Recently, restaurateur Samyukta Nair opened the doors of her first restaurant, Jamavar, in Dubai. After successfully leading the charge of a number of restaurants in London, Samyukta is all set to expand her portfolio in the Middle East.
In the Visionary Issue for September, the popular Indian restaurateur talks about her legacy, the journey of merging heritage, design and culinary innovation across global markets.
How has your background influenced your approach to business and design?
My bachelor’s degree in Sociology with Psychology enabled me to undertake an M.Sc. in International Business from The University of Nottingham and springboard to doing an Executive MBA degree from Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne, Switzerland. Looking back, these versatile disciplines enabled me to gain a subliminal understanding of the way the world works, develop a deep appreciation for its diversity and culture and hone my entrepreneurial spirit.
Your transition from the Head of Design and Operations at The Leela to launching your own luxury sleepwear label and then opening several restaurants is intriguing. What motivated this shift, and what were some of the initial challenges you faced?
I feel incredibly lucky that one practice fed into the other even at the most fundamental level of family conversation, which has been a huge source of inspiration. I remember my father and grandfather at the dinner table, the discussions ranging from the new trends in hospitality, food, fashion to world politics – it was the best kind of education one could hope for. While the legacy established by my forebears is incredible, I was always left yearning to create something of my own. Very much like them here I am, now giving it all a shot with our collection of restaurants at LSL Capital namely, Jamavar, Bombay Bustle, MiMi Mei Fair, KOYN & Socca, co-founded with my father Dinesh. I guess you can call it coming a full circle. I’d have to admit the transition seemed natural but quick and the hardest part has been leaving home, moving to London and making it on my own. However, I am incredibly grateful to have an amazing team, work alongside wonderful collaborators and grateful for the opportunity to be able to do what I do and showcase them on the world’s culinary stage, which as we begin a new chapter in Dubai is even more exciting. Truth be told, I often fall but pick myself by the bootstraps and run along with the show.
How has your family legacy shaped your vision and values in the hospitality industry?
From many memories and moments spent at the dining table, I noticed that my family had a deeply sophisticated way of thinking about hospitality and design, and while it is publicly visible in The Leela Palaces Hotels & Resorts – an Indian chain of hotels they founded, it was also evident in small, perfect things – the way my grandfather, Captain Nair, wore a pocket square or how my grandmother, Leela, served up a storm against the backdrop of a perfectly laid table. I learned from my father to appreciate food and flavour, but also that it’s best served with a side of warmth. Bless my mother for being the best teacher I could have asked for and sharing with me her discernment in taste and attention to detail. Early on I was taught that if you don’t stand for something you are going to fall for everything and that has been a guiding principle that enabled me to really take the time to develop a point of a view. Especially in a world like today to be your authentic self and put forward a body of work that resonates with you deeply is akin to art. For me, the only way I know it is if you live it and breathe it, it’s a lot easier to be it.
Each of your restaurant ventures has a distinct identity and culinary focus – how are these defined from concept to creation?
Every concept begins as an idea that comes up in conversation between my father and I, usually over a meal. As a family we enjoy eating a range of cuisines, many of them rooted in memories from our time spent in New York during my growing years. Food is always the starting point and finding the right talent and space to creatively translate our vision is front and centre. Fleshing this out further from an idea into a concept is nothing but a labour of love – one that I spend months obsessing over with my incredible creative and operational teams. When you value authenticity as much as we do at LSL Capital, paying attention to details becomes important – that’s where the magic lies. Your restaurants are known for their exceptional design and atmosphere.
How do you balance a focus on gastronomy with aesthetics?
For me, thoughtfully designed spaces are important but really make an impact if complemented with decadent food and gracious service. Finding an expression of design that is complementary to a dining experience is what we always strive towards. Especially true in an era where more is more, true power really lies in the edit. You are about to launch Jamavar Dubai, expanding your portfolio in the Middle East. What attracted you to the region? We are incredibly excited to be bringing Jamavar to Dubai’s culinary stage and can’t wait to open doors to our new home on The Boulevard by The Opera on the 30th of August. The Middle East is home to a burgeoning food scene and is a growing hub for hospitality concepts. The forefront of my endeavour is to be able to build a supportive community as we have in London that will enable us to take the essence of Indian hospitality as we know it to the rest of the world.
How do you plan to adapt Jamavar’s fine dining experience to suit the cultural and culinary preferences of the Dubai clientele?
Jamavar has been popular with audiences in the Middle East as they have a sophisticated understanding of Indian food. The space itself remains inspired by the Viceroy’s home in New Delhi but makes references to India’s royal past with a palatial flair as it houses a boutique cocktail bar, an opulent dining hall and an intimate residential outdoor terrace. Signature Jamavar classics will feature on the menu, but being South Indian we have always wanted to explore that paradigm further, which under the leadership of Culinary Director Surender Mohan and Executive Head Chef Purushottam Naidu is what we are looking to do in Dubai.
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Can you share any insights or strategies you have developed to navigate the competitive and diverse market of the Middle East? And how is it different from the European market?
Hospitality is competitive, no matter what market you are in. Across brands, we prefer looking at our businesses from a glocal approach that allows us to think global in nature but act local especially when it comes to specific tastes and preferences.
How do you envision the future of your business portfolio?
I like to think of our portfolio as a collection of restaurants that serve up bespoke culinary experiences born out of my nostalgic memories with loved ones. First and foremost, I am excited to soon open doors to MiMi Mei Fair, our Chinese concept inspired by Empress MiMi’s travels as she makes her way to her home away from home, in Dubai in November.
As a successful female entrepreneur in a competitive industry, what advice would you give to aspiring businesswomen looking to make their mark in the hospitality industry?
No matter what, there is no shortcut for hard work. Staying focused on developing a clear understanding of what you want to do and how you want to do it will always serve better in the long run. You cannot do everything by yourself, putting together a good team and empowering them to make decisions is a winning strategy. Processes make the world go round and the glass ceiling exists only if you want it to.
This is the Visionary Issue, what’s your vision for the future?
While our systems improve and become more efficient in the day and age of AI, my only hope for the future is for hospitality
to continue to be a deeply personal experience filled with thoughtful touch points.
