A pen is mightier than the sword, they say. But, in Tony’s Kitchen, the knife is mightier than the pen!
When Tony quit his job in Canada and returned to his base in Kochi to pursue his passion as a full-time chef, many questioned his decision. However, he responded by dedicating all his efforts and hard work to establishing a restaurant called Tony’s Kitchen. This Asian cuisine restaurant is now playing a significant role in shaping the food culture of Kochi.
Antony, fondly known as Tony, had a childhood that many people dream of. With his father working as a Marine Engineer, he spent a significant portion of his childhood on ships, experiencing a variety of cuisines from different countries. Additionally, Tony’s mother was in the bakery business. Growing up, he not only watched his mother run her bakery but also enjoyed his grandmother’s cooking, which exposed him to authentic flavours from various cultures. As a result, becoming a chef felt like a natural calling for him.
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Where it all started
“It was indeed a childhood passion. My mother owns a bakery called RJ’s Cakes, and she is well-known for her delicious cakes. She has been in this business for 25 years. Growing up, I watched her and my grandmother, who was also an excellent cook. Furthermore, I made it a point to try different foods while traveling, which exposed me to a variety of cuisines. Each cuisine has its own unique flavors and experiences that you can’t find elsewhere”, Tony recalled.
When asked about his favourite food during the trip he said: “I used to like sushi and we used to go to a lot of Asian countries. My dad used to be on the ship and I used to be on the ship for three months every year. Every time we visit a country, we would immerse ourselves in their cuisine. As a child I used to be in China, so I tried authentic Chinese food for the first time. And I fell in love with it. Not just China, I have been to Asian countries like Singapore and Malaysia. We used to be out all the time eating interesting food and that is how I developed my liking towards Asian food, and I used to join late in school after the break”.
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Coming from the background of CA, Tony knows numbers well, working abroad as a chartered accountant, he knew exactly what he was doing, what worked for him, and how the revenue came. He’d pursued CA as per his family’s wishes but later on, took his passion towards being an entrepreneur in Kochi opening a door of possibilities. Another bold step he took was opening an Asian kitchen in Kochi where there were already established Asian food places available. But what makes Tony’s Kitchen stand out? The chef says:
“As a city, Kochi loves Asian food, and it already has successful Asian food places. But nothing feels very authentic to me. I have worked in Canada, in a French Italian restaurant under a Filipino chef and he would do all kinds of creative, fusion varieties, like blending Asian food, Italian and French cuisine. My learning came from them as they inspired me. With my leniency towards Asian food, I learnt this particular cooking style from them. On top of that, Asian restaurants are highlighted here. My dream is to change the food landscape of Kochi, to be a place that serves a better standard of food. I want the city and the people to benefit from it. And that sums up the reason behind my bold step towards it.”
The key goal of Tony’s Kitchen is to focus on authenticity. People who are fond of Indian flavours cater to the Indian palette but Tony’s Kitchen’s doors are open towards authentic flavours.
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“I try not to compromise on my authenticity and I am not ready to fashion it into an Indian palette, which is a bold step again. I try to keep the flavours as authentic as I can…I don’t want to please everyone but people who appreciate the flavours will appreciate it. There are no adjustments made to tailor it to the Indian palette or the local taste”, he said.
“When you eat food from here, it should make one feel like they are sitting and eating in Japan, Korea or any Asian place the food originally is from, and that’s my goal. I have multiple guests commenting that, appreciating the food, comparing it to the food they had originally from any Asian place. Recently we had two Japanese customers who complimented the food, and that made me happy. That was my biggest compliment. I look forward to it”, he added, talking about his goal.
The launch, the menu and beyond
The Restaurant opened on 1st December 2024, with no grand launch, but a menu that could speak for itself. Instagram was the key point in launching the place to the people. Be it their pop-up recipes, or the presentation, his Instagram was the key recipe in launching Tony’s Kitchen as he was always in touch with the field even during his CA studies, all of it culminating in creating the brand Tony’s Kitchen.
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“I am proud of all my Ramens, the concept of the restaurant was to make ramen and small plates of food. Small plates include all kinds of foods in small quantities so you can share them with your friends and it could become a meal combo. I am very much interested in making those small plates rather than Ramen. I majorly introduced ramen because I was known for Ramen through my Instagram. So when I started I made sure it was there on the menu as people were expecting it. But creativity as a chef comes through small plates. Beef tataki and Tuna crudo are the two dishes I am very proud of as they are a unique addition to the city as well as bringing out my passion. Additionally, I have a corn dish called corn tempura. Initially, I used to do corn drips on my pop-up menu, but later found this as a cooler variation of that as I got bored with the initial one”, says Tony when asked about dishes he is proud of.
The restaurant is situated in an existing space in French Toast Kacheripady.
Being a Chartered Accountant, Tony was particular in bringing out the best quality food with minimal cost. The sustainable approach of reusing everything available, and tailoring the space with comfortable seating was the key. “Kochi’s outdoor seating is worrisome with mosquito bites. I wanted to make sure all my customers were comfortable, so you could see large tables and air-conditioned space as it was the two things I wanted to focus on. Rest, I just kept the theme simple, as food should be the highest quality ingredient of this place. I profoundly pay attention to the quality of food and on my staff compared to investing more in the ambience and as long as the food is good, people will come”.
Kochi’s food landscape and Asian kitchen
Tony is on a ride to change the food culture landscape of Kochi. “In Kochi, if you want to have a nice dining experience with great food you have to go to Mariot or Plaza, looking particularly as a standalone restaurant, there are no eateries especially focusing on Asian cuisine, I am not staying my food is great of all, of course, the aim is to keep improving every day and every week. My goal is to establish a good food name, with decent dining experience, and utmost quality food made with quality ingredients”, he said.
Tony’s Kitchen welcomes mixed crowds every day, ranging from kids, couples, families and individuals, the food has been creating its own space amongst the Kochi crowd. Among them, the hardest customers to please are the ones who are used to Indian food flavours in particular, he mentions as Asian flavours are not to cater to people who are not used to subtle flavours but expecting an explosion of bold flavours.
When asked about striking a balance between honouring Asian flavours and experimenting with his style, Tony said: “As long as I am happy with what I am making, I am content. People may have different comments but as long as I am confident with my dish, I don’t focus on balancing. I explain what feels right to me. For example, Truno Crudo is an Italian dish, but I have done it in a Japanese way, and I reimagined to do it differently. I learnt French cuisine from my mentors and I bring those techniques into Asian food. I play around with techniques, not flavours; Techniques with different cuisines and experimenting with flavours of Asian cuisines. Additionally, I always follow a blueprint in my mind to tick off the elements; salt, crisp, crunch everything. This blueprint is inbuilt to me from the places I worked. Reimagining the original idea is what I look for.”
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The pillars behind Tony’s Kitchen
“A list of people… parents, family friends, my friend who is an interior designer and her husband who was in the restaurant field… they helped me when I started, they are major pillars. My other friend who is an architect helped me as well. And of course, French Toast was a strong pillar as they gave me this space, they gave me the freedom to be creative with the menu as well. Next, my vendors are my biggest support. At the end of the day, you need quality ingredients to make quality food”.
Tony is quality-oriented, be it the food or the mindset of the employees who work there. “Being a chef, I know how employees are treated in this industry, so we do things differently here. We are open only from Tuesday to Saturday. In this industry, especially in Kerala, no one closes their place on a Sunday and Monday. I believe the employees need to have a fresh mind, with proper breaks, that affects the food quality positively as it will remain the same even on the 5th day. Sundays are for church visits and Mondays are to prepare for the next week”, he pointed out.
The place that has already posed its signature amongst Asian food lovers is also popular on Instagram. Casually asked who he wanted to bring to the Restaurant if given a choice, he proudly mentioned his mentors who shaped him professionally. “Chefs who taught me when I was working in Canada. They were family to me, they taught me everything I wanted to bring them. Eddie Alvarez, Luca Byson, Marc Dorian, Gino and Adam. My mentors, I would like to bring them”, he said.
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With nothing but confidence and clarity in each word, he finished speaking about his journey and the dream he is living as the chef and entrepreneur of Tony’s Kitchen. As you read this, Tony is busy prepping up for the next week, finding quality products and making all his dishes with utmost passion and love all to see a smile on the customer’s face relishing the authentic taste of Asian flavours.
