Well seasoned

Akhtar Nawab

Photograph: Beth Levendis

Akhtar Nawab, chef-owner, Elettaria

Gastrogeeks may know him from the East Village eatery E.U., where chef Nawab was cooking until last month. But to build a name bankable enough to warrant the recently opened Elettaria (33 W 8th St between Fifth and Sixth Aves, 212-677-3833), the 35-year-old toque’s first solo project, Nawab toiled for eight years under Tom Colicchio—first at Gramercy Tavern, then at Craft and finally as chef de cuisine at Craftbar.

While Colicchio built his menus on painstakingly sourced comestibles, at Elettaria, Nawab’s brand of ingredients-worship revolves around tongue-tickling flavors such as fenugreek, coconut and tamarind.

“Tom would always say, ‘Simple isn’t so simple.’ There’s a lot of effort that goes into everything,” says Nawab, whose composed plates depart from Colicchio’s “build-your-own” meals. “I had a blast working at Craftbar,” says Nawab. “I wanted to re-create the fun aspect and the seriousness of the food in an environment that was completely laid-back.” Another trait shared with his showman mentor: Elettaria’s open kitchen is food-as-performance at its peak. —JR

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