Chef Pankaj Joshi Joins Farzi Café Seattle as Sous Chef

BELLEVUE, Washington — Farzi Café Seattle has appointed Chef Pankaj Joshi as Sous Chef, adding an Indian cuisine specialist with a career built across luxury hotel kitchens in India to the team at the Massive Restaurants brand's first US location in Bellevue.

Chef Pankaj Joshi Steps Into the Sous Chef Role at Farzi Café Seattle

In his new role, Joshi supports kitchen operations, menu development and team coordination at Farzi Café, a contemporary Indian dining concept known for its modern take on regional Indian cuisine and its roots in Zorawar Kalra's Massive Restaurants group. His work at the restaurant covers daily culinary execution, consistency in food preparation and contributing to the evolution of the menu alongside the kitchen's senior leadership.

A Kitchen Career Built Across Luxury Hotels and Indian Cuisine Restaurants

Pankaj Joshi comes to Farzi Café from Sanjh Creative Indian Restaurant & Bar, where he worked as Indian Cuisine Chef, managing regional Indian dishes and day-to-day kitchen operations in a restaurant environment focused on creative Indian cooking.

Before that, he spent time at The Leela Ambience Convention Hotel Delhi — one of the capital's largest convention and luxury hotel properties — where he served first as Chef de Partie and later as Junior Sous Chef for Indian Cuisine. Working in that kitchen meant handling high-volume banquet operations and Indian cuisine preparation at a scale and standard that most restaurant kitchens do not replicate. It is the kind of experience that teaches a cook how to maintain quality and consistency when the pressure and numbers are both high.

His career also includes roles at ANDAZ Delhi, Hotel Hans Plaza, Park Plaza Noida and Country Inn & Suites by Carlson Sahibabad — a range of properties across Delhi NCR that exposed him to different kitchen cultures and service environments before he moved into a more specialised Indian cuisine focus.

Chef Pankaj Joshi on Joining Farzi Café Seattle

Joshi was direct about what drew him to the role and what he wants to bring to it.

"I am excited to join Farzi Café Seattle and contribute to a brand that is known for innovation and creativity in Indian cuisine. I look forward to creating memorable dining experiences for guests while continuing to showcase the richness and diversity of Indian flavors."

— Chef Pankaj Joshi, Sous Chef, Farzi Café Seattle

About Farzi Café Seattle

Farzi Café's US location sits at 515 Bellevue Square in Bellevue, Washington, serving the greater Seattle market. The restaurant is a franchise of Massive Restaurants, the New Delhi-based hospitality group founded by Zorawar Kalra, and is operated by local franchisees Amit Kumar Upadhyay and Dhiraj Singh. It is the brand's first entry into the American market, offering a contemporary take on pan-Indian cuisine that blends classic regional flavours with modern culinary techniques and presentation.

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