Exclusive Interview | Devinder Kumar, Executive Chef, Park Plaza Delhi CBD Shahdara
/“Food has always fascinated me”
How did it all start? Share your journey with us!
I have asked this question by most of the people to whom I met but I am not sure of the answer because from my childhood I always love to help my mom in the kitchen, I have always been fond of experimenting with different ingredients and came with new flavours and I enjoy working at kitchen and saw cooking exciting dishes. Food has always fascinated me and I always love to try new taste buds and that interest of mine helped me to not only expand my knowledge but for future flavor combinations and dishes. That interest in food mould me towards this profession and I opted for Hotel Management whereas my family wanted me to be professional in finance.
I did my Hotel Management from IHM Pusa Delhi. It was great learning there I learnt a lot about professional and personal life experience. Got selected as Kitchen Management Trainee at The Bristol Hotel, Gurgaon, that was the first five-star hotel in Haryana and I worked with great chef’s there and learnt the kitchen skills. From there my culinary journey began and after that, I never looked back. During my 22 years of experience, I worked with different brands and now I am working as Executive Chef with Park Plaza Hotel, Delhi since pre-opening.
What are your earliest memories of the kitchen you worked in?
It was The Bristol Hotel, Gurgaon- I started working as Kitchen management trainee and worked at a different section of the kitchen, where I learnt lots of in and out of each section of the kitchen. I used to be part of live counters and always busy in guest interaction and handling guest expectations. I never count on my working hours and keep on doing the good work and learn each and every new idea from the seniors. I spend most of the time in the continental kitchen as I love to work there. I got a good chance to interact with guest and serve them food as per there specification which was really a new move at that time, as a result, I had very good relations with the guests.
I worked very hard to upgrade my knowledge and skill which gave me confidence and that made me good skilled Chef and even today I always ready to learn and educate myself.
A dish your patrons/ guest love?
During my 22 years of experience I have served lots of dishes to my countless guests which were appreciated by them most of the times. Every guest has his/her own preference whether its banquet or a la carte. The choices differ as per the nationality of the guest too. I always love to interact with guests and serve them as per there taste and preferences.
Some of the dishes which were much appreciated by guests are –
Apricot Glazed Salmon, Caribbean Style Paella, Basil Coated Sole Grilled, Braised Lamb Shanks, Roasted Turkey, Stuffed Grilled Chicken, Mushroom Stroganoff, Spinach and Ricotta Lasagne, Ravioli Saffron Sauce, Nalli Nihari, Lal Maas, Soya Malai etc.
A dish that you love but do not have on your menu?
Beef/Meat Wellington- Tender Fillet of beef/Mutton baked in puff pastry served with garlic tossed veggies, Chateau potatoes and Madeira sauce makes a classical sophisticated main course for formal dinner.
What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
This is indeed a very difficult question as everyone has a different thought of successful Chef, as success does not come instantly and it took years to get. But yes one should have patience, passionate and hardworking to enjoy success. In my opinion, successful Chef must always keen to learn new things, one should always be ready to deliver with perfection on time as our industry demands everything on time. Should invest in him to educate and skill development. Nowadays your presence in social media, creativities, innovations and skills to market yourself is the key to success.
What advice would you give to young culinary students?
My advice to those who wish to start their carrier as a chef to be confident, they have to be passionate about food and to be updated with new market trends.
What instruments/equipment/devices you cannot imagine working without?
I always keep a sharp knife and a tasting spoon in my uniform.
Your favourite ingredients is…
My favourite ingredient is Ginger, it gives pungent flavour and aromatic aroma to the dish. Ginger is used in Indian curries, Chinese, Japanese, and European spice blends. Ginger helps in treating seasonal infections, it was a great remedy for improving digestion and metabolism. Since ages, ginger has been used for medicinal purposes, due to its rich nutritional properties.
Name chef’s, you find amazing or chefs work you admire
Chef Sushil Chug, Chef Narender Singh and Chef Sudhanshu Rajhans
What books should every chef read?
Larousse Gastronomies, A guide to Modern Cookery, The French Laundry cookbook, Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking.
