Nestled in the northern section of Kitty, Georgetown,
overlooking the seawall, is an eatery unlike any
in which many Guyanese have ever dined. This
is not surprising since this venue is one that caters to an
exclusive few; and with good reason too.
Manned by a self-proclaimed ‘chef’, the cuisines, which
can come as individual meals or straight three-course, are
the most scrumptious, and many have attested to this.
With succulent flavours clinging to every bite,
adventurous mouths are quickly persuaded to surrender to
the spell-binding grip of food prepared by the ‘chef’.
But who is the face behind what the Guyana Inc.
Magazine can easily describe as ‘Exclusive Cuisine’?
At the center of this victualing experience is none other
than Khalid Kanhai – a simple, down to earth young man
who runs a thriving electrical oriented business by day, but
much like a super hero, transforms into a gourmet ‘chef’ on
Saturday nights.
Operating out of a standard-sized kitchen, Khalid is able
to create some of the most astounding delicacies for close
family members and friends. His private dining room, just
beyond his kitchen, is only opened to an invited few who
dare to be enticed by his flavourful taunts that captivate the
nasal cavities long before physical platters appear.
However, mere images of his foods have been known
to leave many with mouths watering for a taste. On his
Instagram page, @khalidkanhai, are images of the many
eye-catching dishes that this 32-year-old was able to
effortlessly master in his kitchen.
But indulging in the preparation of such enticing foods,
which those who have tasted continue to yearn for, is just
a favourite pastime for this young man.
During his younger days, Khalid diverted from the
business his father had grown over the past three decades
to dabble in computer science. He also completed studies
in public management, but all the while his passion for
cooking never dwindled. This was in light of the fact that it
was backed by too strong a force for him to resist.
In fact, what many do not know is that his desire for
creating mouth-watering foods has essentially been a
manifestation of experiences he had when he was just a
boy.
Growing up in the well-to-do close-knit Kitty household
of Bibi and Michael Kanhai, the owner of Kanhai’s
Electricals and Electronics located at Regent Road, Bourda,
Georgetown, Khalid long had an appreciation for eating a
variety of good foods.
The young man, who currently manages his father’s
business, recalled how his family would routinely dine at
what was deemed exquisite restaurants where they were
able to savour some of the very finest foods known to
Guyanese at that time.
As the youngest and only boy among his siblings, this
By Sharmain Grainger
Khalid Kanhai – The
Face Behind ‘Exclusive
Cuisine’
38 Guyana Inc. 35th Edition
family activity was certainly among the most favourite for
Khalid.
While he had fond memories of his schooling days
at Stella Maris Primary and then at North Georgetown
Secondary, it was the savoury foods he consumed that left
a notable impression.
But as the years went by, Khalid observed that the
flavours in the foods he once enjoyed were no longer as
captivating.
This, of course, left Khalid in a very undesirable bind,
since he was, by then, a lover of fine and very appetizing
foods. Although bent on finding the flavours that he once
savoured, Khalid’s first attempts at creating a dish from
scratch was, needless to say, unappetising.
“At the age of 14, 15, I was frying chicken and making
lasagna for family dinner… But hold on, it was crap! When
you bit into the chicken, it was still raw,” recalled Khalid,
as a grin on his face quickly spread from ear to ear.
But he persevered, even when multiple dishes were
complete fails.
However, it might have been after his exposure to a wide
variety of ingredients in the United States, good enough to
grab the attention of the most outstanding of chefs, that
Khalid was able to unlock his inner ‘chef’. “When I got
through with my residency for the United States, I had
time to go into the kitchen and I had access to all sorts
of ingredients in the US,” recalled Khalid. It was in those
moments that he learnt that the existence of flavourful food
did not have to be a thing of the past.
Wanting to share his epiphany, Khalid held, on a few
occasions, take-away lunch events where he solicited the
support of the public to critique his ‘cheffing’ attempts. “A
lot of people showed up… I wanted to introduce something
different to them,” Khalid shared.
Although that venture was short-lived, Khalid still knew
that he wanted to share more of his culinary inventions,
as well as other cuisines he’d happened upon during his
travels outside of Guyana.
It was with this in mind that the young man brought to
fruition the idea of catering to people passionate for the
flavours he’d craved for himself.
According to Khalid, his intent was and continues to be
to improve his catering ability from the reviews – good or
bad – from those who taste his palatable creations.
But since he hasn’t yet decided to embrace his cooking
passion to turn a profit, Khalid will, for now, continue to
cater to the exclusive dining needs of only those near and
dear to him and sometimes, just sometimes, a few others
who are quietly invited to dine and savour his magnificent
flavours.