Chef Pawan Bisht on working with Virat Kohli: ‘He never commands or gives strict instructions, only thoughtful ideas and suggestions’

What might seem like just another regular corner of Juhu is actually an iconic spot — it is the bungalow of late legend Kishore Kumar, and now also the location of cricketer Virat Kohli’s intricately and tastefully-curated restaurant, One8 Commune. Quirky yet elegant, made with a lot of culinary prowess and heart, it has been the talk of the town since it opened, and rightfully so. With unique and artic interiors (one of the walls has an lit-up Virat Kohli signature), and scrumptious foods (some that even come from the cricketer’s various travels around the world), Virat’s labour of love has a special, personal touch.
In this exclusive interview with , the Corporate Chef and R&D Executive of One8 Commune, Pawan Bisht, opens up about Virat’s vision for the restaurant, his favourite dishes, and much more. 
Edited excerpts below:
What was Virat’s vision for One8 Commune?
He mainly wanted to create a place that was a community for all. A place where everyone of all ages could come, spend time with each other, and enjoy. Working with Virat sir has helped me a lot as a chef because he travels so much and tries so many different cuisines, and then comes back and gives me special ideas and directions. He loves truffle oil and mushrooms, so that’s how I came up with the truffle and mushroom dim sums (named the ‘mushroom googly dim sums’) that have become a big hit. Similarly, there’s a Peruvian sauce he loves; so we created sliders with that sauce, and people loved that, too. So, he helps us a lot and is very involved in the process.

One8 Commune is now open in Mumbai, Delhi, Pune and Kolkata. (Source: PR handout)
Who designed the menu?
It’s a combined effort of our owners, Virat sir, me, and everyone else involved. Virat sir wanted the menu to have world cuisine, something for everyone. From a small kid to a 60 or 70-year-old, everyone should be able to find something to eat. We have a very interesting dish called ‘Dal Khichdi’, which is ideal and filling for those between 50-70 years. That’s the kind of thought Virat sir and our team put on the menu.
Since Virat is a vegetarian, who tasted non-vegetarian dishes?
Our owners, me, and other people, including the food critics. Every time, before we open a new One8 Commune, we do a sit-down dinner for various people including food critics, and they fill out their comment cards. That’s how we get feedback. We’re very open to learning and improving, always.
How much was Virat involved in the making of the interior and ambience?
He is very much involved in everything. He comes and gives us suggestions regarding what could be changed or added. Right now, we have six outlets. Not a single outlet is the same as another because Virat sir and the owners wanted each outlet to have its own vibe and regional dishes, with flavours specific to the city the outlet is located in. A lot of attention to detail and care goes into creating each outlet.

What are Virat’s favourite dishes at the restaurant?
Avocado tartar, and the mushroom googly dimsums. He absolutely loves them. He loves mushroom and truffle oil individually, so he told me “Chef, why don’t you create a dish with both together?” And then when he tried the dim sums, they were instantly approved. Now many people are fans of them.
What were some other must-haves that he had in mind for the menu?
As I said earlier, he always wanted there to be a lot of options for people. For example, even with desserts, he recommended we add vegan desserts, sugar-free desserts, and healthy desserts. But, he will never straight up command anyone or give orders, he will instead give very thoughtful suggestions and say, “Why don’t you do this?”. He’s a very open-minded, flexible person..so no strict instructions, he gave us creative liberties. However, he always said — food, service and ambience should be bang on. That’s important. No sacrificing that.

What’s next in the pipeline?
We are planning on expanding internationally, very very soon. I am extremely excited about that. We are also expanding more in India. Looking forward to more people getting a taste of One8 Commune and all that we have to offer.
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