At The Pass with Akash & Tanvi Swar
Little Sister Baking’s sisters and co-owners Akash (l) and Tanvi (r) Swar.
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!
Desi Pasta. Spiced pasta sauce topped with Chicken Tikka or Paneer Tikka. “The spices really give the sauce some extra body.”
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.
Narangi Shahi Tukda. Shahi Tukda is “South Asia’s answer to bread pudding.”
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.
Chai and Pakoras.
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.
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