For Chef Deepinder Sondhi, food has always been more than nourishment, it has been a way of experiencing the world. Born in India and raised across the country thanks to his father’s Air Force postings, he grew up immersed in the astonishing breadth of India’s culinary traditions. Today, as the Executive Chef and Co-Founder of Roz Ana, he brings those regional influences to life through an ever-evolving menu that celebrates authenticity, creativity, and memory.
Q: Can you share a bit about your early culinary journey? Where did it all begin for you?
Deepinder: I was born in India and because my father was in the Air Force, we moved every three years. That meant new schools, new friends, and importantly, new food. Lunchtimes were full of discovery; everyone brought their own dishes, and we would swap! It was the best kind of education.
Growing up in what is now Chennai and previously Madras, I was surrounded by South Indian cuisine. We ate out often, tried everything, and those flavours stayed with me. Eventually, I studied hotel management in Delhi. During my training, I realised I was happiest in the kitchen. You learn more in a working kitchen than any classroom. What you love, what speaks to you, and how food can connect people. That’s when I knew this was my path.
In 1997, I moved to London to help establish a new concept in place of Gaylord in Mayfair, called Chor Bizarre. One year turned into more than a decade in central London kitchens.
Q: Did you have a favourite region of Indian cuisine growing up?
Deepinder: My favourite food was always my mums. Her cooking blended both Northern and Southern cuisines. It’s the nostalgia as much as the flavours, those warm, familiar aromas you never forget.
Q: What brought you to Roz Ana?
Deepinder: I’ve always loved opening new restaurants, and in fact I’ve launched four or five over the years. When I met Oni, it felt like the right partnership and the right moment. Together, we opened Roz Ana with a shared vision for bringing true regional Indian cooking to our guests, in a comfortable, stylish, but family friendly environment. Oni has a lot of fun choosing our wines, working on our cocktails with the bar guys and focuses on our marketing challenges.
Q: When designing your menus, what ingredients or flavours do you find yourself drawn to?
Deepinder: Indian cuisine is incredibly diverse; the terrain, culture, climate, and history all influence the food. At Roz Ana, we lean into regionality. Every month we create a new small menu inspired by a different part of India, and many diners come especially for that. It keeps us creative, and it keeps the food honest.
Q: Which region will you be exploring next?
Deepinder: The next menu highlights the cuisine of the Syrian Christian community in Kerala. They use ingredients like coconut, curry leaves, cinnamon, black pepper, and garam masala. Their beef dishes are deeply aromatic and rooted in centuries of history. It’s a beautiful, lesser-known tradition.
Q: Where do you find inspiration for new dishes?
Deepinder: Anywhere and everywhere! A conversation with a friend, travelling, tasting a dish in a small restaurant, or remembering something from childhood. Inspiration appears in unexpected places.
Q: How do you feel about blending traditional Indian dishes with more modern techniques or ingredients?
Deepinder: I believe in staying true to flavour but being open to the best local ingredients. For example, Scottish scallops are outstanding, but you don’t come across many in India! It’s amazing at Roz Ana to fuse together Indian flavours with incredible local ingredients. Good food doesn’t need to be complicated; it just needs proper seasoning and balance. Indian food doesn’t need to be greasy or overly spicy, it should be delicious, light, and memorable.
Q: Finally, what is your favourite dish on the Roz Ana menu?
Deepinder: The Dhabe da Goat. My father loved cooking and made incredible goat curry. We eat a lot of goat in India, and this dish takes me straight back home. It means a lot to see our guests enjoying it just as much as I do.
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