About Meghna
Located in San Francisco, Crimson Kitchen is the perfect introduction to the history and richness of the Indian Cuisine and its myriad spices.
Chef: Meghna Agarwal
My father's side is from Lucknow — a city whose culinary heritage is so refined, so layered, that food there isn't just sustenance, it's ceremony. My mother's side is from Bihar, where the cooking is earthy, bold, and unapologetically home. Between the two, I grew up understanding that every dish tells you exactly where it comes from and who made it.
When I moved to the United States, food became my lifeline. In a new country, it was the one language everyone already spoke. I started cooking for friends, then for their friends, and somewhere in those shared meals around my San Francisco kitchen table, Crimson Kitchen was born.
That's still what it is today — my kitchen, my home, my way of sharing the culture I come from with the country I now call home too.
What I Bring to the Table
I've had the privilege of teaching as a guest instructor at some of the Bay Area's most respected culinary institutions — the San Francisco Cooking School, Kitchen on Fire, 18 Reasons, and The Civic Kitchen — as well as through Airbnb Experiences. I also cater private events on special request.
What makes Crimson Kitchen different isn't just the setting — it's the intimacy.
You're in my home, cooking food I actually make, learning techniques passed down through generations, with a glass of wine in hand and strangers who leave as friends. The stories behind the dishes are just as much a part of the class as the cooking itself.Guests consistently leave us five-star reviews, but the feedback that means the most is simpler: "I went home and made this for my family.
What to Expect
Every level is welcome — genuinely. I've had complete beginners and professional chefs in the same session, and both left having learned something. What ties it together isn't skill level, it's curiosity.
You'll learn about spices — not just what they are, but how to use them, layer them, and trust them. You'll cook dishes drawn from across India's thirty states, each with its own story. And at the end, you'll sit down with the people you cooked alongside and share the meal you made together.
It's not just a cooking class. It's a memory you'll actually keep.
Crimson Kitchen is located in my home at 41 Newburg Street, San Francisco. Classes are intimate by design — never more than 12 people.