Q: Tell us a bit about yourself and what led you to the kitchen .
I’ve always been the person who brings people together — the kitchen just became my way of doing it. Growing up, everything revolved around food, conversation, people dropping in and out. I didn’t plan to become a chef, it just felt like the most natural extension of who I am. I like creating moments, not just meals.
Q: What does The Gilded Table mean to you, and how did you come up with the name?
It came from the word golden — which has always felt very me, even with Brulée Beauty, my makeup brand. There’s warmth, richness, and a certain glow to it that I feel like I bring into spaces. The Gilded Table is really about taking something simple and elevating it, without it feeling forced. It’s subtle, but intentional.
Q: How did your Pakistani-Korean fusion style come to life?
It actually came from being pushed a bit creatively. I was asked to do a Pakistani menu and then a separate curated table, so I had to think differently. I started mixing flavours I already loved, and it just clicked. It didn’t feel like “fusion” for the sake of it — it felt quite instinctive. Pakistani and Korean food both have bold flavours and I sprinkle in my Levant influence from living in this region and growing up on this food. It’s a mixture of all the flavours I love that somehow just work together.
Q: What draws you to communal, shared dining experiences?
People just soften. When you’re sharing food, you naturally open up more — it becomes less formal, more real. There’s something about passing plates and eating together that shifts the energy quite quickly. I love watching that happen.
Q: What do you love most about hosting a Korean BBQ-style dinner?
I love that it’s not all on me. People get involved, they cook, they try things, they laugh when something doesn’t go perfectly. It becomes their experience as much as mine. That kind of energy is hard to create otherwise.
Q: How do you define comfort food in your own cooking?
For me, it’s food that feels grounding. It should have depth, warmth, something that comforts you and makes you go wow at the same time. It doesn’t need to be heavy or traditional, just… satisfying in a deeper way. Something you actually feel.
Q: Which childhood flavour or memory still influences your dishes today?
My mum would always taste the food and then make me taste it too — like my opinion actually mattered. And my grandma had this way of taking the simplest ingredients, even leftovers, and turning them into something amazing. I think that’s stayed with me the most — that instinct and that creativity. It’s less about following a recipe and more about feeling it out.
Q: How important is atmosphere when creating your dining experience?
Very. It sets the tone before the food even arrives. If the lighting, music, and table feel right, people relax instantly. That feeling is just as important as what’s on the plate.
Q: How do you keep your menu evolving while staying true to your identity?
I follow what excites me, not what’s trending. If something feels right, I build on it and refine it. As long as it still feels like me, it works. I don’t try to overcomplicate it.
Q: Which dish on this menu best represents you as a chef right now?
The beef bulgogi. It’s quite understated when you first see it, but then you taste it and it really hits. I like that contrast — simple, but impactful. That feels very me right now.
Q: At your table, guests share pieces of advice with one another — what’s one that has stayed with you long after the night ended?
“Don’t shrink yourself to make other people comfortable.” It was said so casually, but it stuck. I think we do that more than we realise.
Q: If you could describe The Gilded Table in three words, what would they be?
Golden. Warm. Authentic.
Q: What’s next for you and The Gilded Table?
I want to keep building it in a way that still feels personal. More menus. more tables, maybe new spaces — but without losing what makes it special. That balance is really important to me.
