Exclusive Interview | Sonu Dhumal, Executive Chef, Dushanbe Serena Hotel Tajikistan

“Passion, dedication, work, a positive attitude, and a smile on your face will put your career on a successful path”

— Sonu Dhumal

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

I am Sonu Dhumal, Executive Chef of Dushanbe Serena Hotel (Tajikistan). I was born and raised in “Himachal Pradesh, India. I got inspired by my father since he was a chef and very passionate about his work. In my childhood, I decided to be like him. He worked in Taj Delhi and other reputed brands in Hong Kong and the USA. I pursued my dream by enrolling in hotel management at IHM Kufri, Shimla. Upon graduation, my first culinary journey was at Radisson Hotel Windsor, Jalandhar in 2003. In 2007 I moved to UAE at Al Hamra Fort Hotel and Beach Resorts, Ras Al Khaimah as a Demi Chef De Partie. From 2009-to 2013 I worked in a pre-opening property like Starwood Hotels & Resorts, Indonesia, and Wall of Asia Restaurant at Radisson Blu Hotel, Punjab Amritsar Park Rotana & Park Arjaan in UAE. Ramada Port Villa in Vanuatu.  I was part of the pre-opening hotel team and gained lots of culinary insights. I continued to undertake more roles in different hotels and resorts from Sous Chef, Chef De Cuisine, Executive Sous Chef, and Executive Chef in hotels in U.A.E, Doha, Indonesia, China, Fiji, PNG, Vanuatu, Algeria, Samoa, India, and the Maldives.

Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in?

Every day has been a new experience for me and a process of learning all throughout. All the places that I have worked have been a learning curve for me.

My proudest moment was being part of the culinary team to cook for Papua  New Guinea /Prime Minister James Marape and  Prime Minister Of Samoa ( 2020) Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi in Samoa. 

Editor: A dish your patrons/guests love

In the Maldives, we serve food inspired by the French & Western styles of cooking and dishes. Also, we serve dishes featuring the elements of Maldivian, Thai, Indian Japanese, and Singaporean cuisine.

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

The list is long as I have been to so many places and in so many hotels and prepared so many dishes over the years. Few dishes are mentioned below.

• Poached Fish with Green pea Puree and mango salsa 

• Pan-Seared Black Sea Bass with Pea and Jalapeno Sauce

•  Cold Cucumber Soup / Tuna Tartare

• Seared Scallops with Spring Vegetables, Bacon, and Pea Butter Sauce.

• Seasonal roast chestnut soup with foie grass, - infused aromatic flavored and Holland chestnut, shaved foie grass, and cream of green apple foam.

• herb-crusted rack of lamb with red wine jus

• Thai style chicken, beetroot crapes roll with roasted celery root and chili lemongrass sauce

• Tuna Tartare with Salmon Caviar and Egg Yolk Sauce.

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

Flair. It is all about the flair that will give you the hunger to excel and lead you to learn more and more that in a way will develop your skills and knowledge.

I believe that professional education and training in skills and a passion for cooking are necessary to be successful as a chef. Determination to succeed, knowledge of the methods, and the ingredients are most important. With smart work and all the above combined, you can break through all the barriers that will come in your way and success. A smile on the face is always the icing on the cake.

Editor: What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

I would like to tell them that passion, dedication in their work, and positive attitude will put them on the path towards being successful Chefs.

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

The instruments I always keep along with me are the Chef’s knife and thermometer.

These are an integral part of me and my daily routine.

Editor: Your favorite ingredient is…

I like to use different kinds of herbs in my preparations as believe they enhance the taste of the food by leaps and bounds. A few of my favorite herbs are basil, thyme, rosemary, etc.

Editor: Name chefs you find amazing, or chefs work you admire

I admire and from whom I have learned a lot are Chef Marco Pierre White and Chef Thomas Keller.

Editor: What books should every chef read?

One of the best books that any chef can read is;

1. The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters.

2. Great Curries of India by Camellia Panjabi

3. The Third Plate by Dan Barber

It is the best book anyone read for Aspiring Chefs

Some of the Chefs Creations on the plate

Exclusive Interview | Chef Ashfaque Ali, Executive Chef, The Oberoi Maidens, New Delhi

“ There is only one recipe to become a successful chef is to believe in you and a hunger to deliver the best as anything less than a best is a failure.”

— Ashfaque Ali

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

 As a family, we love to eat good food. Everyone in my family is very possessive about their food. I never thought of becoming a chef because there was no plan. I developed an interest in cooking when I moved to Kolkata to study and had to survive on hostel food. I always believe that Kolkata is the food heaven of India. The City of Joy has various things to offer and I got to learn the art of cooking from the city. Later I pursued my Hotel Management from Durgapur School of Hotel Management and that is how the journey began. 

Editor: What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in

 My earliest memories go with my first job with The Oberoi Wildflower Hall Shimla, joined there as a Commis. It was very hard yet very rewarding. I had a great learning experience with Chef Baranidharan who was the faculty of “OCLD” back then and my first Executive Chef.

Editor: A dish your patrons/guests love

Biryani is one of my most favourite dishes whether I have to cook or eat. I always get vibrant feedback from my guests, family, and friends and more importantly from my kids.

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

 I do lots of regional dishes and I would definitely add them to my menu for sure. I always want to add local pond small fishes to my menu and will definitely find a way to incorporate them.

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

 According to my there is only one recipe to become a successful chef and that is to believe in youself and have the hunger to deliver the best as anything less than best is a failure.

Editor: What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

 Have patience, keep cooking, keep learning, success is around the corner

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

 A good stove and a knife.

Editor: Your favourite ingredient is…

 I love spices and fresh herbs. It will be very difficult to choose one but I think rose petal is one of the most favourite ones in my spice box.

Editor: Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs work you admire

 I worked with many great chefs like Chef Baranidharan, Chef Vineet Bhatia, Chef Karl Blunden, chef Darren Robert Conole but I always admired Chef Baranidharan because of his passion for food and technique.

Editor: What books should every chef read?

 “Theory of cookery” is the simplest and easily available. There are many in the market but I always find this one the most beneficial and easy to understand.

One of the chef’s beautiful creation

Exclusive Interview | Chef Aditya Jaimini, President - Hospitality and Product Development, Egremontz Business Solutions

“It is a journey where I am choosing the options to learn and grow professionally and personally, faith keeps me going. After years of learning, I would like to Showcase traditional Indian food on a global platform by leveraging my culinary expertise.”

— Chef Aditya Jaimini

Introduction

Chef Aditya Jamini has worked in various leadership roles and most recently being Head of Hospitality, Delhi International Airport Limited.
He is a versatile Chef and well-rounded hospitality professional. An IHM Bhopal alumni, he started his career with Taj Hotels as a Management Trainee and had consistently passionate about Indian, Mediterranean, and Italian cuisine; he progressed very fast at Taj Hotels from Chef de Partie to Sous Chef. He managed state banquets for dignitaries from George Bush to Prime Minister's house. After a decade, he moved to The Park Hotel, Parliament Street, Delhi, and soon joined Crowne Plaza, New Delhi, an upscale hotel brand of the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) as Pre-opening Executive Chef and progressed to Director Food & Beverage operation. One of his significant accomplishments has been Spice Art, an Indian specialty restaurant, which bagged the Times Food Award in the 'Noteworthy Newcomer' category within a few months of opening.

The restaurant has won the 'Best North Indian' restaurant in Delhi for 4 years in a row at the Times Food Award. With over 23 years of experience, he has been instrumental in establishing big F&B operations and culinary innovations. He has innovated award-winning dishes like Rabri Souffle, Kali Gajar Ka Halwa, Tawa Till Asparagus. Chef Aditya is a certified lead auditor, FSMS. Chef Aditya has been conferred with ' Chef of the Year', 2014 by the Association of Hospitality Professionals and got featured by Maryam Reshii, in her book - 'Celebrated Chefs of India'. Chef Aditya enjoys a stellar reputation in the industry and is one of the most sought-after mentors amongst universities.

Chef Aditya has hosted Food shows on Travel XP, NDTV GoodTimes and has recently launched a Food Show 'Wah Wah Kya Swad Hai' on his YouTube Channel.

Do check out his youtube on the link below
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3vQAjaPTAQrmsZ5ctNUjsA

Editor: Tell us about your journey?  How did it all start?

The journey started with a change in the plan after school where I was preparing to join a conventional professional course to become a doctor but  If I look back it was like destiny had plans for you and the door which opened was to pursue Hotel Management and then the decision to be in Chef whites as it gave me an opportunity to be creative. Maybe, it was interesting to understand the profession as more than just cooking food.  I joined the Taj Group of Hotels as a management Trainee in the year 1997 and learnt the various aspects of different cuisines and Kitchen management, spent almost 10 years at The Taj Palace New Delhi.

Then came opportunities to open a Standalone restaurant for FTv ( F Bar - 2007) and heading Kitchen operations for The Park New Delhi ( 2008-2010). There was great learning in these years which helped me to establish hotel kitchens for Food and Beverage focussed operations for IHG at the pre-opening of Crowne Plaza New Delhi Rohini as the Executive Chef (2010). The professional growth happened with a change in role to Director F&B in the coming years. Then in 2019 was chosen to lead operations for Radisson Dwarka as the Executive Assistant Manager and subsequently leading the operations as the functional leader of the Hotel.

 As I mentioned earlier, destiny has plans for every individual, so due to a personal family requirement, I had to take a break after these 22 years of active Hoteliering. There were many milestones in this journey, few to mention, serving dignitaries like U.S Presidents - George Bush, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, many other Heads of States and India's Whos who. Awarded as Chef of the Year in 2014. Recognition for my creation 'Spice Art' as the Best North Indian Restaurant in Delhi for 4 years in a row and featured amongst the  'Celebrated Chefs of India'. Active involvement in Food safety Management as a certified Lead Auditor for Food Safety as per ISO 22000 FSMS.

Editor: From hotels to aviation/service to consulting.  What's the same and what you had to learn to do differently?

Then the Next phase started with joining Delhi International Airport as the Head of Hospitality for one of the busiest airports, IGIA - New Delhi. This was a different aspect of hospitality with big volume operations and revenues of around INR 2 crores in a single day. This gave another dimension to my learning in skills and leadership. 

The operations were closely similar with aspects of constraints due to Airport security and service levels. The concessionaire management at the airport at different terminals ensure error-free performance and ensure commercial success.

With all this experience in my kitty, I started to share my knowledge and skills with Food business operators. This was shaped into a formal collaboration, with another Stalwart of Industry, Mr Deepta Gupta, and a team  of highly experienced and competent professionals with deep knowledge of Food Business operations - EGREMONTZ BUSINESS SOLUTIONS ( www.egremontz.com)

Specialized in Conceptualizing and designing, Plant set up for Indian snacks and sweets, Process automation, Indian sweets & Street food Retail outlets, Base kitchen operations, Restaurant or café operations, Hotel operations……. just anything which makes you think about food.

Editor: Love the kitchen more or the management side of things?  What did you like to cook when you did cook for guests?

  A Chef always remains a Chef at heart and preparing food always gives me satisfaction and an opportunity to showcase my thoughts and skills on a plate as an artist. As you grow in your career as a chef management is an inherent capability you need to develop and Planning, organising and controlling skills are also important in a kitchen operation.

I have specialised in European and Mediterranean cuisine in my initial years but developed an affinity for traditional Indian food, street foods of India for which I did a good amount of travel and research, and explored a wide range of Traditional Indian sweets.

I always wanted to create a wow factor when I prepared food, so it was about creating sweet memories and experiences with offerings like a Rabri fountain for lavish banquets or innovative desserts Kali Gajar Ka Halwa or Lehsun ki kheer. Improvised versions of Street food with the creation of 'Ghewar ki Chaat' or a smoked pizza with active coal always gave me pleasure.

Editor: What do you see are irrevocable changes due to the pandemic?  What does the new landscape look like?

Pandemic has completely changed the paradigm for Hospitality and Aviation sectors. The Hygiene and practices to ensure the safety of all stakeholders will be important and strict adherence is nonnegotiable. The change in the way operations have evolved in the past year is going to be strengthened with management commitment.  

The new phase which the Hospitality industry foresees is a slow process of normalization. The standalone Food and Beverage outlets should be able to make a faster comeback with hotels improving commercial operations in due course due to the restrictions. 

The landscape has seen new intervention with the growth of the food delivery market, DIY kits as some options which have developed.

Editor:  What does your personal growth look like in the coming decade?  What should we expect from Aditya?

It is a journey where I am choosing the options to learn and grow professionally and personally, faith keeps me going. After years of learning, I would like to Showcase traditional Indian food on a global platform by leveraging my culinary expertise. 

The pathway is to provide professional guidance for all the functions of Food business operations whether you have a vision of starting a new venture or want to restructure and upscale your Food offering, Processes, or competence.

 Further, assist new entrepreneurs in this field to establish a successful food business operation.

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.”

— Chef Toshit Sharma

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.