Anita Jaisinghani is the chef-owner of Pondicheri Restaurant and Bake Lab + Shop in Houston, Texas. After obtaining a degree in Microbiology and working in Canada for several years, Anita moved to Houston, Texas where she pursued her passion for food by first selling locally made chutneys to Whole Food Market then by going to work for Robert Del Grande at Cafe Annie to learn the ins and outs of the restaurant business. In 2001, she opened Indika, an award-winning restaurant with a modern take on Indian food in Houston, which she helmed until 2015. In 2011, wanting to take food to the ‘street level’ by showcasing regional cooking of India, Anita opened Pondicheri, an all-day cafe for the American and Indian diaspora with inspiration from street and home cooking of India. With an industrial décor of pungent colors and bright Indian textiles, Pondicheri has become a Houston unofficial landmark beloved by people of all generations from teenagers to grandmas. Pondicheri Bake Lab + Shop, a beautiful sun-filled annex located directly above the restaurant, opened in 2014. It sells a variety of baked goods, prepared masalas, other condiments, and unique textiles from India. It is a space where she and her team explore creative ideas and where she teaches cooking classes. Anita writes a weekly recipe column for the Houston Chronicle and runs the recipe website india1948.com. She is a perennial student of Ayurveda and yoga, with a deep passion for food and how it relates to every aspect of our mind, body, and spirit.
