There are so many hospitality workers whose passion and hard grit not only oils the machine but is the machine, and then there are some you meet that just embody the trade. Born and raised in New Delhi, Prateek moved to Aotearoa New Zealand in 2012 on a student visa and completed a hospitality degree before taking up a role as a runner at the then newly opened Cassia in 2014. It wasn’t long before his gumption – and his growing passion for boutique gins as well as his existing knowledge of whiskey (fun fact: Prateek he collects both whiskey and box-fresh trainers – amassing over 200 pairs of the latter at this stage, some of which he wears to work) saw him move into bartending. He moved on to managing the bar, then managing the whole place.

I remember being served by Prateek while seated at the bar-slash-kitchen counter at Cassia having walked in without a booking back, seven years ago or thereabouts. The meal was brilliant, and so was Prateek’s engaging character and fountain of knowledge on both the food and drinks. In those days, I wasn’t quite yet permanently plugged into a smartphone, so my partner and I had him write his name down on a napkin so we’d know who to give a shout-out.

Prateek has always been big on researching what’s out there in the big wide world, using his wide network as gin mules to land rare examples in his hands, and with the Sahrawat’s expansion into KOL, Prateek’s creativity has never looked healthier.

“For KOL I’m really excited because I’ve had the chance to set up the bar the way I wanted it. And I’m excited about being able to show people there are so many things beyond sours and fizzes. To show people that Indian cuisine is so varied way beyond just curries. Mangesh and I researched a lot, thinking of ways we could explore things that hadn’t been done before – and there’s a lot that hasn’t been done when you think how massive Indian cuisine is and how it could be translated into cocktails – often we’d be playing around with childhood memories to come up with ideas”. Think mango lassi – they’ve gone and done a clarified mango lassi; a little along the lines of a milk punch – look for the Aamba on the drinks list. “For all of us who grew up drinking mango lassi, which everyone does in India, it’s a real childhood memory”.

Some concepts are even more leftfield. “We take fish scraps from the kitchen [excellent waste avoidance!]; we smoke it over the fire and infuse it in alcohol and clarify it to take the smell and the taste out – it’s just the oiliness we end up with really.” That boozy, smoky ‘dashi’ of sorts goes into the Agni cocktail (agni means ‘fire’ in Hindi), along with gin and campari. Never fear: not all the cocktails are a challenge to perceptions; Prateek points to The Arils: vodka, pomegranate, cardamom, cucumber as a great option for a simpler, clean flavour with no spice. And it’s not all about the modern – touches like opting to use saucers for Champagne are a lovely nod to the heritage of the site.

Being across two operations will keep Prateek extra busy, sure – but in chatting to him I can see that fact is not fazing him, on the contrary he’s buoyed by having a whole other space in which to harness his creativity and channel his energy. Prateek thrives on meeting people, and while his management role keeps him plenty busy behind the scenes, he still takes, and relishes, the chance to step in behind the bar and serve customers reasonably often. “I love serving people; I’m lucky that I have found my peace and my kick in hospo. I don’t really do downtime; you can’t switch me off.”

Kol - 23 Ponsonby Road, Ponsonby, Auckland | 021 379 700

www.kolauckland.co.nz | info@kolauckland.co.nz | facebook | Instagram | view in maps

KOL Auckland

Came, Cooked, Conquered

Home base