Cultural Dinner 2026

The best lens to understand the culture of any nation is through its food. COOKSCAMP wants to continue celebrating and honouring the cultures that built and added to the extensive culinary fabric of Canada and British Columbia. This year’s opening dinner will celebrate Indian cuisine with some of Vancouver’s most influential Chefs with Indian heritage. 

Tushar Tondvalkar – Kavita

Tushar is the soul behind Kavita. His culinary journey spans over a decade, from the Michelin-starred kitchens of Gaggan and Gaa in Bangkok to some of Vancouver’s most respected dining rooms, including Blue Water Café, Bauhaus, and The Fish House in Stanley Park. As head chef at Mumbai Local, he brought the flavours of his heritage to the forefront, before expanding into The Indian Pantry, a line of simmering sauces and spice blends born from his passion for sharing Indian cuisine with every home.
Kavita is the realization of a lifelong dream: a space where Tushar invites you into his world of bold flavours, refined craft, and the stories that inspire every dish.

Bal Ajagaonkar – Desi Indian Lounge

Born and raised in the coastal town of Malvan, India, I developed a passion for cooking at a young age, inspired by the flavours and traditions of my mother’s kitchen. After earning my degree in Hotel Management, Catering Technology, and Tourism, I embarked on a culinary journey that has taken me through several prestigious five-star hotels and restaurants.
Currently based in Vancouver, Canada, I serve as the Executive Chef at Desi Lounge, where I craft dishes that blend locally sourced ingredients with ethnic spices to create harmonious and memorable flavours. Also, I do private dining events as a private chef. With over 15 years of diverse experience, I specialise in Indian, French, and Italian cuisines, and I am passionate about developing innovative menus that delight the senses.
My culinary skills have been recognised with numerous awards, including four
Gold Medals, three Silver Medals, and one Bronze Medal
—at competitions such as the Great India Culinary Challenge, the Indian International Culinary Classic, and the Vancouver Curry Cup, where I was honoured as the People’s Choice Winner in 2025 and Bronze Medal in The Great Kitchen Party, Vancouver Regional qualifier 2025.

Angana Ghosh – Jugal’s

Angana Ghosh is a Vancouver-based chef and entrepreneur representing Jugal’s, a family confectionery rooted in Kolkata’s long tradition of Bengali sweets. Drawing on generations of craft, she brings the art of mishti—India’s refined milk-based confections—to contemporary audiences through supper clubs, pop-ups, and culinary collaborations. At COOKSCAMP, Angana and her sister Lahana will share the heritage, technique, and storytelling behind Bengali sweets, offering a glimpse into a culinary tradition where milk, patience, and precision transform into delicate desserts that have been celebrated across India for centuries.

Lahana Ghosh – Jugal’s

Lahana Ghosh is a third-generation mishti maker and co-owner of Jugal’s, a 100-year-old Bengali sweet house founded in Kolkata in 1923. Working between Kolkata and Vancouver, she and her twin sister Angana Ghosh are presenting Bengali cuisine to new audiences in contemporary dining formats through pop-ups and supper clubs. Her approach is ingredient-led, rooted in traditional techniques like fresh chenna-making, mustard-forward cooking, traditional Bengali vegetarian cooking—shaak, uchche, posto and quick stir-fries.

Narendra singh Panwar – Restaurant Kavita 

Chef Narendra has been working in the food industry for over two decades. His experience spans Michelin-starred kitchens, including working with Chef Vineet Bhatia in the Middle East and at Sona in New York alongside Chef Hari Nayak. In India, Chef Narendra has also worked with top hotel groups such as Taj and Hyatt.
Prior to joining Kavita, Chef Narendra served as the Executive Chef at Adrak Yorkville in Toronto, which received a Michelin recommendation in its very first year. He is now the Chef de Cuisine at Restaurant Kavita, where he works closely with Chef Tushar to create a memorable dining experience.

Tarun Tiwari  – Restaurant Kavita 

Born and brought up in bustling cities like New Delhi and Mumbai. I grew up in a vegetarian household. Still staying connected to those roots, I cook at restaurant Kavita.