“My parents wanted me to be a doctor....so the first PhD was really for them and it is something quite personal as a tribute to them. Luckily I enjoy writing. But more than that, I had discipline and stubbornness, for the second one.”

— Chef Zubin D'souza

How did it all start? Share your culinary journey with us

So there are two stories....one is true and the other may not be as true. You would have to decide which is which. My first story is that my mom is a terrible cook and I had to learn how to cook to survive. The succeeding steps were a natural progression of events. The second story is that while we were growing up, we weren't very well off and I was determined to choose a career that would eliminate my need to scrounge around for food.

What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in

Before I got accepted into the OCLD (Oberoi Centre for Learning and Development) program, I had worked a major part of my way through college. I had done night shifts in bakeries as well as worked in a couple of busy but rustic traditional restaurants. The equipment and the experience were always unique to each individual kitchen but what impressed me much has always been the people. It is the people that set everything apart and make the place....otherwise it is always bricks and mortar and satin polished steel. I have worked with them all....the autocrat and the benevolent; those that hid recipes and others who were passionate about training. We have come a long way since then...

A dish your patrons/guest love

I am of Goan origin and so I have a weakness for seafood. The two favourites that almost always travel with me are a grilled salmon fillet in a saffron-olive broth and Crab salad tian with multigrain crackers and softshell crab poppers.

A dish that you love but do not have on your menu

Fresh raspberry souffle, spearmint caviar, homemade nougat and vanilla ice cream and ginger tuile

What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?

In my opinion, success is a relative term and so is the definition of a chef. I tend to think of almost everyone creating magic out of food like a chef. They could be street vendors selling delicious hot samosas or the quick service chefs at the smaller family-owned restaurants. If they take raw materials and convert it magically into food that makes you want to enter that diner.....then they are chefs.

As far as success goes ...I cannot stress this enough.....but the only pure measure of success is your happiness. Forget the titles, ribbons, medals and certificates. You have to ask yourself this question.....Am I happy? If the answer is yes then you are successful. If the answer is no.....you are probably searching in the wrong place but you will find it soon if you keep looking.

What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

Three Dos and three Don'ts...

Do work hard....very hard

Do try and start at the very basics.....relearn them if necessary

Do treat your colleagues, peers and subordinates with respect at all times

Don't whinge, complain and whine. You chose the profession and no one has an issue if you quit and walk out. But if you are in.....suck it up

Don't take your health for granted. It is a tough industry and it can take its toll

Don't become a chef to upgrade your social media status and neither should you believe all the culinary marvels you see online or on social media instead of just writing there.

What instruments/ equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?

When I was younger this answer would have been very different indeed....but now the answers are much simpler. A knife, a peeler, a pan and a burner.

Your favourite ingredient is…

Vanilla! I just love it. It used to be lavender at one point in time but the good stuff is hard to come by

Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs work you admire

I am rather old school. One of my favourites has always been Marco Pierre White. I have a copy of his White Heat which is about 25 years old. I was a big admirer of Charlie Trotter till his sad demise. Chef Peter Washbourne from Australia has amazing infectious energy and a fabulous sense of humour. Closer home I have had the good fortune to have been trained by some of the greatest chefs that the country produced which has included Chef Rajiv Singh Gulshan, Chef Urbano Rego and Lisa Norton from my college

What books should every chef read?

I really like the musings of the late Anthony Bourdain. Be it kitchen Confidential or A Cooks Tour. I also believe that kitchen life is a little too intense and we need a bit of respite every once in a while. I love to read books from an absolutely brilliant author called Christopher Moore and I love the travel books of Paul Theroux

You recently completed your second Doctorate, our congratulations. Tell us a little about this academic pursuit. How did you manage a full-time career and academia?

My parents wanted me to be a doctor....so the first PhD was really for them and it is something quite personal as a tribute to them. I realized then that if I needed to share my achievements with the world then I would have to go through the process all over again. Luckily I enjoy writing. But more than that, I had discipline and stubbornness.

I promised myself that I would do 1500 words a day and 2500 on the day before my off day. That is 10000 words a week. There were a lot of deletions, cancellations and scrappings but it wasn’t that tough preparing a thesis of 140,000 odd words once you have the discipline put into place. I may have typed 200,000 words. Technically that is twenty-odd weeks of work and five months. I took closer to nine months to just type the thesis but it worked well once you have a small and achievable goal put into place. It is the same discipline that has enabled me to write two leadership books during the pandemic.....one based on the Mahabharata and the other based on the observations of animal behaviour.

The first one is on its way to the printer and being formatted for Kindle as we speak. The second is already in talks for being acquired. I will share more details when they are out.