Shaby Heltay
chef/owner

I became a chef because, very simply, I love to feed people. Cooking is my love language and I truly believe that a meal prepared with love has a special taste that cannot be replicated. Childhood memories of meals my parents and grandparents cooked from their hearts still fill mine with joy - my father preparing a buttery oopma for a special breakfast treat; my mother’s ghormeh sabzi filling the home with a mouth-watering aroma of stewed herbs and meat; my grandmother’s lime rice and lamb kebabs, steaming hot and tightly wrapped in aluminum foil for an on-the-go meal. These are the kinds of experiences of love and nurturing that I live to provide to others.  

 

My career began at age 14, selling homemade baked goods to my parents’ coworkers. I hustled to learn as much about cooking as I could, continued to pastry chef school, and then began providing Indian Shabbat takeaway and teaching kosher Indian cooking classes. Throughout my years in Toronto, I had the opportunity to work with some incredible chefs in both the restaurant and catering worlds. These chefs taught me a great deal about professionalism and refinement, and furthered my desire to bring that refinement to the more exotic side of the table with contemporary Indian cuisine. 

 

The goal of Spicy Kosher is simple: to provide you with an exciting and unique dining experience, with a level of attention and service that turns a great meal into a wonderful experience and, I hope, a cherished memory. I look forward to serving you soon!