A love for food and countless hours spent in the kitchen fueled the imagination of the simple girl from Ahmedabad who is today a much-feted celebrity Chef in Gujarat.
Chef | Restaurateur | Business Woman | Fashion Designer | Food Consultant
Her journey toward the culinary world began in her childhood. She took up a challenge to cook for 50 people at a family gathering when suddenly the caterer didn’t turn up. She was just 12 at the time and this was the initial spark in her journey that later turned into a bang! At the age of 19, she turned down the offer to host a TV show and after participating as a contestant, she bagged the title of Gujarat’s Youngest Cooking Expert! At her engagement ceremony, she ran off to audition for Rasoi Show – a regional cooking show on Colors Gujarati (Previously known as ETV)
After looking at her passion, her husband supported her, and they created Gujarat’s first-ever fine dining restaurant:The Secret Kitchen. She’s also the first chef to bring Gujarati fine dining to a world of hauté-cuisine. She launched her most loved restaurant, “Aanal Kotak’s Akshada”. She believes, “I have got the skills to cook and invent recipes as a part of my legacy and inheritance. My Nani & My Dadi were my Annapurna. Today whatever I am, is only because of them” She is known to whet our appetites. Makhani Masala Puri, Bollywood Focaccia, Rassam Cappuccino, etc are some lip-smacking dishes by Aanal that will give you a delectable experience. Not only does her restaurant serve refined tastes, but it also offers great hospitality services. She has four more chains, along with a recent chain in Australia too. Aanal has her own retail business of a home-cooked line of Indian spices, ready-to-cook mixtures, and bakery premixes as well. Multiple awards & titles later, India’s Top Food Entrepreneur Chef Aanal Kotak is chasing a culinary dream, sleeplessly & tirelessly. She feels she wants to take the legacy of the world’s greatest vegetarian chef Alain
Passard ahead. She feels she was unfortunate that she didn’t get a chance to meet her guru Michelin Star French Chef Alain Passard, but she has always intended on honoring him in the form of promoting vegetarian cuisine across the globe like he used to The Secret Kitchen – A vegetarian saga – Opened in Vadodara in 2017, Ahmedabad in 2018, Surat in 2019 Aanal Kotak’s Akshada – The essence of Gujarati Kitchen – Opened in Ahmedabad in 2018. The Baking Couture (A World Café) – Opened in Vadodara in 2018. The Secret Kitchen – Opened internationally in 2022, and running
successfully in Australia. Southak – A Specialty South Indian Dinning Opened in Vadodara at two locations in September 2021
