Pragyan is a former computer engineer, graphic artist & photographer now turned chef who co founded Café Yum Mi Banh Mi with his wife, Barsha Deka, that is the only café in the whole of India’s north east that serves authentic Vietnamese food and coffee. Pragyan shares how a 3-month solo backpacking trip across Vietnam spent with monks, practising martial arts with them, doing a photography gig and teaching English to university students helped him overcome his stammering, sky rocket his confidence and most importantly, finally find that one thing he could do for the rest of his life- build heartfelt connections with people over a plate of warm home baked banh mi.
Episode Highlights:
1. Why Pragyan decided to take a career break and went off all the way to Vietnam
2. His 3 months in Vietnam- what he did
3. Was it Vietnam or the Vietnamese people or his first bite into banh mi that changed his life?
4. What makes Cafe Yummy Banh Mi unique? It's not just the delicious banh mi!
5. About Gauhati University and mourning the Zubeen Garg phenomenon
6. The influence of music in his life and the chef in him
7. Why no Assamese- Vietnamese fusion at his cafe
8. Support from family and wife and his attitude towards social expectations
9. Life plans since his days as an engineering student
10. The joy and ease of collaborating with Barsha, his wife
11. His mantra- Every Customer is Special, make them extra special, ensure their entry, time and exit from the cafe is special, make each feel seen
12. One problem with the Assamese hospitality and the benefits of the 'Lahe-Lahe' mentality
13. It's a Pet-friendly cafe but Mimi has not visited it
14. His life if he had not made that trip to Vietnam
15. The gift of his stammering challenge
16. His message for students and young adults
Connect With Pragyan here: