Shabber grew up in Bangladesh, a country that lies just to the east of India. As the eldest in a large family, he was charged with assisting his mother in the preparation and cooking of their meals on a daily basis. It was during this period that he began to appreciate the way in which different foods complimented each other, as well as the various herbs, spices and other seasonings that could enhance their flavor.
As he grew older, he began working in numerous restaurants in the region to help support himself and ended up developing a love for Mogul cuisine, renowned for its richness and complexity rather than the brash hotness sometimes found in recipes from India’s southern climes. Bengali culture perpetuates the culinary influences of the Mogul’s colorful empire, which ruled over India for several hundred years.
In 1982, Shabber relocated to the United States and took up residence in Buffalo, New York, where he began working almost immediately as a cook. After putting in his time at several of the area’s eateries, he realized that he was going to need to acquire a broader educational background if he was to reach the top of his chosen profession. Shortly after moving to Atlanta, he enrolled in the Atlanta Culinary Institute to obtain his certification.
Despite the fact that Chef Shabber was now able to command a good wage at any number of restaurants, his passion for the foods of his native land prompted him to become a student at a noted academy of gourmet Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom, which has had far more time to acquire an appreciate a higher level of preparation than its American cousin. The chef, himself, admits that sometimes the Indian food served in England is better than that found in Delhi.
After his educational sabbatical, Shabber returned to the state of New York, only this time to Saratoga Springs, where he worked until the owner of India Princess, Jesse Singh, summoned him to come to southern California. Chef Shabber was originally hired to follow the menu design already established at their successful North County operation by Chef, Anshu Das, but also exhibits the talent to take their new restaurant in Hillcrest to the next level on his own. Chef Shabber is just beginning to build his reputation as one of San Diego’s ‘superstar’ chef’s, but anyone who has tasted one of his creations already knows that this accolade will be soon to come.