She's the celebrated British-Bengali food writer and author with an intimate four-course dinner popping up in Hampshire to showcase the flavours of Kolkata and Bengal.
Rinku Dutt talks roast, tacos and late night cheese toasties in our meet the chef column.
What first inspired you to become a chef?
"The love for food that I grew up around and how it's the strongest connection to people. Also in my late twenties, after travelling to Kolkata many times and falling in love with the food culture, I couldn't find anywhere that replicated those flavours - so started doing pop ups of street foods. I wanted to share the flavours of Kolkata to a wider audience."
What was the first meal you cooked for someone else?
"Omelette, toast and a cucumber salad with LOTS of dressing - by accident!"
Tell us a bit about your career so far…?
I started off in banking, eight years of wealth management and i got fed up with the red tape and bureaucracy, then moved to Kolkata for three years and joined my best friend in his fashion design business.
"Then I came back to the UK and started my own street food business in Canterbury. We moved back to London, where I ran five sites pre pandemic.
"Since the pandemic, I wrote my cookbook and many recipes for magazines and also the Leon cookbooks. Now I am steering my work towards training chefs and showcasing the difference in regional Indian cuisines."
What is your proudest career moment to date?
"There are several, but the top three must be writing my cookbook, achieving three stars at the Great Taste Awards and becoming a member of the Guild of Food Writers."
What is your signature dish?
"I do make a mean chilli chicken with fried rice!"
What is your favourite dish currently on your menu?
"It'll alway be my spicy lamb kebab kati roll."
Where is your favourite place to eat in Hampshire?
"Last time i visited, we were incredibly lucky to get a table at Hearth - the wood fired flatbreads were simply divine."
What is your favourite meal to cook at home?
"When we get a slow day it's usually an elaborate roast with all the trimmings which i love preparing and getting the kids involved. When life is busy, I love making tacos with different fillings so that it's an interactive meal where everyone can get involved at the table."
What do you like to drink with dinner?
"Usually it's just water, or a glass of wine on the odd occasion."
What is your culinary guilty pleasure?
"It'd have to be a late night cheese toastie with lots of melted cheese, chillis, onions and ketchup!"
Which key ingredient is always in your fridge?
"My fridge always has milk and rose harissa - as that can be used to marinade practically anything and it just elevates the dish. Simple, easy and quick."
What is your favourite Hampshire ingredient?
"I do love Hampshire trout."
Which chef do you most admire?
"I really admire Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall. His approach has always been about much more than restaurant food — it’s about where our food comes from, how it is grown, and how we can turn good ingredients into hearty, nutritious and genuinely delicious meals.
"I’m much more interested in food that people actually want to eat than overly complicated Michelin-style cooking. For me, great food should be full of flavour, visually appealing, nourishing and accessible. I also admire chefs who use their platform to spread that message and encourage people to think differently about food."
Boathouse 4 Kitchen in Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is set to host an intimate dinner with Rinku Dutt, on Thursday November 5. Guests will experience the flavours, stories and traditions of Kolkata and Bengal through an intimate four-course dinner.
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