A tete-a-tete with  Chef Yam Bahadur Thapa, Asian Sous Chef at Brigade Hospitality Services Limited

Chef Thapa is a highly motivated individual with a proven track record, who has taken up many challenging assignments that have shaped his successful career all these years. He also has a very curious mind when it comes to food, which pushes him to try new recipes and learn new cooking techniques. His passion for food and dedication to keep improvising his culinary skills has won him many accolades from all quarters. His association with many established brands in the country has gained him a great deal of knowledge in understanding various cultures, tradition, and food. Brigade Hospitality, one of the leading hospitality groups in the country has appointed Chef Yam Bahadur Thapa as Asian Sous Chef, Chef Thapa will oversee complete culinary operations at group's various F&B offerings that include lifestyle clubs and the vertical, Celebrations that specializes in corporate catering. He comes with an experience of over 10 years in the gastronomy domain and is well known for his expertise in Pan Asian cuisines such as Japanese, Chinese, Thai to name a few. His vast experience has shaped his distinctive culinary approach, which could be seen in his modern plating & food presentation techniques. He also holds great skills in banquet handling, buffet menu planning. Chef Yam Bahadur Thapa He began his career with Shiro Pan Asian Restaurant, Goa & Delhi in 2008 where he served as commis up until 2012. Prior to this, he worked as a trainee at Skygourmet Chennai and Oberoi Flight Services in Delhi. He later moved to The Leela Palace Chennai in 2012, where he spent almost a year as Chef Commis-I in charge of Japanese cuisine and cold section. Then he joined Matsuri- The Chancery Hotel Bangalore that saw him perform his duties for 8 years in the capacity of Commis-I, specialized in Japanese cuisines. He went on to add more experience to his resume and joined Sheraton Grand Bangalore Hotel as Chef – De-Partie, was later promoted to the Sous Chef position and continued his rendezvous with Japanese, Chinese, Thai & Pan Asian cuisines at High Ultra Lounge. He holds a Diploma in Hotel Management from Benson College of Hotel Management and Culinary Arts, Chennai. When not spinning the magical web of gastronomy. When not at work, you will find Thapa hitting the ball out of the boundary as he’s a cricket enthusiast and experiment in the kitchen. In conversation with the chef, below are the excerpts:   BV: What inspired you to become a chef? Chef: Food has always been my passion since childhood. Whenever my mother used to cook in the kitchen, I would watch her cook and help her in chopping vegetables. I think the idea of me becoming a chef is inspired by my mother. This interest came to me by eating a variety of delicious and yummy food which she used to prepare for us.   BV: Did you go to culinary school? What credentials did you earn through your culinary studies? Chef: I hold a three-year diploma in Culinary School. During my college days, I learned different techniques & basic methods that are necessary to excel in the food industry.   BV: What did you like best about the education experience? What did you like the least? Chef: Practical Cooking classes was something, which I just loved attending. I explored various techniques in my practical class of cooking and had so much fun & have so many good memories. There is nothing that I did not like during my culinary course.   BV: Would you like to share an anecdote on how did you handle a difficult situation? Chef: So this happened at my previous restaurant. It was a busy Saturday night and as usual, I was stationed at the food pick up counter where I checked the food quality & disposed to the servers. Suddenly the kitchen order ticket machine got stuck for a good 10 minutes and within that 10 minutes, 55 guest orders needed to be picked up. But very patiently I handled the situation and did not allow my team to panic and just ask them to follow my instructions. The result was good, we disposed of the food with good quality & met all the guests later. They were appreciative of our quick service.   BV: Describe your usual role in a team-centered work environment? Do you easily assume a leadership role? Chef: As a senior chef, I need to keep my team always motivated & make them understand what guest needs. I take daily briefing & assign them tasks on a daily basis. Yes, I believe leaders should be patient & always come up with solutions before the operation.   BV: What do you do to stay current on new trends? Describe a few current industry trends. Chef: I read various kinds of books related to the culinary world to keep myself updated on the latest trends in the F & B industry. I am currently following Nikkei‘s Japanese dishes. Nikkei cuisine is a completely new experience for me.   BV: A quote that keeps you going. Chef: There is one quote, which keeps me going, “A chef must think like a scientist, organize like an accountant, play it like an artist & cook like a grandma.” To know such interesting personalities, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Download our magazine Spunky Indian for exclusive stories.