For Ohio chef Avishar Barua, joy is always on the menu
Chef Avishar Barua has graced TV screens as a contestant on “Top Chef” and “Beat Bobby Flay,” has been lauded by the likes of Bon Appetit and Food & Wine magazines and was even named a James Beard Award semifinalist earlier this year.
But the accolade that fuels his fire is much simpler: hearing from guests that they had a great experience at one of his restaurants.
“The most fulfilling part of my work is the reality that our baseline job is always to make someone else’s day better,” he says. “There’s so many things going on in the world, and if we can make someone’s day for just a few seconds, then we’ve done meaningful work.”
Barua, the son of Bengali immigrants, grew up in Columbus, Ohio, raised on his mom’s home cooking. Food was a core part of his childhood, but it wasn’t until he was finishing up dual degrees at Ohio State University that he first saw it as a passion and a viable career path.
Learning to cook for himself and friends led him to abandon dreams of becoming a doctor and instead pursue culinary school. Despite the grueling hours and culture, he knew he wanted to bring joy to others with food as his mom had done for their family and community.
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After a stint in New York’s food scene (at WD~50 and Mission Chinese Food), he returned to his hometown, and in 2022 opened two restaurants, the fine-dining, live-fire establishment Agni in Columbus and the smaller café Joya’s in nearby Worthington, Ohio.
Why Columbus, a mid-size Midwestern city that doesn’t have the prestigious food culture or clientele of say, a New York or Chicago?
“I think there's two ways to look at it. You can go to a city that has made an impact, or you can try to be a part of the change that makes a difference in your home,” he says.
Here, he can be a trailblazer, not only for the city’s food offerings but for local up-and-coming chefs. He appreciates the close-knit community of food and drink makers that he’s helped cultivate here.
Columbus’ relative “blank slate” is a chance for Barua to experiment, play and innovate. He and his team take their inspiration from anywhere and everywhere: childhood, world travels, even favorite fast food items.
“If everybody was the same and everything was the same, this world would be very, very boring.”
It’s a high-low, global-local fusion that reflects Barua himself. “The thing about food right now is that we get to use ourselves as an ingredient,” he says. “Each of our restaurants is sparked by nostalgia or a memory that kind of holds dear to us, something that never changes. Agni is inspired by the fun of a backyard barbecue. Joya’s is a representation of my mom.”
Agni’s current menu is billed as a culinary journey around the globe, with tastes of Montreal, Bangkok and even Cincinnati, among others. That free-spirited approach to fine dining has made Barua’s style hard to categorize.
“Nobody else can really tell us who we are,” he says. “That’s kind of cool because it lets us do whatever we want. We can draw from five different cultures and make something novel. That's awesome because it's genuine to us.”
Just as important as the flavors he presents are the feelings he wants his food to inspire. It’s not just about recreating a cherished recipe from childhood but recreating the sensation of taking that first bite and the warm, comforting feeling that comes with it.
Even the tableware can be part of the experience. For example, Libby’s Hedonite pattern plays a role in a Thai-inspired dish, with colors that call to mind plates he saw in Asia. “I like engaging all of the senses,” he says.
For Barua, creating that moment of connection is what it’s all about. “They didn’t say the food was the best, they didn’t say the service was the best, they said they felt welcome. That’s pretty awesome.”
It all comes together in an experience Barua has dubbed “seriously fun” eating: unpretentious food that boasts culinary school credentials, made with care and served with genuine Midwestern hospitality.
“My fire is fueled by community, staff and family,” he says. “I think it’s so amazing that we get to be in an industry where we get to represent culture, we get to represent food and history, and we get to reinforce what makes Ohio great.”
Two years on, Joya’s and Agni are still earning buzz. And Barua is still joyful he can serve his community doing what he loves.
“Food can solve many of the problems in the world,” he says. “Just a little bit of conversation over a meal can make all the difference.”
