Meet Sundeep Vohra | Chef and Restaurant Owner

We had the good fortune of connecting with Sundeep Vohra and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Sundeep, do you have any habits that you feel contribute to your effectiveness?
There are so many different habits I have formed over the years, but the number one habit that runs my day to day life is using my notebook at the start of my day. My notebook is everything….Every. morning when I wake up, I make my morning tea and sit down with my notebook and jot down everything that needs to be accomplished for the day. My notebook is this running To-Do list that never ends, and sometimes here and there a blank page will come around which means I have completed every task I set out to do. Whether that is for the day, the week, or the month; everything I want to accomplish goes down in the notebook. It is the only way I can track not only my progress but my successes as well. Sometimes the lists are so long that it you never see an end in sight. But even if they do not get accomplished, it reminds me to move the objectives to the next day. Sometimes we are too busy thinking about the bigger picture, but its these small accomplishments that remind me that I am going in the right direction. The moral of the story here is that small wins always lead to the big ones. Yeah I know that maybe people use apps or make these things digital, but having that paper in my hand and being able to flip through the notebook at anytime, reminds me of where I started and where I am it in a given mindset. Plus it also allows me to look back on what my mind was thinking years ago when I pull out old ones. Now back to the earlier statement of when the blank page comes around…This is usually the signal that there is more to do. Think outside the box and find more ways to push yourself to be better.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Well, I have not always been a chef by profession. I feel like I just have always been a student in some way or another. I have an Associates in Biology, an Associates in Psychology, a Bachelors in Business Marketing, and finally I went after my true passion which was the Culinary Arts back when I was 28 yrs old.. With all of these in mind as well as a quick year in Finance, I realized when I was younger that all I wanted to do was cook. I have definitely been around the block.

Starting off in my career in culinary was definitely a challenge. Back than if you did not have experience, than no one was really ready to hire you. While in culinary school I was working for free but when I would apply for a kitchen job, generally I was told I did not have enough experience. At a certain point I went ahead and said all the nightmarish things just to get the job, but I meant all of them. I had told one chef that I was ready to scrub the floors with a tooth brush just so he would give me a chance so I could show my work ethic. If he didn’t like me after one shift, than I would leave and not return. Well guess what, I got the job. From there I became the sous chef and than Executive Chef in one year. Hard work does pay off too, its not only about working smart.

Along the way I began to realize who I was as a professional. I always was more interested in the “why” something works or happens, versus just making food and following recipes. The biology background of understanding how something works started to kick in and my brain was hungry for more information. Every recipe I make stands out above the rest. When people say that the food was made with “love”, I find that my interpretation of that is “I have spent 2 weeks perfecting this recipe and now I am ready to share it with everyone”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Usually when I have family or friends visit us here in Houston I am eager to take them to places that highlight our great city. Our food scene is very diverse, as Houston is the most diverse city in the country. I believe the only type of cuisine that does not exist is Russian. Other than that, you can find almost anything. Food is part of our normal culture here. So first thing is usually to hit up some of the best places in town for food while going out and seeing the city. Some of the foodie spots to hit is first one of the best Croissants I have ever had at Magnol Bakery, and than for lunch I would definitely take them down to Bellaire to experience some phenomenal Sichuan cuisine and dim sum. Bellaire has a lot of asian food whether chinese or vietnamese but sichuan is usually what I go down there for. To finish it off while in Bellaire, I have to hit up Linda’s Tropical fruits. They make the freshest fruit smoothies using tropical fruits from Vietnam and Asia. The mango smoothie is the most simplest and tasty thing I have ever had in Houston. And to be honest, it is the only food item I am willing to get in the car to just go get. And when you want something super decadent and rich, Royal Roastery has some the real deal Baklava you have ever had. Super buttery and rich, crispy, and filled with only pistachios in a nice sweet syrup. Amazing is the only thing I can say about that.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
There is no other person than my wife who takes some of the credit here. She is right there to support all the right ideas and also is the one who will give me the honest criticism I need to hear. My wife Karishma is always there to correct me and provide me an outside perspective. And because I am usually open to feedback, it allows me to step outside the box and try to look inwards with a different set of eyes. She is definitely a tough one, but without her I am pretty sure I would have said or done the wrongs things plenty of times by now. I tend to be very cut throat as is the nature of a classically trained chef and I am more likely to say what I want in the moment. She has taught that kind of patience; that sometimes not everyone needs to hear the brutal truth and that you have to soften the blow sometimes. Without that perspective I would not be as efficient with my expectations of others.

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