Bollywood Bites | Our Story

From Bombay to Westwood, with love

Chef Sanjay Patel cooked for Michael Jackson, trained at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills, and then opened Bollywood Bites in Westwood Village — because LA deserved a seat at that table.

Destined for Hollywood

Chef Sanjay grew up cooking beside his mother in BombDestined for Hollywood, Celebrity Chef Sanjay Patel was raised in Bombay, India. The son of a hard-working hotel owner and the nephew of a successful Bollywood movie producer, Sanjay learned at an early age the value of hard work. The oldest of six siblings, he cherished the time spent with his mother, helping her prepare large meals for their extended family after a long day's work. Every meal was crafted with great pride, love, and attention to detail. More than anything, Sanjay noticed the immense gratitude everyone expressed for his mother's cherished meals. Inspired by the joy and love shared around the family table, he decided at the age of 12, "I want to be a chef one day!"ay, then trained across Indian, Indo-Chinese, Italian, and Latin American cuisines before becoming sous chef at the Four Seasons Beverly Hills.

Global Flavor Profiles

At age 13, Sanjay began taking cooking classes and working as a cook at an Indo-Chinese restaurant in Bombay. With dreams of coming to the United States, after high school, Sanjay moved with extended family in Panama where he attended culinary school—and built his expertise in a variety of cuisines—including Italian, Central American, South American, Spanish and American dishes.

Chef to the King of Pop

Sanjay eventually moved to the United States and landed a job as a sous-chef at the world-renown Four Seasons in Beverly Hills. As fate would have it, THE King of Pop, Michael Jackson himself, fell in love with Sanjay's unique culinary style and exotic flavors. “For the next five years, Sanjay served as Michael Jackson's personal chef—preparing meals for Michael Jackson and his children until his unfortunate, premature departure from this earth.”

Building Bollywood Bites

In 2009, Sanjay began building his catering business, and in order to meet his growing demand, he launched his first “Bollywood Bites” Food Truck in 2009. In 2012, Sanjay opened his first Bollywood Bites restaurant in Westwood on the campus of UCLA in Los Angeles. In 2018, Sanjay opened his second Bollywood Bites restaurant on Ventura Boulevard in Sherman Oaks, California. The success of Sanjay’s businesses is built upon his ability to curate amazing, authentic and creative cuisine that is prepared to perfection and served with love. Voted “Best Indian Food” 5 years in a row, Sanjay’s food speaks for itself. When Sanjay is not greeting customers or cooking up a creative masterpiece, he cherishes the time spent with his lovely wife and two young children.

The Interview

Step inside the kitchen with Chef Sanjay Patel and explore the story behind his culinary journey.