IN REVIEW

CHEF YOGENDAR UNIYAL

Chef Yogendar, is a executive chef, at the Planet Hollywood Beach Resorts, Goa.

BY RAJESH GHADGE PHOTO BY PLANET HOLLYWOOD

A Journey From The Mountains to The Sea

Chef Yogendar Uniyal, belongs to Uttarakhand in India came down to Goa the world of Food & Hospitality, in the year 2003 to pursue his career in the hotel industry. In Goa, he started his career with the Park Hyatt Goa as an apprentice and slowly but steadily kept climbing the ladder of success till he became the Executive Chef at one of the Goa’s premium properties “Planet Hollywood Resorts Goa” . The story of his journey can become an inspiration for many.

“I came down to Goa almost 15 years back and started my career with ‘Park Hyatt Goa ’ where I worked for almost 5 years as an Apprentice before moving to ‘Park Hyatt’ Chennai, ” said Yogendar adding, at Part Hyatt Chennai he worked for around 2 and a half years before moving back to Goa in 2010. “In Goa, I joined the Zuri White Sands in 2010 but that stint does not last for a longer period of time and working for one and a half year, I decided to quit Zuri and moved back to Part Hyatt Goa in 2013 as an Executive Chef. ”

The journey that he started at the

‘Park Hyatt Goa ’ in 2003 as an Apprentice has been culminated into getting the position of Executive Chef is quite an achievement in itself. “They called me back at this position because I had a considerable amount of time that I had worked with them. From the year 2013 to 2015 I worked along with Park Hyatt in the Senior Executive Dept, and from there I quit Park Hyatt in the year 2015 and I moved my career to Hiltons Seychelles which was abroad in the East African Region, a small Tropical Island Nation, ” said Yogendar.

His journey continued there for another 2.5 years after which he decided to come back to Goa for the good and started his new journey as a Sou Chef at the Planet Hollywood Beach Resort Goa, “Since May 2017 I have been here in Goa with them, ” he added.

According to Yogendar, he learned a lot at Planet Hollywood. “I have learnt a lot of things with respect to Food, Cooking and even management. I joined as the Sou Chef, but now very shortly I will be promoted as the Executive Chef. My journey from a small chef to a Senior Executive Chef was pretty challenging I would say but I have also learnt a lot on the way too. This has a lot to do with the perseverance and hard work that can be put in from your side, ” he said.

After joining Planet Hollywood there was no turning back for Yogendar and he kept climbing the ladder of success with every achievement. “The Promotion took place every year, and a new position was awarded to me thereon. So from Sou Chef to Executive Chef, and being the Executive Chef isn ’t quite an easy task as it is definitely more of Monitoring upon whatever has been instructed by me. Being the executive chef means you ’ re in charge of the Kitchen as a whole, and everyone else including all the other chefs work under you directly. I have currently a team of 34 People working under me at the moment, and an additional 10 people more in the team as well. ”

Now since Yongendar is the executive chef at one of Goa ’ s most premium properties, his responsibility has grown tenfold. Though he has been given a dedicated office space he hardly likes to sit in the office.

“Now I take care of the production, the entire equipment, and I wouldn ’t say that my job is entirely an office job as it is more of Executive in nature and making sure things go smooth. Once my day at the Hotel starts, I cannot even sit on the chair and stay in one place as I believe that we work here for the people and the guests, so it’ s definitely a big job and wouldn ’t say it’ s an office job. I enter the office and it’ s the early hours of the day from 9 am to 11am and after which it’ s all moving around the property and making sure things are going well, ” he said.

The executive chef is a force behind the hundreds of kitchen staff and whatever happens in the kitchen becomes their responsibility hence he needs to know everything. “I have worked on a lot of dishes and would say that my specialty resides in the Western Cuisine, Continental, and as an Executive Chef I have to know the Asian, Italian, Continental and Western Cuisine. The Idea behind being an Executive Chef is that they should know almost everything and all the techniques behind the dish. In Indian cuisine, my speciality is Dal Makhani, Nizami Handi, and even the Butter Chicken is very much a guest favourite.

“Speaking about my own dish, I have crafted a pretty simple yet effective one called “Greek Vegetables ” where we get all the exotic veggies and they will be cut down in a stylistic manner, grilled to perfection and served with pesto sauce. Coming to Continental Dishes, it is regularly European and American Cuisine where the Specialty would be Chicken Stew, ” he added.

There are a total of three restaurants at The Planet Hollywood Beach Resort, “Planet Dailies is the MultiCuisine Food Zone, Poseidon ’ s Cove serves the Japanese, North India and Goan as well as Western Based Cuisine and Fame, which is the Western and Asian Lounge type place and all the 3 restaurants come under my supervision and purview, ” said Yogendar.

Lastly talking about the survival during the covid Yogendar said, the first lockdown was the most difficult phase as no one was prepared for it. “It was the most difficult stage for everyone dealing with COVID in Different capacities. Everything was shutting down, places were closing but this Company held its ground and stayed afloat, ” said Yogendar adding, despite such dire conditions the company stood behind every employee.

“They did not believe in laying off people, and they held the staff force together through it all. In other places, we would see that people were being asked to leave the job or were fired from the jobs due to the uncertainty of the COVID Pandemic, and this went on till the 2nd Lockdown. This was something no industry including ours had seen before but Planet Hollywood kept afloat and sailed through the 3rd wave with care and safety. ”