‘The next generation should remember me as a chef, and when I’m not here they should take the legacy forward’

 It’s been 20 years of fusion food for chef Pradip Rozario and he shows no sign of stopping yet. We sat down with him for a conversation to learn more about his journey and what inspires him on a daily basis.

What got you into cooking, and when?

When I was in college, my ambition was to become a Chartered Accountant. But I ended up getting into hotel management. I was determined to make a name for myself and be the best at what I could do. After passing out of the hotel management institution, I moved to Mumbai to work with the Taj group of hotels. At the Taj, I began with butchery and then moved on to the coffee shop. Eventually, the coffee shop was closed and an Italian restaurant, Trattoria was was opened. I was sent to Italy for training. I came back and ran Trattoria as Chef de partie.

Why fusion, and why not specialize in any one cuisine?

I didn’t intend for fusion to be my style when I opened my first restaurant Kurry Klub. It all came about when this one gentleman who came in for lunch and asked for Bengali khichdi and fried with along with it. I served him what he’d asked for but with a twist. I gave him a side of schezwan sauce as a condiment. He lapped it up and told me how he’d loved it. That’s when fusion happened.

How have you evolved as a chef?

I started off as a trainee in butchery, and ended my 15-year tenure as the executive chef. Even after I have opened my own restaurant, I consider myself a chef and not the managing director, chairman or the owner, because I want to continue learning and evolving. And the next generation should remember me as a chef, and when I’m not here they should take the legacy forward.

What are the two most unusual ingredients you have cooked with and has turned out to be a hit?

That would be lentils and schezwan peppers. There’s Italian food everywhere these days, but you can’t make it spicy. By sprinkling some schezwan pepper on risotto, it gives the dish a lovely fragrance.

You’ve been doing this for 20 years now. What inspires you to cook every single day?

People who love food inspire me. It’s very important to me to make people happy. And I believe I can do that by doing something new all the time.

Tell me something about your new restaurant Mio Amore.

Mio Amore is a casual dining restaurant and the name means “My love” or “My beloved.” I’ve been asked about the name, and it’s because of love. I love the restaurant, I love my staff, and I love what I do.

If you were to start off all over again as a 20 year old just out of college, which restaurant would you work for, or which chef would you train under?

I’d still work with the Taj group of hotels. And the chefs I’d want to work with or train under would be chef Arvind Saraswat and chef Jimmys in the UK. They are extremely innovative, disciplined and creative chefs.

What is the one thing you think the restaurant industry lacks or needs to pay more attention to?

I think hygiene. Hygiene doesn’t only apply to the interiors, but also waiters, kitchen, water, bathrooms everything! There are two kinds of guests – one that will tell you openly that something or some place in the restaurant is dirty and needs to be cleaned, and the other kind that are quiet about it and don’t return. That’s the dangerous kind. So instead of assuming everything is clean, we must ensure the restaurant and every square inch of it is spotless and hygienic.

What is 2016 looking like for you, and your restaurants?

My dream is to be able to serve something new everyday at my restaurant. Not with a printed menu that changes every six months or so. As of now, I’m going to be traveling and attention conventions in the US and Poland and to explore the Indian food scene there. I’d like the world to know more about home style Indian cuisine and would want them to cook Indian food at home as well.