From his early life in the tea gardens of Darjeeling, catering for Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee and surviving the Christchurch mosque shootings to now owning three thriving Indian restaurants, Nasir Khan has come a long way, and his journey is one of inspiration, perseverance and triumph.
Born in the tea estates of Darjeeling, Nasir studied at Jamia Millia Islamia in Delhi. But despite his education and an engineering job, his heart was always in cooking, and he dreamt of working in a restaurant.
He took a leap of faith when he left his job to work as a kitchen hand at a Delhi restaurant. Recounting the times, Nasir says, “I did not tell my family about quitting my job as they would not understand what I was trying to do. There were times when I even doubted my decision.”
The job earned him only a fraction of his previous salary, and he had no clear long-term goals. He says he just wanted to immerse himself in the commercial kitchen environment, and learn the skills he needed to pursue his dream of becoming a chef.
His next destination was Saudi Arabia, where he secured a position in the kitchen at an Indian restaurant. For two years, Nasir honed his skills. But a yearning for a more structured learning experience made him return to India.
He enrolled in a hospitality course at India Tourism Development Corporation in Delhi, dedicating the next year-and-a-half to refining his culinary skills and learning other aspects of the hospitality industry.
“Moving back to India and deciding to study was again a tough decision and went against the advice of my family and friends, but I was sure that I don’t just want to work in the kitchen but want to broaden my horizon,” he says.
During this time, he had the privilege of catering to distinguished personalities, including former US president George Bush and former Indian prime minister Late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, serving them unique dishes like jackfruit biryani, a rare Indian dish that would later find its place in his own restaurant in Christchurch.
“In 2006, I moved to New Zealand, joining as head chef at an Indian restaurant in Auckland. Working alone, I learnt the importance of organising the kitchen in a way that allowed for quick and efficient work during busy times, without any assistance.”
During a short visit to Christchurch, Nasir fell in love with the city and decided to move there, taking up a job at an Indian restaurant.
After working in Christchurch, and pursuing a culinary course at Ara Institute, Nasir worked with some prestigious Kiwi restaurants. In 2009, he showcased his talent by winning a culinary competition.
In 2011, he was the head chef at Two Fat Indians, a chain of five restaurants in Christchurch owned by Ronnie Bhogal, Nasir’s mentor. Bhogal was planning to move to Dunedin and offered Nasir to take over one of his restaurants.
“At first, I thought he was joking since I never thought I could run a restaurant business on my own, but he was serious.
“I remember when I moved to Christchurch, I went to Two Fat Indians with my CV, but left without talking to anyone when I saw it was a fancy restaurant,” he recalls.
Nasir seized the chance to become a restaurant owner, but the restaurant building soon turned to rubble in the devastating earthquakes that struck Christchurch.
But that did not stop him. With determination and resilience, he now owns two successful restaurants in Christchurch and has recently opened another in Dunedin.
Life threw another curveball at Nasir in 2019, when he found himself inside the Linwood mosque as a shooter randomly opened fire at worshippers. Nasir managed to escape unharmed, but the trauma left a lasting mark on his mind.
“When I dropped my daughter off at school in the morning, she reminded me twice not to be late when picking her up. When the mosque shooting occurred, thoughts of my promise to my daughter consumed my mind. Would I be able to pick her up on time? Would I even have the chance to see her again?”
After the shooting, he drove straight to her school and stayed by her side as the city went into lockdown. Despite the haunting experience, he returned to work the next day.
But the following weeks were torturous as Khan grappled with the trauma. “While working and coming to work every day helped me recover a little, I could not sleep for many months. I went through counselling along with other survivors and families of the victims, but I never found peace. Finally, after just one session with a private psychologist, I was able to sleep for eight hours at a stretch for the first time since the shooting. I still get nightmares.”
The challenges did not end there. When the Covid-19 lockdown was enforced, Nasir faced yet another trial. With no income in sight and uncertainty looming, he worked in his kitchen and personally delivered food to sustain the business. Nasir has finally achieved stability and fulfilment.
“Allah has been great! This city has been great to me. Future plans include opening another restaurant in Auckland, continuing to focus on doing the business with honesty and providing an exceptional experience to my customers,” Nasir says.
