Focus is on sustaining food quality: Taj Vivanta's executive chef

Sustaining the quality and retaining the processes is going to be the key focus of Chef Uddipan Chakravarthy, who has taken over the baton of being the Executive Chef at Vivanta by Taj - President, Mumbai, from chef Ananda Solomon who leaves behind a 25-year legacy at the hotel.

"It's not a pre-requisite to introduce something new immediately," Chakravarthy said when asked if he was going to change things about the philosophy of the food served by the hotel chain.

"Sustaining the quality as well as processes must be retained. It is not a pre-requisite to introduce something new immediately. What works best for the place, must be retained, preserved and kept going.

"Change is certain and I believe modernisation is a key as well. However, it is not mandatory that changes need to be implemented in every aspect and or on immediate basis," he told IANS in an email interview from Mumbai.

Solomon retired at the end of July 2016, and Chakravarthy took charge since then.

An alumnus of the Institute of Hotel Management College, Kolkata, Chakravarthy comes with rich international experience. He has been with the Taj Group of Hotels for the last 18 years. He has also contributed to multiple hotels of the Taj Group in cities like Bengaluru, Delhi, Hyderabad and Mumbai.

He is known for experimenting with new flavours and for his flair for inventive cooking while retaining simplicity at the core of every meal that he designs.

Reinvention depends on the place you are working at, he says.

"During my previous stint at Vivanta by Taj Yeshwantpur, Bengaluru, reinventing was the need of the hour as it was a brand new hotel and experimentation was inevitable. However, at Vivanta by Taj - President, the restaurants are all well established and iconic in their own right. The focus will be on upholding the quality and processes and gradually exploring my expertise in the kitchen."

Chakravarthy also said he takes "pride" in taking the baton from Solomon, who has been his mentor.

Trattoria, Thai Pavilion and Konkan Cafe are a part of Vivanta by Taj - President, Mumbai.

--IANS

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