Category: Inspiring Desi of the Day (Page 13 of 21)

Chef Manish Mehrotra: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 15, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

Manish Mehrotra is an Indian chef and culinary director, Indian descent. He has been called the most exciting modern Indian chef in the world today and was awarded #1 Chef in India by Culinary Culture Co. Having started his career in Mumbai as part of Ananda Solomon’s team at the Thai Pavilion of the Taj Hotels, he joined Old World Hospitality in 2000 and has been with the company ever since. Manish is passionate about his craft, his knowledge of ingredients and their origins is immense. He is an inspiration to aspiring young chefs today.

Chef Nishant Choubey: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 14, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

A true culinary veteran, Chef Nishant has more than 20 years of experience, and has worked across many fine-dining establishments over the span of his impressive career. The TV host commenced his career at the Oberoi hotel and then worked with Madinat Jumeirah Dubai for three years in specialty restaurants such as Pier chic, Sagreto, and Khayamat. Nishant serves as the consulting chef for Michelin Plated Indus (Bangkok), a corporate chef for the Seinan Group (Tokyo) and is the Co-Founder of Street Storyss Bangalore. Alongside winning the Iron Chef Challenge 2018 in Bangkok, Chef Nishant has also won a gold medal at Aahar. Choubey has hosted several successful pop-ups in Japan, Canada, South Africa, Kenya, and Spain on progressive Indian cuisine.

Chef Niilesh Llimaye: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 13, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

For over 15 years, Niilesh has been an active part of the Indian and international food industry, offering Food and Beverages consultancy services to a wide range of businesses such as restaurants, caterers, hotels, and food product companies. He is highly sought after for his knowledge and expertise and is the go-to person for all things food. His specialties include menu development, recipe development, kitchen setup and training, and food styling.

Chef Damodharan K: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 12, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

Damodharan K., professionally known as Chef Damu, is an Indian celebrity chef. He has hosted numerous cooking shows and reality cooking competitions on various Tamil language television channels, most notably as a judge on Cooku with Comali on Star Vijay. In 2010, he received a Guinness World Record for the longest cooking marathon by a single individual. He also became the first Indian chef to receive Ph.D in Hotel Management and Catering Technology, which was awarded by the University of Madras in 2004.

Smitha Menon: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 11, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

Smitha Menon is the Culinary Editor & Associate Digital Editor at Condé Nast Traveller India. Her work covers the intersection of food, culture and history as well as food trends, systems and business. For CNT, she spearheaded the launch of India’s Top Restaurant Awards and the country’s first-ever food writing award. She has been creating innovative and insightful food and travel content for more than a decade across digital, television and print platforms.

Chef Hussain Shahzad: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 8, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

Chef Hussain Shahzad brings a blend of energy, passion into the kitchen at O Pedro. Hussain’s food philosophy is simple – showcase local produce using contemporary culinary techniques that inspire the future generation of chefs to cook smarter. It is Hussain’s dream to see every diner excited about the food they eat and he and his team are committed to continuously create and innovate – making food the hero of the restaurant experience.

Chef Manu Chandra: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 7, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

Manu Chandra is to Bangalore what Massimo Bottura is to Modena. A classically trained European chef, Chandra worked in New York before returning to India to become chef at the Mumbai Olive. The Olive group sent him to Bangalore where he revolutionised the dining scene, opening several restaurants and becoming a cult figure in the city.

Rakesh Raghunathan: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 6, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

Food is the dominating twin of Rakesh Raghunathan, whose interest lay in distinguishing spices and different types of Rasam, as other 9 year olds played outdoors. Long dinner table discourses to the point of being absurd, revolving around the worthiness of food crafted everyday, set the tone for his adult years. The abiding passion has remained with him, as he has spent the last decade of his life founding a chain of wraps in Chennai, hosting a food and travel show on TV (Dakshin Diaries on Living Foodz (part of Zee Entertainment Ltd)), and co-creating Puliyogare Travels. The subject of variously sarcasm, wit and glory for his level of interest in food, Rakesh wears it proudly on his sleeve, as he goes about discovering new palettes and sensory experiences.

Chef Kavan Kuttappa: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 5, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

An alumnus of Culinary Institute of America (CIA), Chef Kavan Kutappa has had stints at prestigious establishments like Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges, and Momofuku in New York, where he had built a strong foundation for himself. Naru Noodle Bar is the passion project of Chef Kavan Kuttappa, ex culinary head of crowd favorites like Toit and Permit Room.

Gaurav Chawla: Inspiring Desi of the Day

December 4, 2023 / Zeeshan Zaidi / 0 Comments

A medical student who turned into a chef with his utmost zeal and passion for culinary. Gaurav Chawla commenced his career with Oberoi Group and gradually made his way to the top. A Molecule Gastronomist , Recipe Developer and a Food Stylist who has given an inventive twist to the Indian Food. After 15 years of experience in the massive world of culinary , he is currently working as a Corporate Executive Chef with First Fiddle Restaurants. He is known for designing the most extraordinary Modern Indian and Contemporary Menus because of his sharp eye for detailing.