Exclusive Interview | Juliano Rodrigues, General Manager & Head Chef, Out of the Blue Mumbai
/“Experience can teach you twice as much as education can”
Juliano Rodrigues, General Manager & Head Chef, Out of the Blue Mumbai
How did it all start? Share your culinary journey with us
My journey with food started pretty early possibly when I was five or six. Born in a modern household to two working parents, where my mother would reach home by late evening and I would get home earlier on, at noon. We had a house help who would fix up meals now and then and on other days, I was left to fix myself a meal. Hunger can definitely push the envelope and make you creative in ways you wouldn’t imagine. I would first skim through my refrigerator to find a quick and easy meal to savor, many-a-time it was a sandwich- bread, butter, and jam (sometimes pickle, don’t ask me why).
I learned very early on not to be co-dependent on anyone for food and devised a way to always fix myself a meal with leftovers and ingredients stored away at home. Whenever I did get a home-cooked meal prepared by my mother, I would devour it and never complain about what was on my plate, that kick-started my love-love relationship with food.
What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in
Earlier on in my career, during my stint with the Rodas Ecotel Hotel, I would devise quick and effective ways to get the cooking condiments, tray ready. To give you an example, instead of chopped garlic, I would slow cook garlic and infuse it in oil, innovations like combining celery with salt, etc, little things that could elevate the taste without much effort. This way I could be ahead of the order service and deliver a consistent product, each time. This really helped me earlier on, especially because at the time I was handling the soup, grill, pasta, and fryer stations, as well as plating the food.
A dish your patrons/guest love
At Out of the blue, we love to experiment with continental cuisine and give it an Indian twist, my customers love the Penne Masala Mafia and Cottage cheese steak Paprika.
A dish that you love but do not have on your menu
The Duck Confit for sure, we currently have it on our seasonal menu and we’ve seen the response it gets. Hoping to include this on our regular menu super soon.
What according to you does it take to become a successful chef?
Having worked in this space for a while, I can confidently say that patience and understanding what your guest wants are the two primary things to bear in mind when curating anything. In the restaurant industry, things take time to come to fruition, we have to pre-plan everything, patience helps you stay focused and organized and helps you deliver on your ideas. You cannot expect everything to happen all at once, there is a process, there is testing, there is client feedback, there is the monetary aspect, and there is the pricing and marketing strategy, they all play a pivotal role in making any idea, a reality.
Secondly, no matter how revolutionary an idea sounds to me, I will always put myself in the customer’s shoes to comprehend whether a client would like a certain product or not. Would they be willing to try out a new menu item just by the sound of it? There is a lot of R&D that goes on behind the scenes to bring a meal to the table.
What advice would you give to a young culinary student?
Pursue your passions. I know it may sound trivial but try to work around things that you are good at. Sometimes it takes trying something to know whether you are good at it. Experience can teach you twice as much as education can. Try to partner with the right companies earlier on in your career to grasp all the necessary knowledge and learnings you need to upskill yourself.
7. Your favourite ingredient is…
Millets especially Fox Millet, it is a great ingredient to use as a base for any meal. It is rich in Vitamin B12, fiber, and protein, it is a great healthy alternative to your regular carbs.
What do you have in store for your guests in the coming months?
we have the release of the new Deli by the blue menu that should go live in the coming months. Great things from the brand are coming your way.
