistency we were striving for. Finding the right ingredients, building reliable supply chains, it was all incredibly difficult.

But over the past 8–10 years, especially after The Bombay Canteen opened, we have seen a huge shift. We have been able to work closely with farmers, producers, and purveyors to build a more dependable and quality-driven network. As we’ve pushed ourselves to raise the bar, the producers have stepped up too. It’s been a truly symbiotic process.

Today, you see incredible cheese mongers, small-batch growers, and speciality suppliers who are just as committed to excellence. Hydroponic farms, heirloom varietals, and region-specific produce are all becoming more accessible, and that has directly elevated the kind of food we can create. It’s proof that when one part of the ecosystem levels up, the whole system benefits.

What does it take for a restaurant to gain so much recognition and carry such a hefty brand name within a short span of operating time? 

It comes down to doing things the right way, doing them with heart, with intention, and with a clear sense of purpose. And then showing up to do that consistently, day after day.

It’s not just about creating great food or a beautiful space, it’s about thoughtfulness in every decision, from the smallest detail to the larger vision. And most importantly, it’s about keeping warm, genuine hospitality at the very core of everything you do.

When that kind of integrity and intention is felt across the entire experience, the recognition tends to follow naturally.

What’s your personal favourite spot to dine in Mumbai? Where do you go when you have an off day from work? 

When I get a rare day off and just want to eat something comforting and deeply satisfying, my go-to spot is Canara Lunch Home. It’s one of those iconic, no-fuss places that has quietly built a loyal following over the years, almost like Mumbai’s best-kept seafood secret.

Tucked away in Fort, it’s not about fancy interiors or trendy plating, it’s about honest, brilliantly cooked food that hits the spot every single time! The flavours are bold, the seafood always fresh, and there’s this unspoken charm to the place that makes you feel like you have stepped into someone’s coastal home kitchen.

It’s places like this that remind you how much soul there is in Mumbai’s food scene – if you know where to look

Can we expect to see any more Papa’s across the globe? 

As of now, there’s nothing in the pipeline–but never say never!

Papa’s was always meant to be something deeply personal and rooted in a very specific feeling: intimate, thoughtful, and grounded in storytelling. So, if we were to ever take it somewhere else in the world, it would have to be in a way that preserves that same spirit and intention – it can’t just be about replicating a space, it has to be about recreating the emotion behind it.