Think back to Ahmedabad, in the late 1970’s, and picture asmall town boy, teased by the various smells that would emanate from hiskitchen. For Sunil Kumar, this was his idea of a treat, and something that he lookedforward to all the more, every time his relatives (all chefs nonetheless) wouldturn up at his house.
His interest piqued, Kumar’s interest turned into a processof self-study, which then turned into the need to ask the relatives in questionwhether they would permit him to work with them as an apprentice. “Theypromptly refused, as they felt that the arduous lifestyle of the hospitalityindustry was not for me,” says the chef with a grin.
Undeterred, he trained at Asan Memorial in Chennai, and workedtowards an end goal which eventually saw him working at a tiny outlet inChennai that went by the name of Reddy Food Court. “My salary was meagre, andmy bonus almost non-existent, but it gave me insight into how things worked inthe culinary world,” Kumar adds.
Fast forward a few years, and Kumar is now at his thirdMarriot resort, and he has nothing but great acclaim for the chain. “TheMarriot is a chain of resorts that takes care of it employees. From training,to the opportunities for growth, we are never lacking anything.” But beyond allof the above, it’s the personal touch that he adds to all of his work thatmakes both him, and his employers stand out. “I don’t believe that my job endsin the kitchen,” Kumar says. “More work is required beyond the scene. Guestswould never expect to a chef serving them, but I choose to, as it adds apersonal touch.”
His avant-garde style of taking things to a new level isevident in the manner in which he works as well. Doubtlessly, his superiorswill have been on their toes, as the chef’s show stopper at the IncredibleIndia festival was wheeling a cart designed to serve street food through thereputed resort. “All in a day’s work,” he says with a wink.
