BENGALURU : When are you happiest at work?
I am happiest when I get to learn something creative and artistic and involve myself into new innovations. I also thoroughly enjoy sharing my skills to the ones interested and willing to develop their skills in creative art. Creating extraordinary delicacies and gaining wide smiles of my guests motivate me the most.
What trends are you noticing regarding wine and food pairings?
I strongly believe that a successful food and wine pairing creates a great balance between the components of the food and the characteristics of the wine used. The wine can be more acidic or sweet or can also contain same flavour intensity as the food paired with it. The most common trend that I have noticed is a combination of red wine with the bold flavoured red meat.
White wines generally go really well with light intensity meats like fish or chicken while the bitter one is best balanced with cheese. One key thing about the pairing is to match and concentrate on the sauce used with the meat than the meat itself.As a pastry chef, I love cooking and stewing red fruits in red wine and use them in my desserts and cakes. I use white wine for vanilla or white chocolate mousse. White wine and walnut chocolate bavarois is one of the key collections from wine-based desserts.
What was your biggest disappointment as a chef?
My journey so far has been really good. I am constantly exposed to new challenges that motivate me to push myself to the edge. Learning something new and developing myself as a chef makes me fall in love with my profession every day. Hence, I do not really call any of my experience as a disappointment or even close to it.
What do you always avoid ordering on a menu?
I am a big time foodie. I only avoid ordering seafood on a menu mainly because I am allergic.
Of the dishes you prepare, which one would you never eat yourself? Why?
I strongly believe that a chef’s life comes with one big responsibility which is to take up the ownership of the food we prepare. Most of our guests believe in our description and order the food we make because of their faith in us. Without tasting the food that I make, I will never let it go on the table. In my personal space, whenever I prepare Indian desserts for a family gathering or any other celebration, I prefer not to eat them because it is too sweet. I also like to bake breads but am not very fond of eating them myself.
Which is your favourite restaurant? What would you prefer to eat there?
ITC Kakatiya Dakshin is so far my favourite restaurant. I like their spread which is expansive, and the choice of dishes. There is a special 12-course menu which is my absolute favorite. The restaurant is also famous for mutton biriyani.
Describe one incident when you messed up a recipe real bad.
I once had to make an entremet with coriander as a mystery ingredient. I planned for a coriander insert but due to some infusion error, the dessert didn’t really end up well. While I messed up, it was a great learning and one of the memorable moments of my life.
What is the best recent food trend?
Recent food trends are eggless desserts and vegan foods. Nowadays, people are inclining towards healthy lifestyle and are fitness oriented as well. Anything to do with berries and cherries has caught the attention of foodies too.
- Pastry Chef Akshay from Whitecaps International School of Pastry