3 min readNew DelhiJan 7, 2026 06:53 PM IST
First published on: Jan 6, 2026 at 01:30 PM IST
Food often becomes a bridge between cultures, carrying stories, techniques, and emotions far beyond borders. Few dishes illustrate this better than biryani, a recipe that changes subtly with geography, tradition, and personal memory. For many cooks, learning to make biryani is not just about following a method but about understanding patience, balance, and respect for ingredients.
Chef Takamasa Osawa from Tokyo, Japan, who has gained recognition for mastering the art of making authentic biryani, recently shared an exciting cooking experience from India. Taking to his Instagram stories, the chef revealed that he was in Hyderabad, where he prepared biryani at a superstar Ram Charan’s home.
Reflecting on the moment, he wrote, “Today I cooked biryani in a private home. Grateful for the trust. This city keeps teaching me what biryani is.” He also shared inside pictures and videos from the actor’s home, including glimpses of the kitchen, the outdoor cooking setup, and what he described as a “quiet welcome,” showing exotic birds, koi fish, and their pet dog named Rhyme.
Chef Osawa posted several images of himself preparing biryani in the traditional style: first prepping ingredients in the kitchen and then cooking outdoors in a single pot. One picture showed a pregnant Upasana Konidela, Ram Charan, and his mother Surekha waiting patiently as the chef arranged the prepared biryani indoors.
In another video, Ram Charan stood next to Chef Osawa as he lifted the lid to reveal the biryani, praising it for being “flavourful” and “not too gravy”. The experience clearly left an impression on the chef, who later described it as “A day I won’t forget.” The visit took place during a break from Charan’s shooting schedule.
Chef Osawa’s journey with biryani reflects a long-term commitment to learning rather than novelty. Known on social media as Biriyani Osawa, he is a self-described “single-pot biryani specialist” and a Michelin Bib Gourmand recipient.
In a 2025 interview with Gulf News, he shared that he runs a 10-seater restaurant in Tokyo that serves only biryani, and that a trip to Tamil Nadu changed his life, stating, “It didn’t matter that I didn’t know the language. I learned by smell, taste, touch, and sight.” Over the years, he has spent 15 years travelling between Japan, India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh to understand the dish more deeply.
Osawa’s experience captures what it truly means to learn a cuisine beyond one’s own culture, how trust is built through food. It also highlights why certain dishes demand years of practice, and how cooking, at its best, becomes an act of listening rather than mere imitation.
Japanese chef Takamasa Osawa cooked biryani for actor Ram Charan and his family (Source: X/@TweetRamCharan) 
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