A Bangalorean through and through, he grew up in and around South Bengaluru. Back in the early 2000s, BHM was typically a backup choice of schooling for those who did not get into engineering, medicine, or commerce, but it was his first choice. Through the process of elimination, entering any service industry was my primary choice and Christ (Deemed to be University) accepted him immediately for their BHM program.
“During my BHM days came a unique opportunity where I was able to travel to Western Europe for a month on a cultural exchange program. During my visit to France, I was fortunate enough to have been hosted by a wonderful family The “Desnave’s”, who owned and operated a classical French Restaurant in the region of Flandres called “Restaurant Le Petit Bruxelles”. Instead of seeing the sights, my very close friend and I opted to spend some time in their kitchen and learn a bit of classical French Cuisine. That decision changed everything for our future! Our thoughts about food fundamentals, cooking techniques, plating, and presentations were catapulted to a whole new dimension! We interned with them for 3 months every year and quite naturally chose French cuisine as our cuisine of choice for our careers. I would proudly say that our Time in France has shaped who we are today, how we think about food, and our general demeanor with humour, open-mindedness, fun, and family. They compelled us to reduce our spice levels (Chili spice) and exposed us to a world of flavors we did not know existed in our own cuisine. My first taste of working abroad made me decide to leave India in search of more knowledge and after due research, I applied at the CIA, Hyde Park, New York to further that quest.”
At the CIA in New York, he was introduced to unknown ingredients and some that he may have only read in books. Knowledge of how to use these ingredients, seasonality, and techniques certainly redefined my approach to food. Once in the United States, his path was largely guided by employers who were willing to sponsor an H1B or H2B visa. He worked at Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club, Miacomet Golf Course, Crosswinds Restaurant & Bar, Tapuz Holdings LLC and Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. After his stint in the USA, he used his Canadian Permanent Resident card, to move to Vancouver, Canada.
“My first international experience was at an amazing family-run French restaurant called “Restaurant Le Petit Bruxelles” in the region of Flanders, France. I am very fortunate to have had this chance. The Chef, Mr. Bernard Desnaves, held back nothing from us! They shared everything we wanted to know and taught us to do the same in our careers. I still do my best to continue that lesson. The most important lesson by far was to reduce my spice levels. The French opened our palettes to a world of flavours and tastes we were not aware of. We began truly appreciating the subtle sauces with layered flavours, transforming on your palette with a sip of wine, finally lingering in your mouth as something completely different. We had brought with us a whole bunch of spice powders, whole spices, and pickles to survive in France! We knew how to use them and, of course, thought that we knew the right way to use them. But to the French, these new ingredients opened up new possibilities and flavour combinations. This profoundly changed my view about Indian spices and how to think of unique ways of using them.”
A Bangalorean through and through, he grew up in and around South Bengaluru. Back in the early 2000s, BHM was typically a backup choice of schooling for those who did not get into engineering, medicine, or commerce, but it was his first choice. Through the process of elimination, entering any service industry was my primary choice and Christ (Deemed to be University) accepted him immediately for their BHM program.
“During my BHM days came a unique opportunity where I was able to travel to Western Europe for a month on a cultural exchange program. During my visit to France, I was fortunate enough to have been hosted by a wonderful family The “Desnave’s”, who owned and operated a classical French Restaurant in the region of Flandres called “Restaurant Le Petit Bruxelles”. Instead of seeing the sights, my very close friend and I opted to spend some time in their kitchen and learn a bit of classical French Cuisine. That decision changed everything for our future! Our thoughts about food fundamentals, cooking techniques, plating, and presentations were catapulted to a whole new dimension! We interned with them for 3 months every year and quite naturally chose French cuisine as our cuisine of choice for our careers. I would proudly say that our Time in France has shaped who we are today, how we think about food, and our general demeanor with humour, open-mindedness, fun, and family. They compelled us to reduce our spice levels (Chili spice) and exposed us to a world of flavors we did not know existed in our own cuisine. My first taste of working abroad made me decide to leave India in search of more knowledge and after due research, I applied at the CIA, Hyde Park, New York to further that quest.”
At the CIA in New York, he was introduced to unknown ingredients and some that he may have only read in books. Knowledge of how to use these ingredients, seasonality, and techniques certainly redefined my approach to food. Once in the United States, his path was largely guided by employers who were willing to sponsor an H1B or H2B visa. He worked at Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club, Miacomet Golf Course, Crosswinds Restaurant & Bar, Tapuz Holdings LLC and Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort. After his stint in the USA, he used his Canadian Permanent Resident card, to move to Vancouver, Canada.
“My first international experience was at an amazing family-run French restaurant called “Restaurant Le Petit Bruxelles” in the region of Flanders, France. I am very fortunate to have had this chance. The Chef, Mr. Bernard Desnaves, held back nothing from us! They shared everything we wanted to know and taught us to do the same in our careers. I still do my best to continue that lesson. The most important lesson by far was to reduce my spice levels. The French opened our palettes to a world of flavours and tastes we were not aware of. We began truly appreciating the subtle sauces with layered flavours, transforming on your palette with a sip of wine, finally lingering in your mouth as something completely different. We had brought with us a whole bunch of spice powders, whole spices, and pickles to survive in France! We knew how to use them and, of course, thought that we knew the right way to use them. But to the French, these new ingredients opened up new possibilities and flavour combinations. This profoundly changed my view about Indian spices and how to think of unique ways of using them.”
Read the full story that first appeared in Global Indian here:
Leave a Reply