Sanjeev left behind a legacy
& this is his story
ˇ
ORIGIN: SADAR BAZAAR,DELHI
DESTINATION: TORONTO,CANADA
It’s loud & hazy from all the smoke. In this neighbourhood of Paragangj, there are no cars allowed - only rickshaws. It’s a commercial hub for the capital city but business here is done differently. Handwritten ledgers are the only records, and it all seems haphazard - but theres a controlled chaos to all of this. Street food is there 24/7 and always made that same day by the best vendors. Cows walk by, so do pigs, dogs & children surprisingly play amongst all this movement. There are traffic lights - but nobody obeys, so it becomes a fun game of avoiding the cars, buses and trucks that zoom by on the outskirts of this market. This is Sadar Bazaar, New Delhi - this was Sanjeev’s playground & it’s where his story begins.
He immigrated to Canada in 1988, in search of a more peaceful way of life for his family. His first job was working as a server at his uncle’s restaurant in Toronto. It was here where he first learned how to move in a restaurant. A few years later he was ready, but he would need some help - so he told his brother, his parents and his wife to all get ready to make the move.
The two Indian brothers had an unlikely opportunity. The chance to take over a classic, old-style mansion that was home to one of Toronto’s most historic restaurant locations - La Scala Ristorante. There weren’t many Indian restaurants in the city at the time , let alone one in a posh neighbourhood. More importantly, the brothers couldn’t afford it. But regardless, without even having money for next months rent they risked it all & The Host Fine Indian Cuisine was born in 1996.
From there they gained their first accolades ; Toronto Life, Toronto Star , Zagat, Le Gayot all agreed - there was something special about The Host , a family run Indian restaurant in Toronto. The family went onto open 5 other locations & became the premier Indian caterer in the city, completing a true immigrant success story.
In 2017 Sanjeev was diagnosed with a rare form of Ampullary Cancer.
At this time, In the middle of his busy wedding season - He opened two new restaurants - all while taking chemotherapy. His will & strength to live was inspiring, but the disease eventually had to take its toll.
On February 28 2019 Sanjeev passed away,
with his entire family by his bedside.
With these masalas we aim to fulfill one of the
meanings of the word Sanjeev - which is to revive.
We aim to revive his lessons, flavours and attitude on life & one way we aim to do that is his charity
The School of Sanjeev
Sanjeev was a mentor to many chefs in the city and beyond. Not only was a chef, but a very good life coach. His energy was infectious and seemed limitless.
It was no stretch for him to wake up at 4:00 AM to go to the market, then to his kitchen - to cook for over 5000 people, all with different menus at different venues & still have the time to oversee his 5 running restaurants.
Amazingly , if you were his VIP, friend or old customer - he would not only personally cook at that wedding later that evening - but also be dancing in it - with a suit on no less.
He had a history of saying
“No problem “ or “ Ho Jay Ga” - to literally any request.
He would love to share his experiences to those that would listen. Many of the chefs at his restaurants started as dishwashers or people with no experience at all. Additionally he brought chef one by one from back home and showed them the ways to survive in a country like Canada. Hard work was his key ethic and so was having a good heart.
With that in mind one of the key goals of the foundation is to make a scholarship in his name. One that embodies his lessons in the kitchen and in life. Something Sanjeev said is something Anthony Bourdain used to say as well - being a chef isn’t a recipe , its a philosophy.