Life is a combination of Magic and Pasta…

"I believe no better words exist to encapsulate my life". This phrase by Italian filmmaker Federico Fellini instantly takes me back to my early years. I have encountered several people over the last decade, who often ask me how I took to Italian food out of the blue. My answer to them is…it was never ever instantaneous.

While growing up, hostels and boarding schools became my second home. I fondly remember the sweet aroma of cookies wafting through the mess where food was generally served. Watching these sweet treats come to life was a satisfying process. Once they were made, the joy of dipping these limited cookies (yes, they were rationed) into tea was unparalleled. There were a few of us who loved it far more than others…No prizes for guessing, we convinced the others who didn’t care much to give us their share. Ah, those days – so simple yet so warm!

Food memories always bring comfort, don’t they? Apart from my time in the hostel, what I vividly remember is my father’s experiments in the kitchen. We would look forward to his creations, especially during vacations. Back in the day, vacations would be far longer than what they are today.

In those times, pasta was quite unheard of. My father was a well-read and evolved man, an advocate of the good life. He would arrange packets of pasta and whatever cheese he could get hold of and whip up a mean red sauce pasta!. Now imagine being introduced to different shapes like Tortellini, Fusilli, Orecchiette, Conchiglie, and so many more as early as the 80s. Not that it was easy to get these, particularly in Tier II and Tier III cities, but my father made sure we got enough exposure.

Plus, he was quite versatile in his cooking skills — it wasn’t just pasta, he would also make delicious dals and curries, even chutney.

Did I always want to be a part of the hospitality industry? Well, my childhood definitely ingrained in me a love for good food. But I think in school, I was more drawn to the Armed Forces. It was sometime when I was in Grade 11 or 12 that my inclination shifted more toward hospitality. I enjoyed meeting new people and savored good things in life – that’s how it all started.

Of course, being passionate is always good but I had no guidance. No one in my family belonged to the industry and there were other conventional careers like medical science and engineering that were looked at in higher regard. However, I went ahead and pursued Hotel Management in Manipal University.

Back then, I barely knew my calling – all I was aware of was that I wanted to learn something new. There was no clarity if I wanted to venture into food and beverage. When our batch started helping seniors in food festivals, I realised how much I enjoyed doing anything related to food. Thus began my endeavour to explore more flavors and textures!

I would say my passion for food has helped me upgrade myself at every juncture. Today, I own a successful food business and there’s no denying that there are multiple challenges that have come in my way. But what’s life without no obstacles? It has only reinforced my belief in what I do and I look forward to creating more concepts in the times to come!

In a nutshell, all I know is that being a chef gives me the opportunity to unleash my creative genius and I treat food as my canvas. As Alan D Wolfelt has rightly said, 'Food is symbolic of love when words are inadequate.'

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