Meet the chef: Sagar Barlawar at popular Chennai Express

You'll struggle to find anyone in town who doesn't love Chennai Express in Wote Street.

The restaurant regularly brings home awards, recently it was highly commended in the Local Restaurant of the Year category at the second Nation’s Curry Awards, which took place in Manchester on Monday, January 12.

The restaurant serves a range of South Indian-inspired dishes including biryani, pan-fried fish, samosas, paneer, and a range of curries and offers diners ‘a culinary tour of South India by reflecting the spirit of the diverse spectrum of South Indian cultures and cuisines’, according to its website.

Head chef and co-owner Sagar Barlawar is our latest chef to tell us about his career and passion for cooking. 

Do you know a chef who deserves to be featured in the Basingstoke Gazette? Get involved here. 

See what he has to say below... 

Tell us a bit about your career so far... 

I graduated in the year 2000 from the very reputed culinary academy of India at Hyderabad which emphasises on all the the aspects of food production, it has given me the opportunities to work for major hotel chains like Taj, Oberoi's and Holiday Inn across India as a kitchen executive.

I came to UK in 2004 and worked for the Best Western group in Surrey. After a couple of years, I then worked as a head chef for various independent Indian restaurants across London and the south east.

After seeing the huge demand for south Indian food in UK, me and my friend Vamsi Madireddy who is also a chef came up with a plan to open Chennai Express in Basingstoke in 2018.

There was a huge demand for South Indian food we became very successful soon after opening. With our passionate team members, we had a lot of regular guests every year and that gave us strength to open our second branch in Fleet in 2023.

Vibrant Home style Curries

What inspired you to become a chef?

It's all started from my childhood age when I was helping my grandma and my mother in the kitchen.

My mum worked as a headteacher, so I used to step in to the kitchen to help her and my grandma, who was the real master chef.

Her cooking skills were exceptional and I was inspired by her talent - she taught me lot of techniques and various home cooking methods and I developed a lot of interest in cooking.

I slowly started to cook independently at a young age which was very much appreciated by all of my family members and neighbours.

As India is a country of cultural heritage we used to have a lot of family gatherings during numerous festive occasions which always gave me an opportunity to cook.

All these helped my personal passion towards cooking and the appreciation of my family members, and friends encouraged me take up three years of a culinary degree course in Hyderabad in 1997 where I was trained by highly experienced chefs.

What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?

It was a simple vermicelli dessert made with milk sugar and nuts which we make mostly on festive occasions. It was very much loved by everyone.

What is your signature dish? 

My signature dish is Hyderabadi Dum Biryani which I had mastered for many years.
My friends used to call me a Biryani King and always wait for me to cook. 

What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?

Definitely Hyderabadi Dum Biryani and various street foods and Dosa's which are very popular globally

Hyderabadi Dum Biryani

What is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire and why?

I normally eat home-cooked food but I prefer to eat seafood and I'm a big fan of Rick stein.

What is your favourite meal to eat at home?

Everything that my wife cooks for me as she does it with love and it's the only secret ingredient which I also use in my cooking always. I believe a chef should always love the people they cook for and the food will turn divine automatically. That's the magic.

What is your culinary guilty pleasure?

Whenever I travel to India I try various street food which I used to eat during my school or college days. I know that they might not be very hygienic like here in the UK, but sometimes you can't resist them.

So for me it is the street food.

Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?

Home-ground spices, healthy oil and loads of fresh herbs which make your meals more aromatic.

Which chef do you most admire and why?

It's none other than my grandmother who inspired me always with her passion and love towards cooking.