Restaurant & Café Magazine | October 2021

Page 11

meetthechef

Abhijit Dey

Head Chef, The Sugar Club Sky City Born and brought up in Kolkata, India, Abhijit Dey, Head Chef at The Sugar Club at Sky City, started working in restaurants at the age of 18 while he was still studying hospitality and culinary arts.

I

t was a successful chef from his hometown, Gaggan Anand, famed for his contemporary South East Asian/Indian cuisine who inspired Dey into a career as a chef. “From the beginning, I wanted to prove to myself that I could learn the trade, which meant studying for University during the morning and working all night in a restaurant six days a week,” said Dey.

“Moving to New Zealand gave a new dimension to my cooking as I have been exposed to ingredients and products that inspire me in a different way.” Currently closed due to COVID restrictions in Auckland, The Sugar Club sits majestically 53 floors above Auckland City and is the jewel in the crown at the top of the Sky Tower. With a Chef›s menu that champions seasonality, combining the best in local sustainably sourced produce with the boldest flavours from around the world. A typical day at The Sugar Club starts with mise en place for Dey, before focusing on creating new dishes and executing them before service begins. “We change the menu quite a few times in a month so trying out those dishes is the main challenge for me before it goes onto the menu. “My food is inspired by New Zealand seasonal produce and the hard working farmers behind it. Mostly my style of food is plant-based, and organic with progressive Asian influences.” For Dey, it’s The Sugar Club’s collaborative atmosphere that is the most rewarding. “Everyone can share their ideas to create something new,

and most of the time we end up creating something amazing that our clientele loves.” Dey would like to work on a project where most of the produce comes from the region near Piha, creating a whole menu based on that is something he has been working on for the past few years. The young chef would also like to open his own restaurant which will be highly focused on plant-based cuisine and a low carbon footprint. The pandemic has been challenging for the entire hospitality industry and Dey admits it has been hard to get enough skilled workers. For anyone who is just starting their hospitality career, Dey advised being patient and hungry for knowledge. “Always try to be humble, but still vocal about what you feel, your passion. The only real key to being successful is to strive to always do your very best.”

October 2021

11


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