Who is Shaishav Kumar Gohil?: I’m the owner of Fitz Cafe. I lived in Sydney for three years before moving to Wagga and I’ve been here for the past two years. It had always been my dream to own a cafe and provide people with great coffee. When people tell me ‘it is a nice coffee’, it makes me very happy.
Best recent dining experience: Thaigaa across the road.
Favourite cuisine: Indian. I like my butter chicken and I’m very good at making it as well.
Most embarrassing pantry item: I don’t think I have anything that is embarrassing.
What ingredient can I not live without? All the basic spices, chilli and salt.
Best coffee spot in Wagga: Fitz Cafe.
Next big thing in the Wagga food scene: I used to notice people in Wagga didn’t eat much spicy food. But I think they’ve become more familiar with it and will start having more spicy food.
My biggest culinary influence: My loneliness. I was by myself when I first started cooking. For the first two to three months, I wasted a lot of food because I didn’t like the taste. But to be successful in your cooking you have to put a lot of effort into it. I cooked for my mum when I went back to India a couple of months ago. She started crying because it was her first time eating my meal and she said it was awesome.
A must-try on our menu: Blueberry pancake with
Death row meal: Some type of gravy and rice from my mum.
My least favourite food: Smashed avocado.
My COVID-19 response: There was a loss for the business during COVID but it has picked up.
My top three cooking tips: Use quality ingredients and don’t go with the cheaper product. Put all your focus into your cooking and don’t be distracted by other things like watching a movie on the side. Always get someone to taste your food before serving it.
Fitz Cafe is located at 84-86 Fitzmaurice St, Wagga. It’s open Monday to Friday from 6:30 am to 3:30 pm. On Saturday it’s open from 7:30 am to 2 pm and Sunday from 8 am to 12:30 pm.