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Pune Inc: from canteen boy to master chef, how food wiz behind Flow is making people rethink European and Indian cuisine

Chef Bhushan Ganorkar, who opened the concept restaurant Flow in Baner, was raised in a family that operated a small canteen serving tiffin.

Pune has become experimental with eating out after Covid, with clients willing to pay for a sourdough pizza, hand-rolled pasta or the tasting menu at Aragma, which requires an advance booking. (Express)

In an old wada in Sadashiv Peth, Pramila Ganorkar and Kamlabai Bapat ran a small canteen where they prepared home tiffins out of a 150 sq ft room. Bhushan Ganorkar, the child of the family, used to hang around the customers, who were college students looking for some home-cooked meals.

“Whenever the mess members ate their food, I used to see a kind of happiness and satisfaction on their faces,” says Ganorkar, better known as Chef Bhushan of the concept restaurant Flow in Baner.

“To this day, the thing that gives me great pleasure is when something comes out of my kitchen and my guest has the first bite of it. The expression tells me whether he likes that dish. That satisfaction of serving a good meal is fuel for me.”

The food business would also give Ganorkar an understanding of accounts, raw material sourcing and customer preferences.

Ganorkar went on to master culinary arts, securing the first grade in Maharashtra at the Minimum Competency Vocational Courses (MCVC), getting absorbed by leading hotels – until, last year, he opened his own place that would bring together his experiences, learnings and ideas into a cutting-edge concept menu.

Restaurants experimenting with cuisines lean heavily on a chef’s expertise to make business sense – and Flow has successfully achieved operational break-even. It will be taking things another notch in December to celebrate its first anniversary.

Under an atmospheric amoeba-shaped ceiling light, customers at Flow are served cocktails such as Pista Pop Off, an unusual experiment of pista and brandy that is topping its charts. The food menu, likewise, is a modern combination of Indian and European cuisines, flavours from both lands amalgamated to make good sense.

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Nalli Nihari with saffron risotto, which is slow-cooked lamb shank Nalli Nihari with a classic Italian Saffron Risotto, or Polenta Tikki Chaat, a street-style chaat that is elevated with polenta, an Italian maize flour that brings an extra crunch to the tikki, or blue cheese naan – some of the highlights of Flow’s menu are both familiar and not.

“We take a technique or ingredient of Indian cuisine and combine it with a European cooking method, or take a European food ingredient and cook it our way keeping in mind that, at the end of the day, we want to give a simple, soulful but memorable experience to the guest,” says Ganorkar.

Flow has two other investors besides Ganorkar: Nivedita Atre, the Founder and Owner of the FC Road’s quirky Cafe Kathaa, where one can find fusion cuisine and culture, and Varun Sathe, an automobile photographer and founder of The Photo Company Studio.

People open to experiments in food now

Pune has become experimental with eating out after Covid, with clients willing to pay for a sourdough pizza, hand-rolled pasta or the tasting menu at Aragma, which requires an advance booking.

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“Now that people are opening up to experiments, we are more confident of trying something different. We don’t want to do the same food that has been served in the other 10,000 restaurants of Pune,” says Ganorkar.

“Our aim is to become a comfortable dining space, where we serve good cocktails and food. Our Turkish flatbread uses burrata and not mozzarella as every other cafe does. People know the difference between burrata, buffalo mozzarella and regular mozzarella. People have travelled. Social media has become active and one knows about quality ingredients and their benefits. Catering to this was the business model,” adds Ganorkar.

The sense of calm extends to the business growth. The restaurant is not only full on weekends and special occasions, but also consistently becoming packed on weekdays, with numbers consistently increasing on a day-to-day basis.

“When a business is creating its own identity, it takes time. It doesn’t happen overnight. The slow and steady build of that identity will ensure that it will be here for a longer time,” he says.

Dipanita Nath

Dipanita Nath is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. She is a versatile journalist with a deep interest in the intersection of culture, sustainability, and urban life. Professional Background Experience: Before joining The Indian Express, she worked with other major news organizations including Hindustan Times, The Times of India, and Mint. Core Specializations: She is widely recognized for her coverage of the climate crisis, theatre and performing arts, heritage conservation, and the startup ecosystem (often through her "Pune Inc" series). Storytelling Focus: Her work often unearths "hidden stories" of Pune—focusing on historical institutes, local traditions, and the personal journeys of social innovators. Recent Notable Articles (December 2025) Her recent reporting highlights Pune’s cultural pulse and the environmental challenges facing the city during the winter season: 1. Climate & Environment "Pune shivers on coldest morning of the season; minimum temperature plunges to 6.9°C" (Dec 20, 2025): Reporting on the record-breaking cold wave in Pune and the IMD's forecast for the week. "How a heritage tree-mapping event at Ganeshkhind Garden highlights rising interest in Pune’s green legacy" (Dec 20, 2025): Covering a citizen-led initiative where Gen Z and millennials gathered to document and protect ancient trees at a Biodiversity Heritage Site. "Right to breathe: Landmark NGT order directs PMC to frame norms for pollution from construction sites" (Dec 8, 2025): Reporting on a significant legal victory for residents fighting dust and air pollution in urban neighborhoods like Baner. 2. "Hidden Stories" & Heritage "Inside Pune library that’s nourished minds of entrepreneurs for 17 years" (Dec 21, 2025): A feature on the Venture Center Library, detailing how a collection of 3,500 specialized books helps tech startups navigate the product life cycle. "Before he died, Ram Sutar gave Pune a lasting gift" (Dec 18, 2025): A tribute to the legendary sculptor Ram Sutar (creator of the Statue of Unity), focusing on his local works like the Chhatrapati Shivaji statue at Pune airport. "The Pune institute where MA Jinnah was once chief guest" (Dec 6, 2025): An archival exploration of the College of Agriculture, established in 1907, and its historical role in India's freedom struggle. 3. Arts, Theatre & "Pune Inc" "Satyajit Ray, Ritwik Ghatak were not rivals but close friends, says veteran filmmaker" (Dec 17, 2025): A deep-dive interview ahead of the Pune International Film Festival (PIFF) exploring the camaraderie between legends of Indian cinema. "Meet the Pune entrepreneur helping women build and scale businesses" (Dec 16, 2025): Part of her "Pune Inc" series, profiling Nikita Vora’s efforts to empower female-led startups. "How women drone pilots in rural Maharashtra are cultivating a green habit" (Dec 12, 2025): Exploring how technology is being used by women in agriculture to reduce chemical use and labor. Signature Style Dipanita Nath is known for intellectual curiosity and a narrative-driven approach. Whether she is writing about a 110-year-old eatery or the intricacies of the climate crisis, she focuses on the human element and the historical context. Her columns are often a blend of reportage and cultural commentary, making them a staple for readers interested in the "soul" of Pune. X (Twitter): @dipanitanath ... Read More

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