Chintan Pandya was born in Mumbai India knowing from a young age that he had an interest in hospitality.  He studied at the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in Delhi, India and got his cooking start at a hotel restaurant in Mumbai. He spent eight years in the kitchen learning different traditional Indian cuisines and cooking techniques. Pandya also traveled around the subcontinent to learn more about what locals ate and the spices they used.  He spent time in Singapore in 2009 before relocating to America eventually landing as the executive chef of Michelin Starred Indian restaurant Junoon. In 2017 Pandya alongside restaurateur Roni Mazumdar opened Rahi in the West Village.  In 2018 they opened a second restaurant, Adda Indian Canteen in Long Island City which focuses more on the traditional food Pandya grew up eating opposed the Americanized dishes often associated with Indian cuisine. In 2021 the pair opened Dhamaka which has been met with much critical acclaim. All three of the restaurants have earned many awards and nominations and Pandya in 2022 won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State.