CHENNAI: He started his career as a trainee at the Ashoka Group of Hotels in the year 1982. He did not take too long to make a name for himself in the food and hospitality industry not only in the city, but also at the national level.
After having expanded his credentials in the international gastronomy arena, Chef Soundararajan Palaniappan has finally now managed to achieve what not many other chefs have been able to. He was recently awarded with a Honoris Causa Award (the degree of Doctor of Literature) by Vels University, Chennai.
Recognising this achievement of the Mahindra Holiday’ Corporate Executive, the South India Culinary Association (SICA) felicitated Dr Soundararajan recently at Hotel GRT Grand, T Nagar. Incidentally, Dr Soundararajan is also the General Secretary and one of the founding members of the SICA.
“The question now is that if I deserve all of this, how do I cope and keep the momentum going in the future,” said Soundararajan. “I am worried about meeting higher expectations. It is definitely going to be difficult,” he added. To young chefs in the city, Soundararajan said, “Passion is the most important thing when it comes to food. Food is very subjective, people will eat what you cook for them anyway, but you can’t make good food without passion. If the passion is there, focus, commitment and hard work will automatically follow.”
“Today is a proud moment for all of us wearing the white jacket,” said Chef Manjit Singh Gill, President, IFCA and Corporate Executive Chef, ITC Limited-Hotels Division HQ, New Delhi.