Sujata Agrawal

How does a person with a name such as Hemant Oberoi get to work with the Taj Group of Hotels? Strange as it may seem, that’s precisely what led him to the job — and a place in the pantheon of Indian culinary artists

Hemant Oberoi’s office is in the heart of his domain — the kitchen of Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. The clanging of pots and pans blends with the aroma of spices and simmering food while chefs dash around putting together the assorted menus for the day. Inside the office hangs a plaque which reads: "Never, but never, question the chef’s judgement." The finality of the words is as emphatic as the credentials of the man displaying them.

Mr Oberoi has been with the Taj for 27 years, 15 of them as executive chef. That’s a long time to have worked in one place, but Mr Oberoi still sees every day as a new challenge, and a chance to show off his culinary skills. Among the best rewards is the appreciation of satisfied customers, like the one who insisted on meeting him the morning after to offer thanks for the wonderful dinner served to her 1,200 guests. So are the many awards proudly adorning Mr Oberoi’s office walls.

Surprisingly, Mr Oberoi had no interest in becoming a chef. His first preference was medicine, but he did not have the required grades. Second was the army, but that wasn’t to be either, despite being selected to attend the elite National Defence Academy. Instead, Mr Oberoi opted for hotel management and a catering college in Delhi. Then destiny played its hand. In his last year at the college, the head of the cookery department, impressed with his talent in cooking, suggested he become a chef. And so, in 1974, Mr Oberoi found his life’s true calling.

Another surprise: Mr Oberoi got an offer from the hotel chain that shares his name. "They wanted me to write my name as just Hemant," he recollects. "I told them I’ll go to a place where I can retain my own identity. I didn’t want anybody telling me I could not use my surname." The Oberoi group’s loss was the Taj’s big gain, a chef par excellence who has established a reputation for delivering innovative and outstanding cuisine.

While there was no formal training programme at the Taj, Mr Oberoi gained immensely from working with outstanding practitioners of the culinary art, such as Mascarenhas, the Taj’s master chef then, and Satish Arora. "I have always felt that you can learn something from people more experienced than you, and I have followed that principle throughout my career."

The Taj break
Mr Oberoi got his first break in May 1975, eight months after joining the Taj, when he was put in charge of the Tanjore, the high-profile restaurant at the hotel. It offered him the chance to do what he liked best: work inside the kitchen with the cooks. "I have to know everything hands on. That way people cannot challenge my capabilities." The hours were long: the soup section in the morning, the main kitchen in the evening, and the halwai at night. "The opportunities were there and I grabbed them."

Two years later Mr Oberoi moved to Muscat in Oman as chef-de-cuisine of the Al-Gubra Royal Guest Hotel. In 1986 he returned to take over as executive chef of the Taj Mahal. The experience he has garnered over the years has proved invaluable, be it while designing dishes or serving culinary repasts to heads of state, dignitaries and the rich and famous. The prestige matches the responsibility, but the goal is straightforward enough: nothing must go wrong.

One of Mr Oberoi’s favourite anecdotes is about John Major, the former prime minister of Britain, asking for a second helping of the curry and rice the chef had served up, a rather unusual request at a state banquet. Another celebrity fondly remembered is Bill Clinton, for whom Mr Oberoi prepared an all-vegetarian meal when the ex-president of America had lunch at the residence of the Ambanis. "He said he had never had anything like it before." That’s high praise from a known fan of Indian food.

"The challenge lies in how you tickle the palate of people." That requires artistry, and Mr Oberoi is cut up that chefs don’t receive the accolades they deserve. "Chefs are artists in their own way. It’s sad that the culinary arts are not as appreciated as other art forms. Indians tend to see chefs as bawarchis or khansamas, though things are changing. I would like to give recognition to the masters, the ustads in our line, wonderful chefs like Ustad Imtiaz and newer members of our tribe who have put India on the international cuisine map. I am now working on a forum for this."

Mr Oberoi expresses his creativity by experimenting with food, but he believes that classical recipes should not be changed. He equates food with fashion, calling them the two things that have kept repeating themselves throughout history. Both call for some degree of indulgence, and Mr Oberoi is all for it. Which explains why he isn’t too kicked about the recent popularity of what is called diet food. "We do keep the diet-conscious in mind, but people go out to enjoy food — and there’s a price to be paid for enjoyment."

Star creation
The Zodiac Grill at the Taj is Mr Oberoi’s favourite baby. Asked to come up with a new restaurant concept in 1991, he decided to work on a cuisine which people would eat with their eyes. "We started with 300-odd recipes and narrowed them down to 35. We then worked on them for a year." The Zodiac Grill was a big hit from the start. Two years ago the restaurant was given a new home, a new decor and a new cuisine. And Mr Oberoi is thinking of changing it again. "You have to change constantly. I am now planning to create 12 menus for each of the 12 zodiac signs."

Another restaurant that Mr Oberoi is particularly proud of is Masala Art at the Taj in Delhi, a new idea in Indian dining that has received a very good response. "It’s a casual cafe with food bars. The chefs cook the food at your table the way you want it. It's light and very different from the regular Punjabi fare." Personally, Mr Oberoi prefers Western cuisine and seafood. Among his favourite restaurants are Jean Georges in New York ("neat food, nicely presented, not overdone"), Nobu, also in New York, and Lord James in Bangkok. Within the Taj Group, there’s the Zodiac Grill and the "equally good" Orient Express.

Experimenting with food is Mr Oberoi’s true passion, and aping others is out of the question. "I develop and adapt varied cuisine to our culture. If I like something, I will develop it my way. I believe in learning through practical experience. If one could learn everything by reading books, then every housewife would have become a chef." Is that why so few women become chefs? "Women are very skilful, but they sometimes struggle to handle the load and the stress that comes with being a chef. But I still have 10 lady chefs handling my restaurants."

Mr Oberoi’s fame has spread well beyond Indian shores. He was one of the invitees at the World Gourmet Summit, held in Singapore in April 2002, which had the top chefs in the world displaying their talents and sharing culinary tales. He is currently occupied with the Selfridges ‘Indian Festival’ being held in Britain. "We have taken over their food courts and premier restaurants for a month; I will be showcasing my kind of cuisine there."

Talking about the new fads and trends in food, Mr Oberoi feels that South Asian, Vietnamese and Thai cuisine will continue to be popular. He picks Japanese, Cuban and South American food as the attractions to watch out for in the future. The trick about trends, he says, is to spot them before they arrive. "If you change with the times, you will probably be left behind. You actually have to contribute to the evolution of taste buds."

So what’s on the master chef’s plate? A book, for one, as soon as he finds some time. "I have so many plans to do new things for the Taj. There are so many opportunities here, especially with the great team I have." Making Masala Art a national and international chain of restaurants is one of them, and so is opening more standalone restaurants like Sidewok.

Whatever happens, taking it easy is not an option with Mr Oberoi. "One should not slow down; if you slow down you go down."