Exclusive Interview | Chef Toshit Sharma, National Corporate Chef, RATIONAL International India Pvt. Ltd
/““Ghar Ka Khana”, can’t be found in any menu but that’s the only meal that satisfies one’s soul. And, you never get bored of it.”
Editor: How did it all start? Share your journey with us!
I am a graduate in Hotel Management from IHM, Gwalior. During my college & training days, I was keen on learning about the basics of the kitchen as I always wanted to be in everyone’s heart. And, the way to everyone’s heart is through their stomach, so I chose Culinary as my career.
In 2005, I started my professional career with Oberoi Hotels in Udaipur where I learned in detail about food ingredients, equipment, traditional Indian & International cuisines. It all made my base stronger to be a long runner in the industry. In 2007, I got my first International job opportunity from Four Seasons, Maldives where I was responsible to uplift the standards of Indian kitchen & do several promotions for regional Indian cuisine. After achieving my targets in the Maldives I moved for the pre-opening of India’s first Four Seasons Hotel in Mumbai, where I was deeply involved in promoting Indian cuisine in the local market. In early 2010 I got the invitation from hotel The Setai, Miami Beach USA to work as an Indian Chef, as Indian food was quite high in demand there. I chalked out several food promotion campaigns and also set up a wide menu with traditional Indian dishes for the hotel. Due to visa restrictions in late 2011, I returned to India & worked with ITC Hotels in Jaipur and then Sarovar Hotels in Chandigarh for a short period as Executive Chef. In 2012, I again went overseas. This time to Hotel Sandy Lane in Barbados, Caribbean Islands. There, I was in charge of the Indian section while also supporting the team in other culinary operations. Post this assignment, I got a chance to work in the dream country of the world i.e. Switzerland as Head Chef for the Asian section at The Chedi, Andermatt Switzerland.
In 2015, I moved back to our home country to settle down. Here I joined RATIONAL as National Corporate Chef for India. Since then I am happily & proudly associated with RATIONAL & am enjoying my job.
Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchen you worked in?
Kitchen life is always very stressful. It is overloaded with work pressure & challenges, but we as chefs back in the kitchen are always ready to accept such situations in a calm way. I remember that I used to sing my favourite songs to release pressure.
During my initial days of my career, we used to be at the back kitchen, but I always tried to meet the guests in the restaurant as I loved to interact with different people especially with those whom I am serving food. Even my efforts for this were recognized & appreciated at multiple properties.
Editor: A dish your patrons/ guest love?
Dal, Bati & Churma was my favourite for a long time. Irrespective of however busy I am, I always prepare this dish with proper standards & affection. It has brought success & opportunities in my career at different levels.
Editor: A dish that you love but do not have on your menu?
“Ghar Ka Khana”, can’t be found in any menu but that’s the only meal that satisfies one’s soul. And, you never get bored of it.
Editor: What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
A chef has to be passionate about cooking, ready to accept challenges, fit to work under work pressure, and must be ready to stretch the working hours even on weekends & holidays. Food is all about art & science, for which a chef has to be creative in presenting his dishes as “Winners don’t do different things, but they do the things differently".
Also, adapting to modern technology in the kitchen is the need of the hour. One needs to know how a RATIONAL iCombi Pro, smart combi-steamer helps them to not only reduce manual work but also in achieving consistent results every time.
Editor: What advice would you give to a young culinary student?
Be patient & focus on basics, and only good will come to you. You will also achieve success just when you are ready to dive deeper into the ocean of the culinary industry.
Editor: What instruments/equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?
RATIONAL Combi-steamer. It works like my Sous Chef who never complains & never gets tired. It is always ready for more work pressure in different cooking method operations & on top of that never asks for leaves or holidays. I can blindly trust RATIONAL units.
Editor: Your favourite ingredients Is
Salt. It not only enhances the flavour but also helps you in curing, maturing, etc., the food. It can help you in numerous ways while cooking being a universal ingredient used in every section of the kitchen. I always love to try different authentic salts like Himalayan, Pink, Charcoal & Sea salt and mixing them with herbs, hence enhancing the flavour of the dishes.
Editor: Name chef’s, you find amazing or chefs work you admire
I have a long list & I always thank them on different platforms because whatever that I am today is because of their guidance & wishes. I would like to once again share my gratitude to Chef Surender Singh, Chef Ashish Bhasin, Chef Gaurav Prasher, Chef Zulfikar Kareem, Chef Rajpal Singh, Chef Giancarlo, Chef Shahid Latif, Chef Jonathan Wright, Chef David Werly, Chef Mansour Memarian, Chef Dietmar Sawyere & Chef Christian Rose.
Editor: What books should every chef read?
I strongly recommend reading the books which will help them to get their basics and fundamentals clear while working in a professional kitchen.
