Almora-educated chef takes charge of pastry at ROOH San Francisco, blending European techniques with contemporary Indian flavours
Almora: From the quiet hills of Almora to the vibrant culinary landscape of San Francisco, Chef Deekshyant Karki has built a professional journey that reflects years of training, international exposure and dedication to the art of pastry.
Chef Karki is serving as Pastry Chef at ROOH San Francisco, a prestigious contemporary Indian restaurant featured in the Michelin Guide. Hospitality News reported his appointment in February 2026, noting that he would lead the pastry kitchen and help shape desserts complementing ROOH’s progressive Indian cuisine.
An Almora Connection Behind a Global Career
For Almora, Karki’s achievement carries a special connection. Available professional information lists his 10+2 education at Ramsay College, Almora, followed by a three-year programme at the Amrapali Institute of Hotel Management.
From there began a career that would eventually take him across luxury hotels, international hospitality establishments, cruise lines and restaurants in several countries.
His early professional foundation included industrial training at Trident Jaipur and experience in the hospitality sector in Jaipur and Agra. His career later took a significant turn with The Oberoi Group, where he worked at The Oberoi Amarvilas in Agra and The Oberoi Gurgaon. He was also part of a special task force assignment at The Oberoi Al Zorah in the UAE.
From Luxury Hotels to International Waters
Karki’s ambition soon took him beyond India. He worked with Soho Hospitality in Bangkok before entering cruise hospitality.
As a Pastry Chef with Carnival Cruise Lines and later with MSC Cruises Yacht Club, he gained experience in premium pastry production and menu development in highly multicultural environments. Working in cruise hospitality also exposed him to the challenge of maintaining consistency and presentation while serving guests from diverse cultural backgrounds.
Back in India, Karki worked as a Jr. Sous Chef at Olive Bar & Kitchen in New Delhi. His professional journey then brought him to the United States, where he served as Pastry Sous Chef at Andaaz Restaurant & Caterers in New Jersey, contributing to menu planning and premium catering operations.
Where European Technique Meets Indian Soul
His role at ROOH represents another important chapter.
Karki’s pastry philosophy combines classical European methods with contemporary Indian flavours, textures and presentation. The objective is not merely to place something sweet at the end of a meal, but to create desserts that continue the culinary narrative of the restaurant.
ROOH itself describes its concept as a gastronomic journey through contemporary Indian food, combining distinctive Indian ingredients with California produce and international techniques. The Michelin Guide currently lists the San Francisco restaurant under Indian, Contemporary cuisine.
For a pastry chef, such a setting offers considerable creative possibilities—from reinterpreting familiar Indian flavours to experimenting with textures and modern plating techniques.
A Journey That Can Inspire Young Talent in the Hills
Chef Deekshyant Karki’s story carries particular significance for young people in Almora and Uttarakhand.
Hospitality, bakery and pastry arts are increasingly global professions. Karki’s career demonstrates how professional education, technical discipline and willingness to gain experience across different working environments can take a young professional from a Himalayan town to an international culinary destination.
His journey was not built through a single appointment. It developed step by step—from training kitchens to luxury hotels, from India to Bangkok, from cruise ships to New Delhi and New Jersey, and finally to San Francisco.
Today, as he works in one of San Francisco’s notable contemporary Indian restaurants, Karki is also part of a wider generation of Indian culinary professionals presenting Indian flavours through modern techniques on the global stage.
For Almora, however, the story has an especially satisfying flavour.
A student connected to the hills has travelled thousands of kilometres, worked across continents and cultures, and found a place in San Francisco’s sophisticated culinary landscape.
From Ramsay College in Almora to ROOH in San Francisco, Chef Deekshyant Karki’s journey proves that talent may begin in a small town—but its destination can be global.
