My kickass morning routine: 3 girl bosses on starting the day right

Restaurant dining is a lot more than just what you put in your mouth. It’s about that plate of food that ups your Insta-aesthetic, the smoke-and-mirror theatrics, and the full-bodied artisanal wine that pairs with aged gouda to bring out its nuttiness. It’s also about casually dropping phrases like ‘full-bodied artisanal wine that pairs with aged gouda’.

With the amount of work we put in to make the most of our meals, one can only imagine the gargantuan to-do lists of the people behind them. We spoke with three powerful women – one who brought hidden gems from Parsi bhonu to our plates, one who single-handedly made macarons India’s favourite dessert, and one who is transforming our wine drinking experience, one goblet of Pinot Noir at a time. Anahita Dhondy, Pooja Dhingra, and Gargi Kothari tell us what it’s like to be at the frontlines of India’s F&B revolution and how their morning routines help them do it all (and still stay sane).

Anahita Dhondy, chef partner, SodaBottleOpenerWala (Cyber Hub, Gurgaon)

A 10-year-old sous chef diligently ices a cake as her mother looks on. Less than two decades later, Anahita Dhondy is bhaji shopping in Hyderabad when she hears about being included in Forbes’ ‘30 Under 30 Asia 2019’ list. Not a lot of aspiring sous chefs go on to graduate from the Institute of Hotel Management, Aurangabad, get a diploma from Le Cordon Bleu, London, make it to a Forbes power list or become Chef Partners at one of the country’s most popular restaurants, all before turning 30.

The trailblazer shares with us her morning routine — how she manages a frenetic kitchen, maintains a drool-worthy Instagram account and stays cheerful while dealing with errant customers.

What time do you wake up?
Between 9 and 10am, as I usually have late nights at work.

Your go-to breakfast food and beverage?
Parsi chai with lemongrass and mint, it is perfect to wake you up. For breakfast, I love having a toast with leftovers from the previous night or a quick yogurt and fruit bowl.

What’s the first step of your morning routine?
Have a glass of water.

One guilty habit you’re trying to get rid of?
I am trying to stop drinking tea on an empty stomach. Also, scrolling through some of my favourite Instagram accounts first thing in the morning. My current favourites are The Business of Fashion (@bof), United Nations (@unitednations) and Chef’s Manifesto (@chefsmanifesto).

What’s on your bedside table?
Bottle of water, a Neutrogena or Bath & Body Works hand lotion, specs, night lamp and a book (At the moment it is The Yogic Kitchen by Jody Vassallo).

Any secret hack for getting your energy levels up in the morning?
Five pre-soaked almonds, an apple and a good hip hop song. Currently listening to a playlist on Apple Music called Latin Urban Workout and Missy Elliot.

What do you read to stay updated on what’s happening?
Twitter helps with skimming over the highlights.

What’s your trick for motivating yourself to get out of bed on a gloomy day?
Making delicious healthy food. It is usually fruit yogurt with granola—probably the easiest breakfast to make.

Anahita Dhondy’s fruit yogurt with granola

Ingredients:

1 mango or a handful of cherries/strawberries/ chickoo/ mixed fruit
100 gms of yogurt
40 gms granola
20 gms ragi flakes

Method:

1. Put the fruit in a blender, and make a puree.
2.  Whisk the yogurt in a bowl and add the pureed fruit. Check for sweetness, if needed add honey / jaggery.
3. Put it in your bowl, add the granola and flakes on top. If you’d like, add more fruit like apples or pears.
4. Eat and have a great start to your morning.

Pooja Dhingra, pastry chef, founder & CEO, Le15 Patisserie

In an interview in 2018, Pooja Dhingra spoke about her resolution to work only 12 hours a day. That same year she launched her podcast NoSugarCoat, co-authored The Foodhall Cookbook: For the Love of Food, kickstarted an e-commerce venture, and planned on hiking up Mt. Fuji, which she is currently training for. There really is no slowing her down.

Dhingra’s Le15 journey began in 2010 with three employees sweating it out in a tiny kitchen. Today, the Le15 team has grown to over 100 employees. In 2014, Dhingra was included in Forbes ‘30 Under 30’ achievers list and Forbes ‘30 Under 30 Asia’ list. In 2017, she was named an INK fellow. After having authored four cookbooks, and bringing to Mumbai (and now, the entire country) the most decadent treats, Dhingra’s most treasured possessions still seem to be the paper napkin notes her fans and diners leave behind for her at her various outlets.

The multi-hyphenate on her morning routine and how she makes the most of 24 hours.

What time do you wake up? Why?
I wake up at 6am on most days. I start my day early. I usually exercise at Physique 57 — it’s a barre workout that targets all muscle groups — before heading to work.

Your go-to breakfast food and beverage?
Eggs and black coffee. I usually like my eggs either boiled or scrambled. I prefer a no-fuss breakfast and keep things super simple.

What’s the first step of your morning routine?
I play loud music to get out of bed. My playlist keeps changing depending on my mood. It ranges from Hip-hop to Reggaeton, acoustic covers to Bossa Nova.

One guilty habit you’re trying to get rid of?
Looking at my phone as soon as I wake up – the first thing I check is Whatsapp to see if the family or team has sent me anything and then proceed to email and Instagram.

What’s on your bedside table?

Phone charger, water bottle, lip balm, my phone and my Kindle ( I am currently reading The Trillion Dollar Coach by Alan Eagle, Eric Schmidt, and Jonathan Rosenberg).

What’s your trick for motivating yourself to get out of bed on a gloomy day?
I’m genuinely happy to wake up and go work out in the mornings. Very rarely do I need to push myself. The promise of coffee in the kitchen usually does the trick.

Describe your perfect working morning.
My perfect working morning would start with me waking up at 5:30 am. I would finish my workout and be at work by 7:45 am. I would spend 30 minutes organising my thoughts and tasks for the day/week/month, then spend some time in the kitchen testing new recipes and then have a big breakfast with the team.

What do you read to stay updated on what’s happening?
My Twitter feed.

Any secret hack for getting your energy levels up in the morning?
Black coffee and LOUD music.

Gargi Kothari, wine sommelier, Magic Cellars

“I am almost always the only sober person in the room,” says Gargi Kothari on the occupational hazards of being a wine sommelier. Wine and Kothari were not really a love story waiting to happen but more like an arranged marriage, orchestrated to perfection. Kothari, who was coerced into the profession by her mother, admits to never having thought of curating wine experiences as a career path for herself. She founded Magic Cellars sometime in early 2016, and hasn’t really slowed down since.

Kothari has taken two breaks since the conception of Magic Cellars. “Well, I usually go on wine trails so I can meet suppliers and see what’s new,” she admits sheepishly. Kothari’s day involves coordinating, answering, conceptualising and planning tastings from scratch. Oh, and did we mention that she does it all alone?

Here’s a sneak-peek into Kothari’s morning routine to find out how this one-man-army manages to glide through her day.

What time do you wake up?
Usually around 11am. I’m not a morning person, never have been. It also works perfectly with my choice of profession which always involves working late into the night.

Your go-to breakfast food and beverage?
Keto coffee with seasonal fruits and soaked nuts.

What’s the first step of your morning routine?
Drink water and reply to messages.

One guilty habit you’re trying to get rid of?
Being awake till the wee hours. Trying to get back to my original bedtime of 2am. Many might consider this late but that’s been my normal most of my adult life.

What’s on your bedside table?
A bottle of water and my phone.

Do you have a preferred alarm tone?
Yes, it’s a tone called Spring. It is soft music with sounds of birds chirping.

What’s your trick for motivating yourself to get out of bed on a gloomy day?
Open all curtains to flood the room with light.

Describe your perfect working morning.
Hahaha. Exactly! There’s no such thing. But to get the important tasks out of the way at the beginning of the work day would be ideal.

What do you read to stay updated on what’s happening?
I have stopped consuming news. I only actively stay updated on news related to my industry by reading specific websites like Wine Spectator, Decanter, and The Drinks Business.

Any secret hack for getting your energy levels up in the morning?
Eating an apple. It works better than a cup of coffee or tea. I try not to consume caffeine for an hour after waking up.