Exclusive Interview | Chef Amit Wadhera - Executive Chef The Park, New Delhi
/“Never ever stop learning...Learn and unlearn and relearn and succeed.”
Editor: How did it all start? Share your culinary journey with us
My Culinary career officially began after I completed my education from my renowned institute (IHM Meerut) in the year 2000. With a humble start as trainee chef for 2 years in Essex farms, my journey took off from Oberoi to Leela Kempinski to The Park. I have been fortunate to start from grass root as I understand operations as it is, its challenges and scope of opportunities…it helps my decision making today …in both operations and when it comes to people issues.
I am fortunate to be enriched from various operations I have been a part of few pre-openings a few I started from scratch as part of pre-opening teams. Leela for that matter in all 3 properties of Delhi NCR, I started the operations from a scratch, apart from all these my international exposure, mainly in Africa Kenya and Egypt-both in senior positions gave me a quantum leap to my maturity as a chef and a person.
Now when I sit back and see in whatever I did in my career, I was unknowingly, always preparing myself for the next opportunity as you never know when it knocks!
Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in?
I hate to be a cliché, but just like any other chef I know, the earliest memories of the kitchen for me was of course in my mother’s kitchen, cooking alongside her and my grandmother. These two legendary ladies were the two masterminds of who I am today.
Editor: A dish your patrons/guest love
Our menu has a Half Roast Chicken with skillet potatoes and Mediterranean roast vegetables. This is something we find extremely classic but yet so comforting which our dear guests can not get enough of.
Editor: A dish that you love but do not have on your menu
Tandoori Cobia Collar. A dish which I believe is underestimated and not served as much as I would like.
Editor: What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
Passion for food
Good foundation
Willingness to accept criticism
Ability to handle the high-stress environment
Dedication and desire to learn more
Creativity
Attention to detail
Editor: what advice would you give to a young culinary student?
Never ever stop learning...Learn and unlearn and relearn and succeed.
Editor: what instruments/ equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?
The strongest instrument I possess in my arsenal is my passion, couldn’t imagine coming into work every day doing the job I love without the passion I share with every chef I work within my kitchen. Besides the passion, a good chef’s knife and good ingredients are the two fundamental instruments I cannot imagine working without.
Editor: your favourite ingredient is…
Butter. Butter simply just elevates everything.
Editor: Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs work you admire
You can’t speak about chefs without mentioning the legends such as Escoffier, Bocuse, Robuchon, Ducasse, Bras, but when you speak of today’s game-changing chefs, I have to mention the likes of Ferran Adria, Rene Redzepi, Gaggan, Massimo Bottura, Virgilio Martinez Alex Atala, Grant Achatz, Bakshish Dean, Manish Mehrotra and the list goes on.
Editor: What books should every chef read?
Kitchen Confidential. A book by the recently deceased Anthony Bourdain which I believe every young cook entering the industry should definitely read and always keep on their nightstand. Flavor Bible, The Science of Good Cooking, Modernist Cuisine, Larousse Gastronomic, are just a few of the hundreds of culinary publications one should possess.
