Do you consider yourself a foodie?I’m a major foodie. My boyfriend, Anand and I literally spend our entire day planning what we will eat next. We try to be really controlled in our food habits so we can indulge in that one cheat meal.Is there a food philosophy you live by?I used to be vegan and now I’m predominantly vegetarian. If it’s well-sourced and ethically produced then I do eat egg or dairy. But I’m very particular about where the produce comes from. My food philosophy is to consume really good quality, fresh and well-sourced food. At one point, I used to like all the new, experimental restaurants. But honestly, I’ve eaten so many different cuisines in so many different countries that I’m actually now leaning towards organic, healthier and simpler food that’s seasonal. It tastes the best, the freshest and also is amazing for your body. A happy food related memory from your childhoodThe best food memory I have is almost 20 years ago when I accompanied my father to a shoot in Jaipur. We were eight or nine kids including Varun Dhawan, my sister Rhea and my cousins. Our moms took us to this restaurant called Chokhi Dhani because our dads were busy working. I remember we were all sitting at the table and the food just kept coming and for us kids that was amazing. The Rajasthani khaana was so, so good. The other good memory is Bleecker Street Pizza in New York. When I eat it now, it brings back the memories and nostalgia of eating it when I was 20 years old in New York. Which is your favourite city for food?It used to be Delhi but now it has become London. I think the food scene in London is exploding and the restaurants there are simply fabulous. Another city I love for food is Singapore.What do you always order from room service?I’m not a big room service fan; at the most I’ll order some French Fries. But I can tell you that the best room service food I’ve ever eaten is at The Leela Palace in New Delhi.Your favourite meal at home
My mom is Sindhi so I love the Sindhi kadhi with chaval and tuk at home. So good!What food do you hate?
Raisins! I don’t understand why people in India put elaichi and raisins in everything. Especially in Indian dishes it should just be banned. Eek! What is your guilty pleasure?
I love cheating… with pizza. But it has to be really good, gourmet pizza. I’m an actor and in my profession gluten is considered to be the devil but I love bread! I’m very fond of Italian food so am a sucker for any place that makes good pizza and good bread.What do you eat for a cheat meal?In India, my favourite, my favourite dish is Bombay pav bhaji and the top place to eat it is at Amar Juice Centre in Vile Parle. When you eat a lot of fancy food you come back to enjoying the basic stuff.How do you manage to stay healthy while shooting?I do something called intermittent fasting which basically means I stop eating at 6pm. I won’t eat anything after six ‘o clock until 8.30- 9 the next morning. I also avoid alcohol but do consume a lot of water.

One of your most memorable meals? Where and when?I think it’s at home. People from all over the world want to eat in my house. Our maharaj is incredible, cooks delicious food and has been with my family for 35 years. I travel a lot so I eat out all the time and am barely home. I live in the best hotels in the world but as soon as I land, I’m like “khaana do”. For me eating that ghar ka khaana is amazing. It could be something as simple as rajma chaval. Most places in the world cannot replicate the Indian food that we cook here.

shaheenjohn

Follow, be first to know