At Town Tonic, Chef Kanav Khajuria serves a sub-discipline of food science that seeks to analyze the physical and chemical transformation of ingredients.

"I began my culinary journey in my homeland of India, completing a Bachelor of Hotel Management. I gained experience in a range of well-acclaimed international hotels such as Marriott and Sheraton before I relocated to the other side of the world, New Zealand, in 2012. I spent time in New Plymouth, Martinborough, Abel Tasman National Park, and Lake Tekapo before settling down in Christchurch and taking on the chef position at Town Tonic.

Three key ingredients to a tasty dish? Social, artistic and technical.

What is your favourite guilty pleasure? Ice creams.

What is an interesting trend you’re seeing in food? Plant-forward focus and attention to nutrition.

Who are your culinary heroes? Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrià.

Is there a particular book that has inspired you in your life or career? Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking by Maxime Bilet and Nathan Myhrvold.

What’s one thing people probably don’t know about you? I don’t like horror movies at all.

RECIPE: Learn to cook Chef Kanav's Ōra King Salmon Crudo with charred corn, smoked sesame cream, chilli maple and avocado

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