AK Singh, Executive Chef

Born and raised in New Delhi, India. I found an early love for cooking in my grandmothers’ kitchens. One’s village traditions and the other’s Regional Indian classics taught me at a young age, food is not just about the destination but also the journey.

After Institute of Hotel Management PUSA, New Delhi a premier hospitality culinary institution of India, I found my way to the kitchens of Clarks International, The Savera, Hyatt Regency of India. This rich experience from back home has given me the opportunity to explore myself in San Francisco, CA. There I had the privilege to work for some of the city’s best chefs and restaurants. It was during my 5 years in the city, working amongst some of the best cooks and hospitality professionals in the industry, that I developed and refined my ideas for how food should be made.

After my time in our Golden state, it was time for a change, and I set my opportunities of partnership with Kalyan & Divya, Virginia based entrepreneurs. They believed and put their trust in me to extend my role as a part-owner managing hospitality for the Peoria location . They take pride in bringing a new take on Indian and South Asian food. Their passion and love towards food has influenced me to take this new milestone in Peoria, IL.

I finally found myself in Peoria as Executive Chef / part-owner for Tawa Kitchen. I love the city, neighborhood, variety in our food and how much I’m able to learn and explore daily.

If there’s anything I’ve learned in the past two decades spent in restaurants, it’s that the journey is just as important as the destination, and there are few greater gifts than sharing a meal with those we love.