NoSugarCoat with Pooja Dhingra

Today on NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to culinary luminary and her fellow MasterChef India judge, Ranveer Brar. From his early days in the langar kitchen at 16 to achieving the title of one of India's youngest executive chefs at 26, Ranveer's culinary journey is a story of passion and perseverance. As the mastermind behind over 35 restaurants, Ranveer helps us understand why the term celebrity chef is...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja’s guest is the godfather of Mumbai’s cafe culture himself, Riyaaz Amlani. He’s the mind behind some of your favourite hangout spots like Mocha, Salt Water Cafe, Smoke House Deli and Social. Riyaaz and Pooja chat about the importance of being adaptable to the ever evolving social culture and how delivery apps are not the enemy of in-house dining, but a complete...

The guest on this episode of NoSugarCoat decided to take a one-year sabbatical from her tax-consulting career to go on a food adventure with her partner in 2011. It’s been twelve years and she’s still on that adventure, serving up great food at the many restaurants she’s launched since then. Gauri Devidayal is the co-founder of the Food Matters Group - home to restaurants and brands like The Table...

Pooja’s guest on this episode of NoSugarCoat is her dear friend and salad queen herself, Karishma Dalal, from Bombay Salad Company. Karishma explains the concept of salads as meals, the logistical challenges of running a salad bar and how long it takes for a restaurant to be able to run on autopilot. She also talks about why it’s taken her nine years to start her second venture, Bokka Coffee.    Y...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to Annie Bafna, the fearless Founder and Head Chef of Mumbai's iconic eatery, The Nutcracker. Against the odds and without any prior F&B experience, Annie swapped a promising CA career for a culinary adventure. Discover what led her to this brave decision and how she transformed an all-day breakfast cafe into a thriving four-outlet sensation. Join Po...

Pooja’s guest on this week’s episode of NoSugarCoat is usually busy mentoring the next generation of great pastry chefs at the Lavonne Academy, Bangalore. Vinesh Johny founded Lavonne in 2012 with the aim of bringing world-class pastry education home to India. Where does India stand globally in the world of pastry? How does one juggle teaching and running multiple cafes? Tune in to find out.   You...

On this episode, Pooja’s guest is Anisha Oommen, who quit a stable and successful job in shipping logistics to follow her true calling, writing about food! Anisha chats about food is at the root of everything - history, culture, and our social landscape and how in 2013 she co-founded Goya Media that focuses on stories about food - who cooks it, who eats it and how it is part of the human connectio...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja’s guest is the internet's most beloved baker, Shivesh Bhatia. Shivesh and Pooja reminisce about his beginnings in pastry with his internship in the Le15 kitchen and chat about his current status as a social media sensation and acclaimed author of four cookbooks. How does Shivesh strike a balance between life on and offline? Tune in to find out.   You can follo...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to Yash Bhanage and Sameer Seth, the dynamic duo who met as students at Cornell University in 2010 and now co-own some of Mumbai's most popular eateries. In this episode, they unveil the secrets behind creating an F&B brand that truly sticks. With iconic restaurants like Bombay Canteen, O’Pedro, Bombay Sweet Shop, Veronica’s, and the innovative food...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja’s guest is a true pioneer of the culinary world and the self-described ‘super bawarchi’ who paved the way for women chefs in a male-dominated industry. Ritu Dalmia is the co-founder of Diva Restaurants with locations across India, London and Italy, that has now expanded to a worldwide catering service as well. How do you strike the perfect balance between bein...

On this special episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja’s guest is award-winning actress Bhumi Pednekar. They chat about their school days, having the best and most supportive friends, their insecurities and how difficult dating is when you’re in the limelight. Bhumi also tells Pooja all about her new film, Thank You For Coming, in which five best friends discover the depth of their friendship through hilar...

In this special episode of NoSugarCoat, the tables have been turned! Pooja is now in the hot seat, being interviewed by her friend – podcast host and founder of production company Maed in India, Mae Thomas. Mae gives Pooja a taste of her own, sugary medicine by asking the questions Pooja most frequently asks her own guests. Let's listen to Pooja's takes on money, love, friendship, leadership, less...

In the season finale of NoSugarCoat, Pooja is in conversation with one of her closest friends and a woman who wears many hats. While coming from a family with a Bollywood legacy, she has always paved her own path; whether it’s through film production, entrepreneurship, fashion design or styling. We’re talking about none other than Rhea Kapoor! She’s someone Pooja always goes to for a reality and y...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to India’s power couple of bread. Aditi Handa and Sneh Jain not only found a way to make sourdough a hit in India, but also figured out how to make the whole operation their bread and butter. Their artisan bakery The Baker’s Dozen, which started out as a bootstrapped venture, is now expected to generate 20 crores of revenue this year. They discuss how co...

Today on NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to the man that brought greek yogurt to India. It’s Rohan Mirchandani on this episode, as they chat about his move to India from the US to create brands like Epigamia and Hokey Pokey, the challenges of cold chain distribution, and how to walk the fine line between an entrepreneur and a CEO. You can follow  Epigamia ,  Hokey Pokey ,  Pooja  and  Le15 Patisserie . F...

On today’s episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja speaks to the Mrs. Bector, who was recently awarded a Padma Shri. A veteran in the F&B business, Mrs. Rajni Bector paved the way for India women in business, especially in the food industry. Here they are discussing what it was like starting out in the 70s, the challenges women entrepreneurs have to face, even now, and also rope her granddaughter Sana Becto...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, I'm talking to Varun Duggirala. From a small town in coastal Andhra Pradesh to the glitzy world of Bollywood, he is now the Co-founder and Content Chief of the country's leading creative agency – Glitch. In an industry that’s known to be a frantic place, let’s find out who wins in the battle between personal and professional life. You can follow  Varun ,  Pooja  and...

Today on NoSugarCoat, fellow chef Manu Chandra joins Pooja Dhingra as they share tales of culinary school, their approaches to food, the F&B business and how far chefs go to “do it for the ‘gram”. With his years of experience managing and launching new restaurants with the Olive Group, and numerous accolades including Fortune India’s 40 Under 40 and New York Times’ & Time Magazine’s most promising...

On this episode of #NoSugarCoat, Pooja Dhingra talks to Nikhil Taneja , whose resumé as a media professional and educator is longer than her to-do list for this year. From interviewing celebrities at age 14 and a dream job at Yash Raj Films, to working with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and co-founding a youth media organisation that focuses on mental health called Yuvaa . Today, they take...

Today, on NoSugarCoat, Pooja Dhingra speaks to Suchita Salwan , whose little Tumblr blog is now India's largest online discovery & shopping platform, Little Black Book . Even after two rounds of funding and almost 5 million active monthly users, the platform's original objective of seeking out and supporting local businesses remains as strong as ever. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that she’s bee...

On today’s episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja chats with chef & restaurateur Sandesh Reddy, who has come a long way from his disastrous first attempt at baking that he tells Pooja about. Now, he runs 10 brands at a whopping 100 locations across Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata. Find out more about their 2020 experiences, five-year plans, and how Sandesh went from an engineering student to ace...

Today on NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to one of her dearest friends; fashion designer Masaba Gupta. A fellow entrepreneur, she has built a fashion house from the ground up, starting her journey at the age of 19. Masaba opens up about her childhood, and how she failed at fashion school. From collaborating with various Indian and international labels to being featured on Forbes India 30 Under 30, let’s...

On today’s episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja is in conversation with Gadhadar Reddy, an inventor, entrepreneur and visionary, whose goal in life is to make the human race a species that voyages through the cosmos. He talks to her about looking skyward at an early age, and since then, how he has worked on creating carbon nanotubes to make spacecrafts lighter, safer and more affordable. His dream is to...

On this episode of NoSugarCoat, Pooja talks to brothers Joseph Radhik and Joshua Karthik; the reigning kings of wedding photography in India. From Virat-Anushka, Nick and Priyanka to weddings in exotic locations across 5 continents; these award-winning photographers have covered it all. Find out how they bring the art of photography and business together, to create memories forever. You can follow...

One morning, as she was reading her newspaper, Upasana Makati wondered, “What do the visually impaired start their day with?”   This thought led her to create White Print , India’s first magazine in braille for the visually impaired. Earlier this year, Upasana sat down with Pooja to talk about the struggles of being an entrepreneur, convincing people to believe in your dream and what she learned f...