At The Pass is a weekly series showcasing Toronto’s best chefs. You won’t find any celebrity chefs featured here. Perhaps you already know these fine cooks, but maybe not. They’re not famous - yet. But it’s time these talented, passionate, hard-working chefs got a bit of the spotlight. Meet Akash and Tanvi Swar.

🕒 6 min read

Sisters and co-owners Little Sister Baking - Pastry Chef Akash Swar and Marketing Professional Tanvi Swar

Formerly

AS: Le Cordon Bleu, Auberge Du Pommier, Buca, Chase Hospitality Group, Nugateau
TS: I’ve only worked in advertising before.

Favourite dish to make right now

AS: Chicken Biryani.
TS: I’m obsessed with making Chicken Tinga. I meal prep it all the time – it’s easy and makes like six different meals and it’s just delicious.

Last cookbook purchase

AS: Room For Dessert by Will Goldfarb. It was actually a present.
TS: Pangat, a Feast: Food and Lore from Marathi Kitchens by Saree Koranne-Khandekar  

Have you read it/tried any recipes 

AS: I've read the book, but haven’t tried any recipes out yet. It has inspired me though.
TS: I haven’t, but I have my eye on the Green Fish Curry!

Name one dish or ingredient you’d like to see gone from menus

AS: Gimmicky foods made for Instagram that taste mediocre. Gimmicky foods made for Instagram that taste amazing are GREAT.
TS: Under seasoned food. 

And one dish or ingredient that you’re excited about right now and would like to see on more menus 

AS: South Indian food - South Indian food has so much complexity and flavour and it’s just under-explored in Toronto right now!
TS: South East Asian Curry Laksa has finally arrived in Canada and I’d like to see more of it in the West End. Selfishly, I’m also really excited about the explosion of Sri Lankan and Malaysian food right now! 

Biggest influences

AS: The bakery culture in Mumbai, my family’s cooking, Will Goldfarb for his unique approach towards pastry.
TS: Family recipes, bakeries in Bombay, and a lot of food historians and anthropologists.

If you could eat at any restaurant in the world

AS: I don’t really have specific restaurant choices, but I truly enjoy the simplicity of home cooked meals and street food in Mumbai.
TS: Honestly my list is super long and would probably start in Mumbai, but right now closer to home I really want experience Oji Seichi and Mark Sushi.

Last thing you ate

AS: Shawarma in Dubai.
TS: Worst question right now because I ate a mishmash dinner of butter bean tuna salad, fries, pickles, pickled lupini beans, and watermelon with Tajin.

Three must-have ingredients always in your fridge

AS: Ginger garlic paste, chillies, butter.
TS: Cheese, pickles, hot sauce.

Guilty pleasure

AS: Popcorn.
TS: Cactus Club Café - I dream of their Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps daily.

Top 3 favourite Toronto restaurants

AS: Chef Harwash, Banu, Pizzeria Badiali.
TS: I honestly have too many… Bernhardt’s, Lakeshore Food Company, Banu.

Top 3 favourite Toronto bars

AS: Civil Liberties, Rhum Corner, WVRST.
TS: Birriera Volo, Paradise Grapevine, Bang Sue.

Go-to drink  

AS: N/A.
TS: Anything on a menu that has gin, cucumber or lime and rum - Dark + Stormy or Negroni.

One habit you have in the kitchen that you should lose, but can’t seem to shake 

AS: Eating irregularly.
TS: Being messy… Don’t worry, I don’t cook in the LSB kitchen! 

And one habit you have in the kitchen that will inspire young chefs

AS: Creating a prep list, and then following it to the t, being super super super super super organized.
TS: Experimenting even when it feels like no one cares.

Hidden talent

AS: I actually have a really good singing voice and studied Indian classical singing as well as Kathak, a classic Indian dance form.
TS:  I paint and cook well - but suck at baking and don’t cook professionally.

Best career advice you ever received

AS: Don’t give up and always fold your towels. - Will Goldfarb who signed my Room for Dessert book.
TS: N/A.

Worst career advice you ever received

AS: N/A.
TS: N/A.

Your advice for a young cook starting out in the business

AS: Plan everything in advance, keep a positive mindset and be ready to learn everything and anything you can.
TS: N/A.

In order to support chefs during this time, the monthly At The Pass series is now WEEKLY. Know someone in Toronto or GTA who should be featured? Submit their name for consideration. And yes, you can nominate yourself.      

For breaking news, updates, interviews + much more, follow Toronto Restaurants on Instagram and Facebook and subscribe to the newsletter.