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The Chef JKP PodcastAuthor: The Chef JKP Podcast
James Knight-Paccheco celebrates the inspirational stories of people within hospitality, their ups, their downs and everything in between. What does it take to keep up in one of the most competitive, mentally and physically stressful industries in the world? Giving incredible insights and advice to the listeners. For more information go to http://www.chefjkp.com Language: en Genres: Arts, Business, Careers, Food Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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The Chef Who Said No To Engineering And Built An Empire Instead
Episode 4
Wednesday, 8 April, 2026
Send us Fan MailThis episode of the Chef JKP Podcast features Saradhi Dakara, chef and co-founder of Stellar Society, for a conversation about food, identity, entrepreneurship, and what it truly takes to build something of your own from the ground up.Chef James Knight-Paccheco sits down with Saradhi to trace a journey that began in a small town in Andhra Pradesh, wound through some of Dubai's most high-profile hotel kitchens, and ultimately led to the founding of Oria and a bold new chapter in his career.At its core, this is a conversation about grit, reinvention, and the belief that community, not just cuisine, is what makes a restaurant truly great.WHAT YOU WILL HEAR IN THIS EPISODE• Saradhi's childhood food memories and what a South Indian Sunday really looks like when three families cook together• Why he refused to sit the engineering entrance exam and how that single decision changed everything• How he got shortlisted out of sixty students to join Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai• What it was like arriving in Dubai for the first time and discovering that everything he had learned needed to be unlearned• The mentors who shaped his approach to leadership and proved that teams can be built through love rather than fear• His journey through some of Dubai's most important kitchens and what each one taught him• Why he stepped away from executive chef roles to start something entirely his own• The thinking behind Stellar Society and the founding of Oria, its Mediterranean and Asian-inspired flagship• What nobody tells you about going from chef to restaurateur and why he still introduces himself as a chef, not an owner• His vision for the future of Stellar Society, including upcoming concepts and a restaurant named after his motherCHAPTERS00:00 A young chef in Dubai, the story that sets everything up04:00 Childhood food memories, thali, and Sunday feasts with three families13:00 Family expectations, engineering, and the exam he deliberately skipped25:00 Catering college, the Jumeirah interview, and being asked to sing30:00 Landing in Dubai for the first time and starting from zero37:00 Mentors, molecular gastronomy, and the lessons that never left him52:00 The Marco Pierre White opening at Conrad Dubai and the Michelin world01:16:00 The concept behind Oria, Mediterranean meets Asian, and building a soul into a restaurant01:24:00 From chef to restaurateur and what nobody prepares you for01:51:00 Advice to a 16-year-old Saradhi and the story behind the oyster shell mosaicFOLLOW THE GUESTSaradhi DakaraInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/saradhi_dakara/Oria Restaurant - https://www.instagram.com/orilladxb/Stellar Society - https://www.instagram.com/stellarsocietyofficial/FOLLOW CHEF JKPInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/chefjkppodcastLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-knight-paccheco-447b1b17TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@jamesknightpacchecoPROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY VALRHONAValrhona partners with chefs and artisans to elevate chocolate through craftsmanship, innovation, and a commitment to a more sustainable cocoa industry.Website: https://www.valrhona.com/en/valrhona-middle-east-africa-and-indiaSUPPORT THE SHOWStay hydrated with the Chef JKP thermos flask.Get yours here: https://pay.ziina.com/chefjkp/RKwVHDfpNSupport the showFollow The Chef JKP Podcast on Instagram HERE
