Jehangir Mehta
Encyclopedia
Jehangir Mehta is the executive chef and owner of New York City
restaurant Graffiti. He is also the author of the 2008 HarperCollins
cookbook "Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence," offers a cooking class at his restaurant for children 4-14 called "Candy Camp" designed to build interest in more diverse foods, hosts exclusive in-home dinner parties and runs an event planning company.
In August 2009, Jehangir appeared on “Iron Chef America
” on Food Network
, and was the runner-up on the second season of “The Next Iron Chef
” later in 2009.
, India
where he was raised. He is Parsi
. After moving to the United States
, he met and married his wife, Hinata Jambuserwala. They currently live in New York City
where they are raising twins.
from the University of Mumbai
, which he pursued while also attending the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in Mumbai
, India
. Jehangir then moved to the United States
to attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park
, New York
and graduated from there in 1995.
After graduating from culinary school in 1996, Jehangir began his career at L'Absinthe
in New York City
. From there, he moved on to Typhoon Brewery where he worked as the pastry chef to James Chew, formerly of Vong fame.
Jehangir’s next move was to Jean Georges. In 1998, Jean Georges Vongerichten selected him to open his new restaurant, Mercer Kitchen, quickly to become one of the hottest destinations in New York City
.
In 1999 he moved on to work with Rocco di Spirito at Union Pacific, and in 2001 joined Didier Virot, who had left Jean Georges to open the highly acclaimed although short-lived restaurant Virot. Jehangir’s next move was to Compass, where he became known for unorthodox but creative and intellectually driven desserts.
In 2002, Jehangir teamed up with Didier Virot as the pastry chef at Aix, located on the Upper West Side
of Manhattan
, where he received acclaimed reviews for his pastry creations, while also consulting with Patricia Lo at Sapa and Michael Simon at Parea.
In 2007 Jehangir opened his first restaurant, Graffiti, where he is currently the executive chef and owner.
In 2008, he authored his first cookbook, “Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence” which was published by HarperCollins
.
In 2010 Jehangir opened his second restaurant, Mehtaphor, in TriBeCa.
, including Gourmet
, Bon Appétit
, Vogue
, The New York Times
, New York
, Time Out, Gotham
, Daily News, New York Post
. He has also been written up on various blogs including DailyCandy
, Strong Buzz, Restaurant News, Grubb Street
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
restaurant Graffiti. He is also the author of the 2008 HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
cookbook "Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence," offers a cooking class at his restaurant for children 4-14 called "Candy Camp" designed to build interest in more diverse foods, hosts exclusive in-home dinner parties and runs an event planning company.
In August 2009, Jehangir appeared on “Iron Chef America
Iron Chef America
Iron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
” on Food Network
Food Network
Food Network is a television specialty channel that airs both one-time and recurring programs about food and cooking. Scripps Networks Interactive owns 70 percent of the network, with Tribune Company controlling the remaining 30 percent....
, and was the runner-up on the second season of “The Next Iron Chef
The Next Iron Chef
The Next Iron Chef, is a limited-run series on the Food Network now in its fourth season. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program Iron Chef America....
” later in 2009.
Personal life
Jehangir Mehta was born on July 9, 1971 to Petras and Kolly Mehta in MumbaiMumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
where he was raised. He is Parsi
Parsi
Parsi or Parsee refers to a member of the larger of the two Zoroastrian communities in South Asia, the other being the Irani community....
. After moving to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, he met and married his wife, Hinata Jambuserwala. They currently live in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
where they are raising twins.
Professional life
Jehangir holds a bachelor of arts in sociologySociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
from the University of Mumbai
University of Mumbai
The University of Mumbai , is a state university located in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It was known as the University of Bombay until 1996 when the city of Bombay was renamed as Mumbai. The affiliated colleges of the university are spread throughout the city of Mumbai and four coastal districts in...
, which he pursued while also attending the Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in Mumbai
Mumbai
Mumbai , formerly known as Bombay in English, is the capital of the Indian state of Maharashtra. It is the most populous city in India, and the fourth most populous city in the world, with a total metropolitan area population of approximately 20.5 million...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. Jehangir then moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
to attend The Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park
Hyde Park, New York
Hyde Park is a town located in the northwest part of Dutchess County, New York, United States, just north of the city of Poughkeepsie. The town is most famous for being the hometown of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt....
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
and graduated from there in 1995.
After graduating from culinary school in 1996, Jehangir began his career at L'Absinthe
L'Absinthe
L'Absinthe is a painting by Edgar Degas. Some original title translations are A sketch of a French Café, then Figures at Café, the title was finally changed in 1893 to L’Absinthe...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. From there, he moved on to Typhoon Brewery where he worked as the pastry chef to James Chew, formerly of Vong fame.
Jehangir’s next move was to Jean Georges. In 1998, Jean Georges Vongerichten selected him to open his new restaurant, Mercer Kitchen, quickly to become one of the hottest destinations in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
In 1999 he moved on to work with Rocco di Spirito at Union Pacific, and in 2001 joined Didier Virot, who had left Jean Georges to open the highly acclaimed although short-lived restaurant Virot. Jehangir’s next move was to Compass, where he became known for unorthodox but creative and intellectually driven desserts.
In 2002, Jehangir teamed up with Didier Virot as the pastry chef at Aix, located on the Upper West Side
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan, New York City, that lies between Central Park and the Hudson River and between West 59th Street and West 125th Street...
of Manhattan
Manhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, where he received acclaimed reviews for his pastry creations, while also consulting with Patricia Lo at Sapa and Michael Simon at Parea.
In 2007 Jehangir opened his first restaurant, Graffiti, where he is currently the executive chef and owner.
In 2008, he authored his first cookbook, “Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence” which was published by HarperCollins
HarperCollins
HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
.
In 2010 Jehangir opened his second restaurant, Mehtaphor, in TriBeCa.
Food Network
- In August 2009, Jehangir appeared on Iron Chef AmericaIron Chef AmericaIron Chef America: The Series is an American cooking show based on Fuji Television's Iron Chef, and is the second American adaptation of the series, following the failed Iron Chef USA. The show is produced by Food Network, which also carried a dubbed version of the original Iron Chef. Like the...
, where he lost to Iron Chef Masaharu MorimotoMasaharu Morimotois a well-known Japanese chef, best known as the third Iron Chef on the Japanese TV cooking show Iron Chef, and an Iron Chef on its spinoff, Iron Chef America. He is also known for his unique style of presenting food....
in Battle Coconut by only 2 points. - Beginning on October 4, 2009, Jehangir was a contestant on the new season of the reality show The Next Iron ChefThe Next Iron ChefThe Next Iron Chef, is a limited-run series on the Food Network now in its fourth season. Each season is a stand-alone competition to select a chef to be designated an Iron Chef, who will appear on the Food Network program Iron Chef America....
. Jehangir finished second, losing in the final episode, telecast on November 22, to Jose GarcesJose GarcesJose Garces is an Ecuadorian American chef, restaurant owner, and Iron Chef. He was born in Chicago to Ecuadorian parents. He won in the second season of The Next Iron Chef....
.
Other television appearances
- In January 2009 Jehangir and Graffiti were featured on the Martha StewartMartha StewartMartha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
Show - In September 2009, Graffiti's beet ice cream was featured on The Dr. Oz ShowThe Dr. Oz ShowThe Dr. Oz Show is an American syndicated television talk show, hosted by Dr. Mehmet Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon and teaching professor at Columbia University who became famous for his appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show from 2004 until 2009....
as a food for preventing kidney stones. - Jehangir, and his restaurant Graffiti, have been featured on ABCAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, Fox News, NBCNBCThe National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
, Martha StewartMartha StewartMartha Stewart is an American business magnate, author, magazine publisher, and television personality. As founder of Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, she has gained success through a variety of business ventures, encompassing publishing, broadcasting, and merchandising...
, and NY1NY1NY1, New York One, is a 24-hour cable-news television channel focusing on the five boroughs of New York City. In addition to news and weather forecasts, the channel also features human-interest segments such as the "New Yorker of the Week" and the "Scholar Athlete of the Week", and specialty...
LXTV.
Media coverage
Jehangir has been featured in numerous publications in the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, including Gourmet
Gourmet (magazine)
Gourmet magazine was a monthly publication of Condé Nast and the first U.S. magazine devoted to food and wine. Founded by Earle R. MacAusland and first published in 1941, Gourmet also covered "good living" on a wider scale....
, Bon Appétit
Bon Appétit
Bon Appétit describes itself as "a food and entertaining magazine" and is published monthly. Named after the French phrase for "Enjoy your meal", it was started by M. Frank Jones in Kansas City in 1956...
, Vogue
Vogue (magazine)
Vogue is a fashion and lifestyle magazine that is published monthly in 18 national and one regional edition by Condé Nast.-History:In 1892 Arthur Turnure founded Vogue as a weekly publication in the United States. When he died in 1909, Condé Montrose Nast picked up the magazine and slowly began...
, The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
, New York
New York (magazine)
New York is a weekly magazine principally concerned with the life, culture, politics, and style of New York City. Founded by Milton Glaser and Clay Felker in 1968 as a competitor to The New Yorker, it was brasher and less polite than that magazine, and established itself as a cradle of New...
, Time Out, Gotham
Gotham (magazine)
Gotham Magazine is a regional magazine published by Niche Media, LLC since 2001 and primarily targets New York's most affluent residents and visitors. According to a survey commissioned by the company, 56% of Gotham Magazine readers are male, with 51% married, and some two-thirds within the age...
, Daily News, New York Post
New York Post
The New York Post is the 13th-oldest newspaper published in the United States and is generally acknowledged as the oldest to have been published continuously as a daily, although – as is the case with most other papers – its publication has been periodically interrupted by labor actions...
. He has also been written up on various blogs including DailyCandy
DailyCandy
DailyCandy is an e-mail newsletter based in New York. It was founded by Dany Levy in March 2000. It was sold to Bob Pittman's Pilot Group Ventures for around $3 million in 2003, and then sold to Comcast for $125 million in August 2008. Previously a New York-only insider's newsletter; DailyCandy has...
, Strong Buzz, Restaurant News, Grubb Street
Books
In 2008, Jehangir published his first cookbook:- Mantra: The Rules of Indulgence (HarperCollinsHarperCollinsHarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. It is the combination of the publishers William Collins, Sons and Co Ltd, a British company, and Harper & Row, an American company, itself the result of an earlier merger of Harper & Brothers and Row, Peterson & Company. The worldwide...
, May 20, 2008) - ISBN 978-0-06-089985-1