Some chefs believe in growing and helping others grow as well. Passing on knowledge to aspiring chefs is something Chef Brijesh Kumar Sharma truly believes in at all times. As a Chef, he aims at being updated with latest culinary trends so that he could share his learnings with his team. Having worked for over 9 years in the culinary world, he has created a niche for himself. He is currently working as an Executive Sous Chef heading the Kitchen brigade at Lemon Tree Premier, City Center, Gurgaon and is also a Chef Trainer for Kitchen Executive Trainees of the Lemon Tree Hotel Company.
Here’s delving a little deeper into the life of Chef Brijesh Kumar Sharma in his interview.
Chef Brijesh Kumar Sharma
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Your inspiration to become a Chef?
Like many others, helping their moms in the kitchen chores was not the case with me. Mine was purely by accident. I helped out my uncle one summer and thought I could do this for my whole life and can select this as my career. So far, it has been a blast! I became a chef because it makes me happy to make others happy. The best part is, you don't have to say anything...when they take a bite from what you make for them, the smile on their face will do it all...when you cook with love, the magic is working.
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What advice would you give your fellow chefs or aspiring chefs?
Show up every day looking to make the most of it. Learn from the best, seek to be the best, and once you are on your way, teach others to be the best. This life won’t be easy. It will be hard, but trust me, it will be worth it, and in the end you will have lived a life of which you are proud of. Become a CHEF, the one who walks down the road and people look back and say, "WOW! HE IS A GREAT CHEF" and in doing so, you get to make the world taste a bit better in the process.
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What challenges have you faced to reach this position in your life?
Chefs are a rare, often misunderstood breed and if you’re amongst the naysayers, I don’t blame you, I really don’t. However if the smallest piece of you is debating a life in the kitchen, or have already taken that plunge in finding yourself needing reassurance, you might find that here. Becoming a chef is a career long process. You will get many hurdles but when you reach the top, sky is the limit. So always keep the spirit high.
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Do have any special experiences during your culinary journey?
Yes, the journey has been full of fun and adventure all the time. During this culinary journey, we get to showcase our skills in the heat of battle, feeling the adrenaline rush of sloshing through the trenches with chefs to our left and right. These are chefs we’re lucky to call team mates. It means we get to be creative and stand proud of something we believe in. We get to sleep with peace of mind and wake up the following morning, hungry for more. Trust me, it is really an adventure, a totally different life all together. Even if it means suiting up for brunch every now and then, we get to make a difference in the lives of people around us in the best way we know.
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What’s your favorite cuisine and why?
My favorite cuisine are a tossup between the three.
Indian:
Having Indian roots, from a young age I always liked Indian food and spicy dishes. Indian street food will blow you away. Best snacks in the world, by far. Honestly, from dishes like Paneer Tikka (a cottage-like cheese cooked in tikka spices) to others like, Pani Poori (a small pastry, of sorts, filled with spicy water and chickpeas), all of it is absolutely scrumptious.Italian:
Simple ingredients that can make such complex flavors. That's how I'd define Italian food. The only real components in Italian food are tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and herbs. It really is amazing what the Italians do with so little.Thai:
Thai food is sort of a new cuisine that's just popped up in recent years. It had been much overshadowed by Chinese and Japanese food but and now it is gaining popularity. The soups are so strong in flavor yet not overpowering. Chicken Satay is my favorite starter of all time and Thai Red Curry is fantastic when done with noodles. But, Thai food doesn't stop there.
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Your Signature Dish that you would like customers to try at your restaurant.
I have always been confident about playing around with flavours and creating something new. To name a few are Indian Kimchi Tikki, Beetroot Halwa, Chocolate Rasgulla, Tomato Kulfi, curd rice kebab etc are some dishes of mine which are made with common ingredients and the result is awesome.
Beetroot Halwa - A special dish which has won popularity for our restaurant.
Indian Kimchi Tikki
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Any other achievements you would like to share with the world?
I am also into fruit and vegetable carving along with chocolate carvings.
I was awarded Silver for fruit and vegetable Carving in AAHAR-The international Food Fair 2009, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi In 2016, I was awarded MERIT for fruit and vegetable Carving in AAHAR-The international Food Fair 2016, Pragati Maidan, New Delhi.
Fruit & Vegetable Carving
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Any links you would like to share?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCao0qpk02s
http://ibnlive.in.com/news/a-rare-culinary-journey-experienced/251547-60-119.html)
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-features/tp-metroplus/article3333772.ece -
Your thoughts on Your Chef Story.
Your Chef story is a great platform. It not only showcases my own creation but also showcases techniques and flavors of chefs that i might not have been exposed to otherwise.
