On a weekday evening, braving heavy traffic, we arrive at a discreet door that leads us to Bare that brings together a cocktail bar, a rotating art gallery, an espresso bar and a restaurant with the promise of a new chef’s table experience every four months.
For Chapter 3.0, the restaurant invited 36-year-old Finnish chef Toni Toivanen, whose culinary journey includes stints at Helsinki’s Chez Dominique and a decade at Copenhagen’s Noma, as well as experience in New York and Tokyo. He joins hands with resident chef Aman Singhal, and the result is less about defining a single cuisine and more about his craft built around curiosity, camaraderie and the freedom to let time and place shape food. The celebrated chef explains his philosophy and vision.
Toni Toivanen
Excerpts from the interview.
Which dish from this collaboration is your favourite?
My favourite is the Karelian Pie Kulcha, and what we were able to create with it. We combined a Finnish and Indian classic dish. I loved the technique of the tandoor. Most Indians are familiar with Kulcha, and Karelian Pie is what we Fins grow up eating at home. A Karelian Pie traditionally has a rye dough filled with rice porridge. So, we took that idea and made a kulcha dough, filling it with rice porridge. It was a fun connection between both cultures.
Bell Pepper Gazpacho
How did you approach Indian ingredients and flavours while creating this menu?
We brought in a lot of different ingredients, tasted them and tried to understand what India is about. You cannot fully understand it in a few weeks, but you can begin to get a sense of it.
The most important thing was to be curious — taste, try, try again. We made a lot of things that were nearly inedible! But through that process, we also found common ground between India and Scandinavia. What excites and surprises me most about Indian food culture is the variety of styles, textures and flavours. I loved working with its spices and flavours, and especially the colours. We don’t have that many colours in Scandinavian cuisine.
Karelian Pie Kulcha
What is one misconception you would like people to move away from with Nordic cuisine?
I hope people understand that Nordic cuisine is a wide landscape, with many different cultures coming together. It is not only about smoked salmon and dill. Apart from Scandinavia, we have influences from Central Europe and Russia.
Fave food in Mumbai
It’s the Maharaja Bhog Thali. It was vegetarian food served in a casual setting, but there were so many flavours, colours and textures. I loved that it was a humble experience.
Noma lessons
The most beautiful thing I learned at Noma was to keep exploring and stay curious. Always be the person to ask questions, taste and experiment, and never be afraid to fail. When I was a young cook, I thought I knew everything about cooking. But the older I get, the more I realise that I know nothing [about cooking], which is alright. That is what keeps me moving and makes me want to explore new techniques and flavours.
When I came to India, I had no idea how to make dal or pani puri. I want to learn. That is the spirit in which I want to keep exploring the world. It’s about being like a baby. My son is 10 months old, and he is curious about everything. It’s a beautiful mindset for chefs to have.
At Bare, Gate Number 3, Altimus, Dr GM Bhosale Marg, B Wing, Worli.
Till December 2026
Time 12 pm to 3 pm; 7 pm to 1 am
Call 8655094280
