Exclusive Interview | Dinesh Mhatre,Executive Chef, The Orchid Hotel Pune

My culinary philosophy revolves around delving into the essence of each cuisine and culture, crafting dishes that resonate with diverse palates, and consistently exceeding guest expectations.

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

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

My culinary journey was sparked by my father's small catering business, known as Guru Datta Catering. During my school days, I eagerly accompanied him during vacations to observe, savor, and relish the culinary experiences. This ignited a deep passion for cooking within me. However, my aspirations leaned towards modern cuisine and achieving a significant chef's position. Despite my desire to enroll in a Hotel Management course after completing my 12th grade, financial constraints compelled me to take a different path. I embarked on a three-year kitchen apprenticeship at Oberoi Flight Service in Andheri, Mumbai. This foundational experience paved the way for my entry into the culinary world.
Following my apprenticeship, I embarked on my professional journey at The Orchid Hotel in Mumbai, serving as a Commis from 1999 to 2002. Subsequently, I became a part of the pre-opening team at Hyatt Regency Mumbai as a Commis, which marked the beginning of a remarkable 14-year tenure. My trajectory within Hyatt was nothing short of transformative – progressing from Commis to Chef de Cuisine. Throughout my time at Hyatt, I engaged with diverse culinary outlets and collaborated with three accomplished Italian chefs. A pivotal moment occurred in 2007 when I had the privilege of representing India during a sponsored visit to Italy by the Italian Embassy. This exposure deepened my understanding of Italian cuisine and culture. In 2015, I sought fresh horizons and joined JW Marriott Pune as a Banquet Chef. Steadily, I ascended to the role of Executive Sous Chef, overseeing substantial events such as weddings and conferences. My journey led me back to Hilton Mumbai in 2019 as the Executive Chef before embracing roles at prominent establishments including Courtyard by Marriott Ahmedabad and Radisson Blu Kharadi Pune. A unique opportunity then arose to work with Kamat Khandan at The Orchid Balewadi, reuniting me with my culinary roots.

My culinary philosophy revolves around delving into the essence of each cuisine and culture, crafting dishes that resonate with diverse palates, and consistently exceeding guest expectations.

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

My initial forays into the culinary world were marked by unrelenting dedication and extended hours of work. These foundational experiences instilled within me a profound understanding of the kitchen's rhythm and its relentless demands. In those early days, recognition was scarce despite the unwavering effort invested. This reinforced my belief that the culinary journey is an everlasting learning process, with no bounds to what one can absorb and achieve.

Editor: A dish your patrons/guests love

The dish that has resonated most deeply with my patrons is one crafted with unwavering passion and commitment. This fervent dedication and the personal touch I infuse into my creations have led to a strong connection with my patrons.

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

Yes, there's a cherished dish that holds a special place in my culinary heart – "Mutton Hara Masala." While it may not have found a place on my menus thus far, its rich flavors and intricate preparation make it a personal favorite that I am eager to share with discerning diners in the future.

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

Becoming a successful chef requires an unwavering commitment to hard work, a steadfast belief in oneself, and an unbridled passion for the culinary arts. The relentless pursuit of excellence, coupled with a genuine connection to the craft, sets the foundation for a truly accomplished culinary journey

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

To the aspiring culinary students, I would urge them to channel their passion into their work, anchoring their focus on their professional journey. While monetary gains are significant, prioritizing a steadfast dedication to the craft and an unquenchable thirst for knowledge will invariably pave the way for a fulfilling and successful career.

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

While a multitude of tools graces the culinary landscape, the quintessential knife remains an indispensable companion. However, I firmly believe that the cornerstone of culinary success lies in the ardor one holds for the vocation. This passion becomes the driving force that conquers the countless obstacles that may arise.

Editor: Your favorite ingredient is…

Among the myriad of ingredients, my heart resonates with the rich offerings of Indian sweets. The intricate play of flavors and textures in traditional Indian sweets encapsulates the essence of our diverse culinary heritage.

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

Among the esteemed chefs, two individuals stand out for their distinct attributes. Chef Giovanni Parella's affable demeanor and his ability to maintain a calm and composed ambiance in the kitchen are truly remarkable. Additionally, Chef Kedar Bobade's unwavering commitment to precision and his resolute approach towards work, coupled with exceptional teamwork, inspire me deeply.

Editor: What books should every chef read?

While an array of culinary literature exists, I am an advocate for recognizing the fundamental source of culinary wisdom – one's own mother. Our mothers, as the unsung culinary heroes in our lives, possess an innate mastery of flavors, techniques, and the art of nourishment. Learning from their wealth of knowledge and experience can provide invaluable insights that complement formal education.

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Exclusive Interview | Nishith Kumar, Chief Human Resources Officer,SKIL Corporate Travel

“Hire for Attitude; Train for skill” is the one Philosophy I follow for hiring-

Nishith Kumar

Tell us about your journey. How did it all start?

It all started when my roommate woke me up in our dorm room to learn the Taj Hotels’ Pre-Placement talk schedule! 

Indian Hotels Company Limited arrived at our campus, looking for HR & Sales MTs in the year 2006, 1 month before our graduation. I never knew that attending the pre-placement talk of the Taj would change my professional course.

I joined the Taj in 2007 as an HR Management Trainee in Mumbai and spent stints in New Delhi, Mumbai, Vadodara, and Bangalore. I left Taj in 2014, to join Hilton Worldwide as Human Resources Manager at their upcoming Doubletree Suites by Hilton Bangalore property. A pre-opening experience was something that I was looking for and this opened up a new chapter in my life.

I moved to Jaipur with Hilton Worldwide in 2016, after spending 2 wonderful years in Bangalore. Hilton Worldwide gave me opportunities to travel to many countries in Asia, including a wonderful week-long trip to Japan. I spent a little over 5 years with Hilton Jaipur and then changed sectors to Healthcare in 2021, owing to uncertainties in the hospitality space.

I spent 18 months with CARE Hospitals, as their group head of Talent Acquisition & HR Automation, based in Hyderabad. It was a wonderful stint again, a completely new sector, high-pressure but equally rewarding.

Post that, I moved to Mumbai with SKIL Corporate Travel as the CHRO.

What do you think it takes to succeed in this industry?

Resilience, resilience, and resilience!

The hospitality, travel, and healthcare sectors are labour-intensive where there are huge numbers of frontline workforce. In such people-centric work cultures, flexibility and resilience is the only tool one needs to succeed as the sector is extremely dynamic and leaders have to adapt to a fast-changing situation.

Share with us 5 skills that you think will be critical for a hospitality career in the future.

1. People Management

2. Coaching

3. Accounting basics

4. Macro view of business

5. Collaboration

What does the future look like? For the industry, you, your project / initiative.

Very solid and promising. People have realized that all of us have “one life” and the COVID period showed us how vulnerable we are in this world. People want to live this “One life” to the fullest and the biggest stress buster is a vacation with friends and family. We have seen a delta growth of 40% in the travel and hospitality space. This trend will continue for some years now and I am happy to state that we are in a great place!

What are the attributes you look for while selecting or hiring?

I have had one philosophy for hiring talent since I started working.

“Hire for Attitude; Train for skill”

If a candidate is 60% ready, he/she should be hired without further ado. It’s the leader’s responsibility to coach the new team member. The team member will also have a learning curve and that needs to be nurtured. It is a great roadmap for the organization and the team members. Basically, a win-win scenario.

What is your favorite interview question & why?

“What do you do when the buck stops with you?” is my favorite question and I ask all the people I interview. The response tells me the manner in which they own up to their roles. The beauty of the response is that there is no right or wrong answer. It helps me gauge the person better and understand the personality. 

Share some of your secrets in keeping an engaged, safe, and happy team.

There is no secret. Give the team member a role that he deserves and keep rotating the role to ensure there is continuous upgrade on his skills which prepares him for the next higher role. Role engagement supersedes any other form of engagement that you do and only reinforces your efforts. A team member is an investment and it needs to be handled the way you handle your personal investment.

What does not exist in the world, but you would like it to?

Open communication does not exist in the world. One might argue otherwise but the reality is that there is always a hidden agenda in all forms of communication. Remove the agenda and you have a seamless approach to business.

How do you think AI will impact our industry? Specific jobs, processes etc?

It is a wonderful thing to use AI for some specific jobs and roles in our industry. For example, AI will chart out my 5-day itinerary to the Maldives in under a minute or prepare the job role and compensation based on a candidate’s resume.

However, it will never be able to understand human emotions, which a person hears while talking to me on the phone or understand the underlying skills a candidate has. The human element will not be discounted, especially in our industry as it is completely people-driven. AI will not be able to iron out my issues in Maldives because the person handling it at Maldives in another human being.

AI will only complement our jobs not replace them.

What is the one app/tech solution you would love to see? (ops, HR, training, customer service, anything hospitality)

An application that can track the efforts of team members. I am not sure about other sectors but it doesn’t exist in the hospitality/travel domain. An application running in the background on the machine or on the server that tracks individual-based efforts that he/she puts in the 8 hours. Analysis of the data from the application will give leaders a clear picture of the work schedules of their team members.

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Exclusive Interview | Deepak Dandge, The Orchid Hotel, Mumbai

I always believe that Knowledge is power along with it you always need to understand your team and their strength which will make you a good chef and perform well as a team.

Deepak Dandge- Executive Chef

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

I Was very keen and interested in cooking. My mom used to make really good food and was really fond of it. Same time I saw Hotel Management College which was referred to me by my elder brother. Gave the exam and got through it. Did IHMCT from Tiruvananthapurm, Kovalam.

Started with Orchid Mumbai then moved to other hotels like JW Marriotts, Taj, Westin, Sofitel, Raintree hotels, Intercontinental Hotels, The Park, and Holiday Inn.

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

Started working in the continental section at the early stage when I joined hotels. Was keen to learn more and wanted to see how different section of the kitchen works. Have worked with all the sections of the kitchen like Cold, Hot, oriental, Tandoor, Pastas, Grill, Curries, and also Progressive food.

 A dish your patrons/guests love

• Salmon with Soy, sesame oil, and pickled salad

• Nahari

• Nalli Roghanjosh

• Lamb Bourguignon

• Sous vide chicken with Mushroom puree and wine jus

 

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

Duck Breast with orange sauce

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

I always believe that Knowledge is power along with it you always need to understand your team and their strength which will make you a good chef and perform well as a team.

What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

Focus, read, and enjoy what they do. 

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

Knife, measuring spoon, Thermometer, Combi oven.

Your favorite ingredient is…

Salt- Any form

Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs whose work you admire.

Chef Vinay Jayraj, Chef Rohit Sangwan, Chef Prakash Jaydevan

What books should every chef read?

Books on Ingredient. It will make you understand that how well you can use the ingredient and get the most out of it.

Exclusive Interviews | Saikat Das Culinary Trainer at Academy of culinary Arts and Hospitality Management,

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

During my stint in IHM Kolkata, we used to do practicals for food production where I got a lot of interest in this subject when we used to cook something in our practical lab get me more attracted to this subject and the environment or the surrounding in the practical lab was so buzzing and the flavors of spices and the gravies make me more interested into this culinary world. Nevertheless, to say that my faculties at IHM Kolkata have played a very important role to inspire me to take up my career in the culinary industry.

What are your earliest memories of the kitchens you worked in

One of my found memory in kitchen was taking part in a cooking competition so The Story goes like this during my days in Kuwait where I was working in one of the five star hotel, one fine day my executive sous chef came to me and put his hand on my shoulder and said "Das pull up your socks boy you are going to participate in live cooking competition at HORECA exhibition Kuwait". So the confidence which my chef showed on me was amazing and keeping to his expectation we won the gold medal in live cooking competition in that event.

A dish your patrons/guest love

So one of the dishes which my guest used to love was the ‘Gambas al Ajilio’. This dish I got to learn from one of my Spanish chef basically this dish is kind of appetizer where the shrimps is prepared with sliced garlic, Spanish paprika, Dry sherry and a small piece of dry chili peppers cooked in confit method that is a slow cooking in oil the oil which we use is the olive oil. 

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

One of the dish which I love to have given any day is Khichdi. Now the khichdi is such a comfort food that it will work when you are at home or sick or you're feeling lazy to cook or any given situation this comfort food will work. Now considering Khichdi is itself a wholesome meal where you get all kinds of nutrients in it whether it is carbohydrate from rice or protein from the lentils or the vitamins and minerals from the vegetables use in this so this comfort food will fill up all the nutrients which your body needs.

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

To become a successful chef the first thing is needed in you will be the learning attitude you cannot say that you have learned the skills and technique of culinary because when we talk about this culinary world it is a huge you cannot finish learning about the culinary in your lifetime it is it is endless ocean of knowledge and information which you will be getting. Now a days we have seen that the fresh graduates from the hotel schools tries to replicate the fancy plating and presentation of food but they need to understand that first they need to build a basics like different cuts of vegetables preparing the basic sauces and so on then they can move forward to start with the plate presentation the fancy presentation which they see in YouTube or in TVS or in the magazines. Second important thing to become a successful Chef will be the patients now a chef cannot be made in one fine day The Chef need to prepare himself from the very first day he enters in the kitchen and it will take long time now it depends upon the person to person how you will define this long time it can be one year it can be 5 years so it's depends up to you how much time you are going to take to prepare yourself as a chef. And the third important thing to become a successful chef will be the hard work without this nobody can succeed in their life

What advice would you give to a young culinary student?

Advice that I want to give to the young culinary students is that work on your basics the rest will follow you and always have a learning attitude. Also discipline is the key factor to become successful in your life.

Your favourite ingredient is

My favourite ingredient will be cardamom any given day because when you have this cardamom you get the sweetness of it you get the flavour of it and it always give you a soothing effect in your mouth which really makes me feel better.

Name chefs, you find amazing or chefs work you admire

One Chef who I really admire is ‘Marco Pierre White’ now I really admire his personality. The technique he shows is commendable.

What books should every chef read?

All the books have their own importance and have their own information but one book which really helps me out is ‘Larousse Gastronomique’.

What is the one tech/app/software feature you would like to see?  This could be for guests, operations, etc.

One feature I would really love to see in any app or software is how to calculate the nutritional value of the food which we are taking. This kind of technology we do have but it is not for common use and we can't see this in restaurants or in any F&B outlets.