Exclusive Interview | Chef Dheeraj Mathur, Cluster Executive Chef, Radisson Blu Kaushambi, Delhi NCR
/“A successful chef is like a passionate artist in the kitchen. They make delicious meals that make your taste buds dance.”
What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in?
I remember when I first started working in the kitchen, it was an incredible experience. It was like stepping into a world that had delicious smells, sizzling pans, and beautiful cutlery. I can still hear the busy sounds of chefs’ continuous chopping and chatting. I reckon the kitchen used to go crazy during busy times, all the senses used to become super active, but it was really exciting. I learned a lot from the experienced chefs. Those early days were like magic and they made me fall in love with cooking. The noise, the smell, and the teamwork created an experience that I’ll always remember.
What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
A successful chef is like a passionate artist in the kitchen. They make delicious meals that make your taste buds dance, they have a knack for making food exciting. A successful chef will always pay attention to minute detail to ensure their dishes taste amazing and look fantastic.
They inspire their team and maintain order in the kitchen, making them excellent leaders as well. They are the ones who know how to handle heat in a bustling kitchen. A successful chef isn’t just about cooking but it is a mix of ingredients that includes talent, leadership and a love of making people happy through great food.
What advice would you give to a young culinary student?
On your journey to be a successful chef you will always learn and adapt. It is important to always be hungry for more.Stay curious and open minded because the culinary world is really huge and there is always something new to discover. Do not be too hard on yourself, mistakes are a part and parcel of life. Try working in different kitchens and explore various cuisines.
Paramount key is to master the basics for building a strong foundation. Train your tastebuds to understand different flavors, and connect with other people in the cooking world; Networking is really crucial to go a step ahead. Work hard, there is no replacement for it and enjoy being creative. Creativity is always a plus point. And lastly, take care of yourself in the busy kitchen life for a satisfying career.
As an Executive Chef, have you ever had any funny or bizarre requests from guests that you managed to fulfill?
Oh yes, absolutely! In this world you come across all sorts of interesting requests. So, there was this one time where a guest requested a “spicy chocolate lasagna”. It was something that really shocked and amused me. I had not even imagined this kind of dish. But since it was requested by the customer I had to take up the challenge. So I created layers of rich chocolate cake with a hint of chili, put some spicy chocolate ganache and topped it with a touch of pepper infused whipped cream. Surprisingly, the guest loved the unique dessert. It goes to show that sometimes, the most unexpected combinations can lead to delicious outcomes.
Can you share a wacky kitchen mishap or memorable culinary disaster that you turned into a hilarious learning experience?
Why not, So once, when the kitchen was crazy busy, I accidently grabbed sugar instead of salt while preparing a savory dish. And imagine a seemingly innocent stir-fry turned into an unexpected sweet dish. It was a very common mistake but it led to a masterpiece. Instead of getting frustrated we decided to tweak it into something different. We named it “Sweet Surprise Snack” and offered it to customers. Some people loved the innovation.
Accidents do lead to some tasty discoveries. But now we always make sure to double-check our ingredients.
Can you describe a bizarre food trend or fad that you’ve observed or experienced throughout your culinary career?
Yes, a fun trend actually hit the culinary world. Chefs started putting edible glitter literally on everything- from regular meals to desserts. It seems as if they wanted the food to look like a disco party! It made meals pretty and shiny but after a while people started figuring out that glitter didn’t really make the food taste better, it was just for showcase. That is why that trend didn’t last long. It was a fun experiment showing us that food can look cool. But what makes a food food is its taste. So its more important that it should taste great. And that’s the story of the short lived edible glitter craze.
