About Papa's
Papa’s is an intimate yet loud 12-seater chefs’ counter restaurant where Chef Hussain Shahzad takes you on a dining experience that is playfully Indian.
With a tasting menu that is Indian in its soul and surprising in spirit, we are serving up some serious flavour with a not-so-serious attitude. Chef Hussain is dishing up a meal that’s been brewing in his head for years, and he’s doing it while breaking all the norms surrounding food and what it’s meant to be.
Papa's cuisine isn't confined by rules, it is made to wow, to excite and to leave you thinking.
The 'A' Team
Hussain Shahzad
Executive Chef
Chef Hussain Shahzad brings his signature blend of curiosity, high energy and global experience as Executive Chef at Hunger Inc. Hospitality.
After graduating from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration at Manipal, he worked with the Oberoi Group of Hotels in Mumbai, before moving to New York in 2014. There he spent a year at the famed Eleven Madison Park in New York.
Despite several years abroad, Hussain yearned to return to India and be a part of the changing food scene in the country. In 2015 Hussain joined The Bombay Canteen as Sous Chef and today is the Executive Chef of The Bombay Canteen, O Pedro, Veronica’s and now Papa’s. Amongst several achievements, he was named Chef Of The Year by Condé Nast Traveller’s Top Restaurant Awards 2023.
Hussain’s food philosophy is simple - showcase local produce using contemporary culinary techniques that inspire the future generation of chefs to cook smarter.
Sameer Seth
Founder & CEO
With a background in finance and later hospitality management from Cornell University, USA, Sameer brings 14 years of experience in the food and beverage industry. He has worked with Chef Daniel Boulud’s Bar Boulud and Danny Meyer’s North End Grill in New York.
Here, he met Late Chef Floyd Cardoz, who became his mentor and later business partner at Hunger Inc. Hospitality. His time in the USA significantly shaped his thinking and approach to every aspect of the restaurant business; whether cultivating a concept or driving a team to excellence.
Madhusudhan Kashyap
General Manager
Madhusudhan started his hospitality journey after graduating from Bangalore in Hotel Management. Following his passion, he worked at San Francisco's Quince, a 3 Michelin Star restaurant, in 2016, laying the foundation for his future in the industry.
In 2018, Madhusudhan co-founded Lipi, a 14-seater restaurant featuring a seasonal Indian menu. He then joined Hunger Inc. Hospitality in Mumbai, contributing to O Pedro, as the Assistant Restaurant Manager. After a stint as the Assistant General Manager back at Quince in San Francisco, he returned to Mumbai in 2023 to establish Papa's with Hunger Inc. Hospitality.
Madhusudhan's love for wine has been instrumental in shaping the wine program at Veronica's, the group's sandwich shop, and now at Papa's.
Yash Bhanage
Founder & COO
With a background in hospitality, Yash graduated from IHM Goa and has a Masters from Cornell University Hotel School. In 2013, he successfully opened Antidote, which was awarded the ‘Best Bar in Singapore’ in 2014. He has trained and worked with some of the best restaurants and bars in the USA and Southeast Asia.
With all of these sights and smells and having worked his way up in the hospitality industry, from his first job as a trainee in Pune, Yash learnt very early that hospitality has no boundaries. This has played a great role in moulding the concepts behind all the restaurants under Hunger Inc. Hospitality.