Sometimes, the best gems are in “the cut.” Once upon a time, I was meeting my god babies and their parents in Paris to visit Disneyland Paris. I’d gotten there early and decided to look for a snack. Something directed me to a shopping plaza and then down the hall and ‘round the corner, straight to Garam Masala restaurant. And although they had some snack-type items, I decided to sit down for a meal.
As the Universe guides, I met the owner of the restaurant, and he agreed to speak with me about his lovely food and restaurant.
Meet Restaurateur Ashok Kumar of Garam Masala - Paris, France
Ashok Kumar is the owner of Garam Masala, a tasty Indian restaurant just a short commute from the center of Paris, France. Garam Masala is Ashok’s second restaurant and is tucked away in the Aushopping Val de Fontenay shopping center in Fontenay-sous-Bois, a commune in the eastern suburbs of Paris.
As a restaurateur with more than twenty years' experience, Ashok is knowledgeable, passionate and intentional about his craft. It was a pleasure to interview him, discuss his cooking philosophy and even learn some culinary hacks!
First, a little about Ashok’s journey…
Ashok is originally from Batala, Punjab, in northwestern India. He began cooking with his grandfather at a young age as a way to earn small change. Ashok recalled that his grandfather catered weddings, and Ashok would help with cutting onions. Ashok joked that he now has no issue cutting onions - no crying!
Ashok was inspired to open Garam Masala after living in Paris for years and desiring to have more space, which led him to move to the suburbs in pursuit of a better life. At the time of my visit, Garam Masala had been open for over three years. Ashok describes Garam Masala as a family restaurant where every person knows each other personally.
On my recent visit to Garam Masala, I was lucky enough to be served by Ashok. After Ashok noticed how much I enjoyed my meal, we struck up a conversation and I learned that he was the owner. Ashok later treated me to two different types of lassi, a popular Indian beverage traditionally made by blending yogurt, water and spices. I tried the rose lassi and the mango lassi; both were delicious! And of course, I ordered some freshly made naan to go — the snack after the meal. :)
Ashok’s cooking philosophy involves using fresh ingredients to create dishes that appeal to the local taste. He is a major proponent of using spice versus chilli in his dishes and is very intentional about the type of chilli he uses based on his understanding of what is generally more agreeable to the stomach. Ashok took the time to explain why he uses certain ingredients in his dishes and educated me on many of the fresh spices and plant ingredients he cooks with in his restaurant.
I now know to differentiate between spice and chilli. Indian cuisine is a great way to learn! While Indian food is known to be rich in spices, spice doesn’t necessarily mean hot, although yes, Indian food is known to be spicy hot, which we can attribute to the use of chillis. If you take nothing else from Ashok’s interview, get this lesson (LOL). He was very clear on this point: chilli and spice are not necessarily synonymous, and the type of chilli used in cooking can impact the food’s digestibility. So choose and use your chillis wisely!
Beyond Ashok’s apparent passion for his craft, I was most moved by Ashok’s contentment. Ashok informed me that he is married with two daughters and enjoys spending a minimum of two hours a day with his dog. In his own words, he is “so happy.” He explained, “I don’t want anything more,” and “doesn’t want anything to change. Everything is perfect.”
Ashok’s “secret to success”: Not copying anybody / cooking in his own unique way. As he scrolled through Google images of Indian dishes, Ashok noted that nobody is making plates like his! I know that’s right Ashok!
Talk about cooking with an elevated vibration!
See for yourself and visit Garam Masala the next time you’re in Paris. Further, check out my interview of Ashok here!
Garam Masala - Restaurant
11 Rue De La Mare À Guillaume, 94120 Fontenay-sous-Bois France
See yaa, Garam Masala - Paris, France!