Beijing-based Indian chef weaves culinary bridge between India, China

An Indian chef is bridging cultures between India and China by introducing authentic flavors from his home country to diners in Beijing, expanding customers' understanding of Indian cuisine far beyond just curry.

Rabiul Baksh is the founder and head chef of Dastaan, an Indian restaurant chain in the Chinese capital. Before launching the business in 2021, he honed his culinary skills at several high-end hotels across China.

The name "Dastaan," meaning "story" in Persian, reflects his vision of delivering memorable food that will get people talking. From serving Old Delhi specialties to street snacks that are enjoyed in Mumbai, the chef hopes to generate a true taste experience that creates a buzz in Beijing.

Baksh said one the eatery's signature dishes is the Old Delhi-style butter chicken, which is also one of India's most famous dishes.

"We call it Purani Delhi Wali Murgh Makhni. It's like slow cooked chicken, which is cooked in the tandoori oven. And the gravy base was like tomato and cashew nut (based) gravy. So, it's a bit of sweet and sour, and bit of spicy even," he said.

One of Baksh's main aims is to encourage Chinese diners to be more adventurous and to showcase a range of dishes that many people may not be aware of.

"For the local people, they thought Indian cuisine means like only curry, but this is not true, honestly. One of our most famous street snacks, we call Pani Puri," he said.

As one of India's most iconic street snacks, Pani Puri delivers an explosion of flavors through its delicate crispy shells. At Dastaan, Baksh fills them with seasoned mashed potato, then crowns each with dual-flavor combination of spicy and sweet.

In addition, Baksh noted there are many other Indian favorites that are also proving a hit with Chinese guests.

"Instead of curry, we have also kebab. It's a one of the most popular Indian barbecues you can see, we cooked in the tandoori even. We have something different called biryani, which is slow cooked Indian rice," Baksh said.

Baksh pours his heart into every dish, and the variety of offerings has helped the business expand rapidly. In just four years, he has opened four branches across Beijing, each with a unique positioning and innovative flavors.

While recounting his entrepreneurial journey, he also shared his love for Chinese cuisine, showing a universal love for all good food.

"I can proudly say one of my favorite Chinese dishes is hot and sour shredded potato. This always gives me a kick. Put this dish with the white rice, I can eat a lot. I think most foreigners also they love it," Baksh said.

Beijing-based Indian chef weaves culinary bridge between India, China

China and Brazil will hold the 2026 Year of Culture to celebrate bilateral cultural exchange and promote the building of the China-Brazil community with a shared future, China's foreign ministry spokesman said on Friday.

In a joint statement released by the diplomatic, cultural, and tourism departments of China and Brazil, the two countries will celebrate the 2026 China-Brazil Year of Culture. Lin Jian, the spokesman, said at a regular press conference that the celebrations aim to strengthen cultural ties and enhance mutual understanding between the two peoples.

"China and Brazil are a community with a shared future for a more just world and a more sustainable planet. Celebrating the China-Brazil Cultural Year 2026 is an important common understanding between the two heads of state to deepen the building of China-Brazil community with a shared future, and it is another major cultural and people-to-people exchange program following the successful series of cultural events marking the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties in 2024. A wide range of activities will be organized by both countries in the fields of performing arts, visual arts, music, and intangible cultural heritage. I'd refer you to the cultural authorities of both sides for more details," he said.

"China is willing to take the Year of Culture as an opportunity to further expand people-to-people exchanges with Brazil, deepen mutual understanding and friendship, and inject new vitality into the China-Brazil community with a shared future," he said.

China, Brazil to hold Year of Culture to build community with shared future: spokesman