Maneet Chauhan of Morph Hospitality Group: 5 Things You Need To Become An Award-Winning Chef Or Restaurateur

An Interview With Dina Aletras

I constantly stay inspired by having conversations with people. I love talking. Be it an event I’m doing or a particular place I’m traveling to, the need to connect with others — and figure out the “why,” “how” and “what” — is constantly there. I love to travel; the entire process of traveling is so incredible because you get to experience new people, new ingredients, new conversations. So that’s what keeps me inspired.

The culinary world is as competitive as it is creative. Many aspire to be successful in this industry, but only a few achieve the recognition of being award-winning chefs or restaurateurs. What does it take to stand out and achieve acclaim in this industry? As part of this series, I had the distinct pleasure of interviewing Maneet Chauhan.

Maneet Chauhan is an award-winning chef, author, television personality and founding partner and president of Morph Hospitality Group in Nashville, Tennessee. She is a recipient of the 2012 James Beard Foundation Broadcast Media Award for her role as a Food Network Star and permanent judge on “Chopped” and was honored with an Augie Award by The Culinary Institute of America in 2022. Through her Nashville restaurant group Morph Hospitality, Chauhan owns and operates nationally acclaimed restaurants — Chauhan Ale & Masala House and The Mockingbird — and recently opened eet by Maneet Chauhan at Disney Springs® Marketplace. She is the author of two cookbooks, Flavors of My World and Chaat: The Best Recipes from the Kitchens, Markets and Railways of India. Maneet has been honored as one of the Nashville Business Journal’s “40 under 40,” Nashville Lifestyles’ “Women in Business,” and is the first-ever two-time winner of Guy Fieri’s “Tournament of Champions,” where she competed against the country’s most renowned chefs.​​

Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that has happened to you since you became a chef? What was the lesson or take away you took out of that story?

It wasn’t funny at the time, but now when I think about it, it was a very interesting experience.

My entire education has been baking and pastry arts. I went to the dark side a little bit later on when I took on savory, but at my first job I used to make wedding cakes. And I had made this really elaborate, five-tier wedding cake with dividers — it was beautiful, it was gorgeous. I had just set it up and was admiring my creation, and then as I’m walking away, the uncle of the bride decides that was not the best placement for the cake. So, he asked a couple of people to pick it up and take it to the other end of the banquet hall. This is almost 20 years ago, and I still remember it like out of a movie: I’m saying “Nooo!” as the cake is falling down.

I think what it taught me at that moment was that it really doesn’t matter whose fault it is. You as a chef have to make sure that the guests’ expectations are met. So we had to create a new one very quicky; it was like Chopped: Cake happening two hours before the wedding.

Can you share a challenge you faced in your journey and how you overcame it to achieve recognition in the industry?

I think the biggest challenge that I have faced in my journey is the reputation of Indian food in America. When I came to America, Indian food was considered an ethnic food — it was the $8.95 all-you-can-eat buffet. And it was just not done well. The people who were doing it took no pride in doing it. So to me, what was important was converting one person at a time, from how we presented the food to how we spoke about it, to being on TV and talking about the ingredients. That’s how I’ve overcome it.

What role does feedback, both positive and negative, play in your development and growth as an award-winning chef or restaurateur?

The sad part is that we as chefs, and as human beings, obsess over negative feedback. When there’s a lot of positive feedback but one piece of negative feedback, we get fixated on that. Initially, I didn’t think this was healthy. But I do think that if you figure out a way to listen, and a way to make the best of it and see if there is a grain of truth in it, then you will be ahead of the game. So to me, getting feedback is very, very critical.

Personally, what is the ‘perfect meal’ for you?

Something simple! I don’t want anything too elaborate. Street food or something homemade, where a lot of love and care has gone into it — that, to me, is a perfect meal.

How do you stay inspired and continuously innovate in your culinary creations or restaurant concepts?

I constantly stay inspired by having conversations with people. I love talking. Be it an event I’m doing or a particular place I’m traveling to, the need to connect with others — and figure out the “why,” “how” and “what” — is constantly there. I love to travel; the entire process of traveling is so incredible because you get to experience new people, new ingredients, new conversations. So that’s what keeps me inspired.

Are you working on any new or exciting projects now? What impact do you think this will have?

The most exciting project at the present moment is our QSR concept eet, which we just opened in Disney Springs. The entire idea was to get to get Indian food to mainstream, and what better audience than the Disney audience?

What advice would you give to other chefs or restaurateurs to thrive and avoid burnout?

Take time to step out of the restaurant. Don’t be in the restaurant 24/7, because then you start having a very different view of how things work. Go to other restaurants, go to other cities, go to other places, and then come back. Observe what others are doing, and that is going to make what you’re doing so much more exciting. Otherwise you kind of just get stuck in the rut of things.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Become An Award Winning Chef Or Restaurateur” and why? Please share a story or an example for each.

What unique qualities or skills do you believe set you apart from others in the culinary industry?

I think it is the refusal to allow naysayers to say no, that it can’t be done. Every time anybody would say it can’t be done, I would be like, “Oh, really? Okay. I’ll show you.” It’s the resilience.

It’s also the creativity. Especially after competing in all of these Food Network competitions, I realized that it’s the creativity, the ability to think on my feet with everything happening around me, and coming up with a great result. I think that is a big advantage.

What’s the one dish people must try if they visit your establishment?

I always say the Tandoori Chicken Poutine at eet and Chauhan, because it’s such a great combination of Indian flavors with a modern flair.

You are a person of enormous influence. If you could inspire a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

I want us all to get back to the basic humanity of being kind to each other. That would be the biggest thing.

Thank you so much for these insights. This was very inspirational!

About the Interviewer: Dina Aletras boasts over 20 years of expertise in the corporate media industry. She possesses an in-depth understanding of growth, strategy, and leadership, having held significant roles at some of the UK’s largest media organizations. At Reach PLC, the UK’s largest tabloid publisher, she served in various director capacities. Additionally, she held leadership roles at The Independent Magazine Group and DMGT. Her extensive knowledge spans editorial, digital, revenue, sales, and advertising. Upon relocating to Switzerland, Dina took on the responsibility of managing and promoting the international section of Corriere del Ticino — CdT.ch pioneering the English page “onthespot.” She also was the Co-Editor of Southern Switzerland’s first official Italian and English bilingual magazine.