Cooking with Pride - Chef Akshat

At Cookd, we embrace the diversity of people and recently, we got in touch with some diverse and passionate chefs from around the world and there is one thing all famous chefs have in common: great diversity in trying new things and a passion for cooking great food.

Meet Chef Akshat Agarwal, he has over 5 years of experience in the culinary industry and has graduated from George brown college, Toronto, Canada. We have interviewed Akshat and here’s what we understood from the interview:

Akshat Agarwal has always felt different, even as a child. But he found his way to express his creativity through food. Born in Bengaluru, India, Akshat discovered his passion for cooking by watching his mother in the kitchen and helping her cook meals for the family. With the support and encouragement of his parents, he pursued cooking as a career.

Now, after six years working as a chef, Akshat has learned how to balance the demands of his job with having a personal life. The key, he says, is “knowing what you want and making sure you do it.” He also recommends staying calm under pressure by taking a few deep breaths to avoid stress and maintain a clear mind.

Akshat’s first dish was Maggie noodles, which he experimented with by adding different flavors to make it more interesting. He describes his cooking style as “easy and fast” to match the pace of working in a professional kitchen. While he doesn’t have a favorite book or movie, he enjoys suspenseful thrillers and the animated film Ratatouille.

As an LGBTQ chef, Akshat says he has been fortunate not to experience discrimination in the workplace. However, he emphasizes the importance of keeping your personal and professional lives separate to avoid additional stress. The skills he believes are most essential for success as a chef are staying calm, following instructions, and not mixing stress from your personal life into your work.

If he could go back in time, Akshat would tell his younger self “to take it easy and not be too hard on yourself.” His goals for the future are to continue improving at his craft while maintaining a “go with the flow” attitude. His advice for aspiring LGBTQ chefs and others in the community is “Be who you are and not be scared about what people might think.”

Overall, Akshat believes in focusing on “making the world a better place to live in for everyone.” By being true to yourself and working to spread more kindness, you can overcome life’s challenges and find fulfillment and purpose. Akshat’s story is an inspiration, demonstrating how to turn your passion into a successful career while staying dedicated to creating a more inclusive society.

At Cookd, we couldn't agree more. That's why we're sharing these chefs' recipes and stories with you. Because food is a universal language, and there's always a seat at our table for everyone.