"The kitchen became my language": Chef Rahil Mehta shares his culinary journey from India to New York

Rahil Mehta speaks in the same way that he performs his craft measured precisely and with a depth that reveals itself gradually The New Yorkbased pastry chef came to the United States from India to study at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park New York and has accomplished one of the great status symbols of a chef he has held a coveted position as a Chef at Eleven Madison Park one of the worlds great threeMichelinstar restaurants In this role he was critical to the success of the restaurant he was responsible for all dessert preparation from daily service to highprofile events I sat down with him to talk about his journey his masterful culinary skills and his move back to Hanirsquos in the East VillageWhat brought you to the United States to pursue cookingFood was always the centre of everything at home But I reached a point where I wanted to understand it scientificallymdashwhy techniques work not just how to execute them The CIAs Culinary Science program was unlike anything available to me otherwise It blended rigorous kitchen training with real food science fermentation heat transfer emulsification I knew that if I wanted to contribute something meaningful to the culinary world I needed that foundationWhat was the CIA like and how did it shape who you are as a chefProfessor Zearfoss was a significant figure for me He had worked in Michelinstarred kitchens before joining the faculty and the way he connected culinary practice to broader science opened something up in me I became obsessed with pastrymdashthe precision of it the chemistry I started collaborating with Chef Daniel Keehner on original dessert recipes outside the curriculum We developed a deconstructed millefeuille with strawberry rhubarb and vanilla That project taught me that the most interesting work happens at the edges of whats expected rather than sticking with traditionsYou concentrated on dark chocolate ganache at the CIA Why that subjectGanache is one of those preparations that looks simple but is deeply technical The effect of different sugars on texture shelf life and sensory preferencemdashthats genuinely complex food science I wanted to master it completely That work directly informed how I approached the Eleven Madison Park x Central collaboration in February of this year where I had to improvise a ganache solution under real service pressure The theory and the practice finally converged and was a huge achievement for me at that early point in my careerDescribe what your role at EMP actually looked like day to dayEach service I was responsible for roughly 400 pieces of bread The timing had to be perfectmdashevery piece needs to proof and bake on an exact schedule so that nothing sits too long before it reaches the guest I also produced laminated doughs cakes confections and tableside ice cream presentations using liquid nitrogen The standards at EMP are uncompromising A threeMichelinstar kitchen doesnt have margin for inconsistency and thats what I loved about it You are forced to be your best every single nightWhat has working at a restaurant like EMP taught you that you couldnt have learned anywhere elseThat excellence at scale is its own discipline Anyone can produce one perfect dish The real challenge is producing hundreds of perfect dishes simultaneously night after night under pressure in front of the most discerning diners in the world Chef Pascal at EMP has been an incredible mentor in that regard He came up through some of Europes finest kitchens and he pushes everyone around him to think not just about execution but about emotional resonancemdashwhat is this dish making the guest feelWhats next for youI want to continue mastering my understanding of the science behind what we do in fine dining pastry so I can further strengthen my repertoire of original recipes For this reason I am moving onto Hanirsquos Bakery Cafeacute in the East Village where I will be soon serving as a Chef and a Kitchen Supervisor Their philosophy places a deep focus on American baking traditions and I look forward to contributing to the research and development of their desserts Longer term I would love to lead a pastry program where I can help shape the next generation of chefs the way Professor Zearfoss and Chef Rauwolf shaped me But right now Im exactly where I want to be