Chef Nand Kishor Semwal
Thirty years of craft. Two Michelin stars. One mission.
Himalayan Roots
Nand Kishor Semwal grew up in the foothills of the Himalayas in Uttarakhand, where the landscape shapes everything that is eaten. His earliest memories are of wild mustard seeds drying on rooftops, his grandmother grinding spices on a stone slab each morning before the kitchen fire was lit.
His formal training began in India before he made the move to London. He brought a deep knowledge of regional cooking traditions and a palate shaped by Himalayan ingredients that most London chefs had never encountered. He rose quickly, earning a reputation as one of the most gifted Indian chefs working in the country.
The Michelin Years
At Trishna in Marylebone, he led a kitchen specialising in coastal Indian and seafood cooking to a Michelin star in 2012 - a landmark moment that proved Indian cuisine belonged at the very top table of London dining.
A year later, he took charge at Gymkhana in Mayfair. The restaurant earned a Michelin star within six months of opening in 2013, and in 2014 it was named National Restaurant of the Year - a title that placed it above every restaurant in Britain, regardless of cuisine.
The ingredients were simple but intensely flavourful, drawn directly from the land. It was a way of cooking that valued nothing above the ingredient itself.
”Going Independent
In 2016, rather than continue climbing in the West End, he co-founded Dastaan in Epsom - a neighbourhood restaurant on a suburban high street. The idea was deliberately counter-cultural, and the answer came swiftly: a Michelin Bib Gourmand, critical praise, and diners travelling from across the region to eat there.
Koyal, which opened in Surbiton in autumn 2024, is the fullest expression of everything he has built across three decades. The menu draws directly on his Himalayan roots - Jakhiya, Bhanjeera, raw spices ground fresh each morning, every tandoor dish fired over binchotan charcoal. Within five months, Koyal was awarded 2 AA Rosettes for Culinary Excellence.
The Himalayan Pantry
Ingredients sourced from the foothills of Uttarakhand that form the foundation of Koyal's kitchen.
Jakhiya
A wild mustard seed found only above 8,000 feet in the Himalayas. Its sharp, nutty flavour is released when it hits hot oil - unmistakably Himalayan.
Bhanjeera
The seed of the perilla plant from the foothills of Uttarakhand. Rich in omega-3s with a delicate, earthy flavour that has anchored local cooking for centuries.
Binchotan Charcoal
Japanese oak charcoal that burns hotter and cleaner than standard fuel. Used in Koyal's tandoor, it produces a precise char that lets each ingredient speak clearly.