Among chefs in New York City, Akhtar Nawab is spoken of with respect bordering on reverence. David Chang, who considers Akhtar a mentor, told Eater in 2017 that the chef “is so good at cooking, so knowledgeable, and cares so much about it.”
Akhtar is the owner of Alta Calidad in Brooklyn, New York, and one of the hallmarks of his skill in the kitchen is his global background: He’s got family roots in India, he grew up in Kentucky, and he has studied cooking in Italy and Turkey and Mexico. A truly international understanding of flavor is evident in both Akhtar’s restaurant cooking and the consulting he does for food halls around the United States.
Equally important to Akhtar is the pursuit of wellbeing. For years now, he has experimented with ways of creating satisfying, nourishing dishes that happen to forsake sugar, gluten, dairy, and unhealthy sources of fats. (He’s something of a wizard when it comes to spices, chiles, and nuts.) This approach to healthful cooking surfaced in Good for You, Akhtar’s 2020 cookbook, and it’s central to Akhtar’s courses here at RoundGlass Living.
