“I loved the structure of pastry. The science, the nuance, the systems. Pastry also felt deeply artistic and more knowledge based.”
Anushana Sharma is the head pastry chef leading a team of nine across three restaurants: Saga NYC, Crown Shy and Overstory – what she calls “a mighty small team.” I met Anushana at a Cherry Bombe event and we connected immediately. And when she said, “Come down, I’ll feed you.” I jumped at the opportunity. – DOROTHY BARRICK
When you started cooking, it was truly a labour of love.
When I was 16, my mom developed an autoimmune disorder and started losing her sight. I wanted her to teach me how to cook while she still could. She taught me the importance of a colourful plate and communal cooking. One of my core memories is my mom and aunties playing music, dancing, and making a whole day out of preparing food together. At some point I realized I wanted to become a chef, but my parents were worried because kitchens, especially in India at the time, were extremely male dominated and not always supportive places for women. I just somehow convinced them after graduation that this was something I really wanted to do, that there must be a path for it.
What drew you to the pastry world.
After my first hospitality internship at Starwood Hotels in New Delhi, my whole perspective changed. Seeing the respect and love people poured into their work made me understand what hospitality could be. Everything is a personal touch and a feeling. And for me, the most joyful moment was always when the cake arrived at the end of the meal. I loved the structure of pastry. The science, the nuance, the systems. As a Virgo, I’m obsessed with planning, organization, and ratios. But pastry also felt deeply artistic and more knowledge based.
“Women who never let go of their culture and always show themselves through their food inspire me deeply.”
Tell me about coming to America.
One of my mentors in India suggested I study at the Culinary Institute of America. I was literally standing in the immigration line at JFK when I saw a Crown Shy post on Instagram and thought to myself: I’m going to work for James Kent. After culinary school, during the pandemic, I kept walking by the restaurant every week asking for opportunities. I staged at around 37 kitchens across the city before finally walking into Crown Shy and saying, this is where I want to be. It ended up being one of the most diverse kitchens I had ever seen.
Your heritage feels incredibly important to you, it really comes through in your food.
Women who never let go of their culture and always show themselves through their food inspire me deeply. Susanna Yoon and Eunji Lee have both been huge influences on me. I also think a lot about what the world is missing. It’s not just nostalgia, it’s happy memories. It’s the idea of flavor and what flavor did to you in a particular moment.
You have a collaborative way of working.
My two sous chefs, Ashna and Jayson, are the pillars of who I am. I genuinely don’t think I could do this without them. They truly understand me and my ethos. I like giving everyone ownership over ideas. It makes the kitchen collaborative, motivating, and inclusive. Growing up in a community-oriented household, the “I” never resonated with me, it was always “we.” That’s very important to me. Our kitchen has almost become like a writers’ room. We brainstorm flavors, memories, and ideas together.
“A stroll through Sephora with my sous chef inspired a spring sakura dessert for Saga, influenced by New York cherry blossoms and a new Marc Jacobs fragrance.”
Where do your ideas come from?
Anywhere really, I once saw a Prabal Gurung show and became obsessed with a purple scarf in the collection. That eventually became a black rice tuile. Another time, a stroll through Sephora with my sous chef inspired a spring sakura dessert for Saga, influenced by New York cherry blossoms and a new Marc Jacobs fragrance.
Pastry as a craft finally feels like it’s moving into the spotlight.
Working with this team, Jassimran [Singh, executive chef at Crown Shy] has been incredible. He’s so voracious and open. He and Charlie [Mitchell, executive chef at Saga NYC] are both very comfortable expressing what they want to say while also giving me space to speak. It’s rare and really special to work with people who respect you equally and allow you to fully be yourself. For a long time, pastry was often treated as secondary within restaurants. But now it finally feels like we’re part of the narrative. We’re creating things that matter.
