Inside the World Of Chef Akshay Dutt: Culinary Visionary And Founder Of Restro Solutions
- Delhi Royale
- Jul 2
- 5 min read
Interviewed By Delhi Royale
Edited & Presented By Delhi Royale
Content
Overview | Chef Akshay Dutt, founder of Restro Solutions, shares his culinary journey and business insights
Akshay Dutt
From the bustling lanes of Old Lucknow to the boardrooms of culinary innovation, Chef Akshay Dutt has carved a path that defies convention and celebrates conviction. Founder of Restro Solutions and a passionate revivalist of forgotten flavors, his journey is not just about food, it’s about heritage, humility, and honoring the unseen hands behind every unforgettable experience. In this exclusive interview, Chef Dutt opens up about his early days as a teenage kitchen hand in Lucknow’s legendary eateries, the philosophy behind his ventures, and the deeper meaning of luxury, both on the plate and in the air.
Restaurant Consultant Akshay Dutt
Discover the Flavors of Innovation with Chef Akshay Dutt in Our Exclusive Interview
Can you tell us about your journey into the world of food and how you became a restaurant consultant?
My foray into the world of gastronomy wasn’t born from inherited privilege or predestined legacy, but from a fervent passion that found its roots in the chaotic alleys of Chowk, Old Lucknow. At the tender age of 15, while my peers indulged in summer idleness, I sought thrill in the clandestine—working at legendary establishments like Idris and Mubeen’s, not as a chef-inwaiting, but humbly as a server and a chopping assistant. By 17, I had ventured deeper into the visceral side of culinary science—becoming a butcher. I’ve always believed that one cannot authentically create Lucknowi cuisine without understanding the anatomical elegance of its meats.
Yet, if I must pay homage, then the summit of inspiration is indisputably Late Chef Imtiaz Qureshi —the Emperor of the Kitchen and the architect of Dum Pukht. His technique wasn’t merely about cooking; it was a form of poetry written in steam and spice. Without his guiding light, I daresay, I would never have found my true calling. As I evolved from fire to finesse, I noticed a chasm in the restaurant industry—a gaping void where passion failed to meet process. Restro Solutions was born to fill that very void—to be the compass for culinary ventures navigating chaos.
Corporate Chef Akshay Dutt
What is Restro Solutions and what makes it different from other hospitality consultants in the market?
Restro Solutions, accessible at www.restrosolutions.in, isn’t just a consultancy—it’s a crucible of curated experience, passion, and cultural reverence. We specialize in end-to-end restaurant and hotel consulting, including kitchen planning, beverage curation, menu design, staff training, ambiance engineering, and business structuring. What distinguishes us is not merely our portfolio of 230+ successfully consulted properties across India and abroad, but our ethos.
While others offer templated advice, we offer soulful strategy. Our standardized recipes draw from 150-year-old operational blueprints and use spice blends refined over two centuries. We honour authenticity while bringing in contemporary business models, a blend very few even attempt, let alone master. We fill the vacuum that other consultants have inadvertently ignored—the one where authenticity, profitability, and sustainability meet. We do not merely advise; we build culinary legacies.
Lucknowi Chef Akshay Dutt
Can you share a lesser-known Lucknowi dish that you feel deserves more global recognition?
Absolutely. There are two dishes close to my heart—culinary treasures hidden in time.
1. Kofta-e-Mualla-e-Ajami: A colossal kebab immortalized in manuscripts, this was the prized delight of Hakim Shafa Uddaulah, the physician of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah. Imagine an intricately spiced meatball, lovingly prepared over hours of slow fire, guarded in its method, and rare in its reach. This dish once stood as a centrepiece in the Nawabi dastarkhwan, yet now remains almost mythological in modern kitchens.
2. Mash ki Dal: Less grand in appearance but no less majestic in refinement, this dal—made from arhar—is slow-cooked in dum style. It was so esteemed that entire salaries were dedicated to chefs who perfected it. The Nawabs believed even lentils deserved artistry, and this dish, often lost in the shadow of biryanis, was the epitome of that belief.
Culinary Expert Akshay Dutt
Where do you see the future of Indian hospitality heading, and how is Restro Solutions preparing for it?
The global palate today seeks more than fusion—it seeks integrity. The future of Indian hospitality is one where heritage meets health, where the Hakeem’s healing and the Halwai’s indulgence coalesce. At Restro Solutions, we’re preparing for this future with empirical foundations. Our SOPs are drawn from 150+ years of standardization, integrating 200–300-year-old spice compositions to retain authenticity while introducing modern-day nutritional sensibilities. This is not reinvention; it’s revival with refinement. Sustainability isn’t a buzzword for us—it is a legacy practice.
Culinary Specialist
What was the vision behind Layali Al Warda, and how does it reflect your cultural and aesthetic roots?
Layali Al Warda—our fragrance house (www.layalialwarda.com)—is a love letter to the olfactory traditions of old Lucknow. I grew up in a household where a guest was welcomed not just with food but with fragrance. I remember attars being dabbed on the wrists, bakhoor softly smouldering in corners—it wasn’t hospitality, it was theatre. The idea was to preserve this art. Layali Al Warda supports artisans who craft pure, oil-based fragrances, minimally packaged and profoundly soulful. We are not merely selling scents—we are reviving a forgotten language of welcome. It beautifully aligns with our philosophy: great smell, great taste, and great vitality go hand in hand.
Fragrance Expert Akshay Dutt
What does “luxury” mean to you in both the culinary and fragrance spaces?
Luxury, to me, is not opulence—it is intention. It is not defined by price, but by purpose. When I serve a dish crafted with care, heritage, and health, and when I see the smile it evokes— that moment is luxury. Likewise, a fragrance that evokes memory, that doesn’t shout but whispers familiarity—that is olfactory luxury. True luxury is dignified silence, not blaring statements. It is the unseen effort behind effortless experience.
Akshay Dutt Chef
What advice would you give to young creatives looking to build a brand rooted in heritage?
My sincerest advice: respect time—yours and others’. Honor your craft not with haste, but with humility. And above all, treat money with discipline. It is not merely a means; it is the silent investor in your dreams. Build slowly, build truthfully, and always remember: heritage is not a costume. It is skin it must be worn with care, and lived with conviction.
Chef In India
Chef Akshay Dutt is more than a culinary consultant, he’s a cultural custodian, blending age-old wisdom with modern-day precision. Whether through the strategies of Restro Solutions or the storytelling of Layali Al Warda, his work redefines what it means to build a legacy rooted in authenticity.
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Chef Akshay Dutt Is A Celebrated Restaurant Consultant, Corporate Chef, And Culinary Expert In India. A True Culinary Specialist, Fragrance Expert, And Trained Sommelier, He Blends Tradition With Innovation. Dive Into His Story And Explore At Delhi Royale Luxury Lifestyle Blog https://www.delhiroyale.in/luxury-lifestyle-blog
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