CHEF SPEAKS

CHEF NITIN

TIWARI MY LONG-STANDING FASCINATION WITH THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY

C C h h e e f f Ni at tin Ti the F war ern i i K s a an Exe damba, cu G tiv oa e Starting his journey into the food & hospitality industry from Holiday Inn Goa, Chief Nitin Tiwari By Rajesh Ghadge has a wider experience in the field of food curation Images by: Fern Kadamba and after moving around the globe on a cruise liner he decided to come down to Goa and joined Fern Kadamba.

Tell us something about your journey. When you came down to Goa and how was it for you to move to Goa? Goa is a beautiful and peaceful place I love the most. The people and the authentic goan food of Goa is very good and I enjoy the most. So when I came down to goa I started my journey from Holiday Inn Cavelossim,I worked there for two years, then I moved to Taj Exotica Varca for two years then I got an opportunity to work in Cruise After completed Six years I decided to come back to India The first place came into my mind was goa and i joined The Fern Kadamba Hotel And Spa When did you realize that you wanted to become a chef? Firstly, I was not sure that I would become a chef. It was my destiny that brought me into this field. When I started my journey into the field of cooking it was a challenging task but soon it turned into something that started building my interest and I decoded to take this up as my profession and now i enjoy my job. Tell us more about your tenure and journey at The Fern Kadamba The Fern Kadamba Hotel is a very beautiful place to work in. Under the able guidance of our GM Mr Rajeev Kumar I learned a lot and implemented a lots of new thing in the hotel. Rajeev Ji always supported me and helped me with whatever material I required to get the ball rolling. My team is also very supportive and always obeyed whatever instructions were given to them. I have completed five years in the Fern Kadamba Hotel & Spa and I did not realised when time flew so fast. What are your signature dishes?Tell us more about it? I love cooking Pan fried Red Snapper and I must saay that the taste remained consistent

every time I made that dish. The basic ingredients for the recipe include olive oil, French mustard, salt, Fresh Thyme, Garlic, lemon juice, and good-quality of Red snapper. I get enormous satisfaction and pleasure when I make this dish. It is an uncomplicated dish, wonderfully made where in it creates a story for us to tell the guest. What is your personal favorite cuisine? I always admire authentic goan cuisine. The best thing about goan cuisine is, the traditional goan dishes are deeply rooted in the goan culture and the recipes are often passed down between the generations and are cherished for their authentic origins. Well it is not just one, I love both goan and Italian cuisine What’ s the dish you enjoy cooking the most? Paella is a dish that I truly love but we do not have it on our menu. However we are planning to introduce the dish I was very fortunate enough to work with Chef Marco Pierre White closely trained me to excel in making the dish When it comes to eating, as a person what is your comfort food? Comfort food is something quick and effortless, and in my case, I feel it is Chicken Briyani What is your biggest strength and your weakness when you are leading a team? I consider my leadership skill to be one of my greatest strengths. As a department head, I successfully merged two teams and organized a training program for the staff to ensure that everyone was confident in their particular role. How did you keep the momentum going with your team during the low phase due to Covid- 19 In Covid-19 pandemic It was very emotional the situation for all of us. As my team members were feeling homesick, and missing their families. I gave them moral support by telling them that everything gonna be fine, nothing to worry about and we will be in the business all over again. Where do you see yourself 5years from now? Just progressing and developing myself as a chef. What weirdest thing you have put in your mouth? When I was on a cruise my teammate was cooking a dish, which unknowingly I ate because it looked very mouth snatching and later on I came to know it as a kangaroo. Kitchen tools you can ’t do without My knife, my tasting spoon, and my love for food