A PERFECTIONIST, a friend, a mentor and a culinary prodigy, chef Hemant Oberoi’s name will continue to remain synonymous with Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces after he retires, for he has left behind an unmatched culinary legacy. A specialist in contemporary Indian and western cuisines, Oberoi has developed and presented many innovative concepts in the culinary world, including Cal-Indian and lemongrass cuisines, among others. Though his innings with the Taj Hotels Resorts and Palaces has come to an end after retiring from the position of grand executive chef at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, and corporate chef for the entire luxury division of the Taj chain of hotels, his name will continue to remain associated with the brand as a consultant for a year. “I am still getting used to this change. Taj has been the first and only company I served in my entire culinary career,” says Oberoi, sitting inside his Colaba apartment located opposite The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. After working for 16-18 hours a day or even longer without taking a single leave in the four decades of his tenure at the Taj, his retirement has indeed brought an unexpected change in his daily rigorous routine. But this is perhaps the beginning of another exciting journey, he chuckles, for he is flying to Melbourne, Australia, to organise a sit-down dinner for 250 people and thereafter to Hanover, Germany, for another occasion. Also in the pipeline is his life-long dream to open his own restaurant along with his sons.
Looking back
Oberoi’s journey in the culinary field is quite remarkable—like the man himself—considering he never aspired to become a chef, but rather a doctor or an army officer. Even after his admission to the prestigious Institute of Hotel Management Catering & Nutrition, Pusa, New Delhi, he was reluctant to choose this career path. He carried this reluctant attitude to his interviews and, much to his surprise, was appointed a trainee chef at the Taj in 1974. “I never wanted to become a chef. But the moment I wore the apron and stepped into the kitchen, I was determined to become the executive chef of the Taj one day,” says Oberoi. His determination bore fruit and it took him 12 years to climb up the kitchen ladder and become the executive chef of The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, and much later the corporate chef for the entire luxury division of the Taj chain of hotels.
He was the brain behind launching a series of notable and award-winning restaurant brands of the Taj, including Zodiac Grill, the Masala series, Blue Ginger, Souk, Wasabi by Morimoto and Varq. “I always try out different cuisines during my travels and if that cuisine leaves a lasting impression on me, I know that will become the cuisine of the future. I wanted the cuisines at the Taj to stay 10-15 years ahead of their time,” says Oberoi, adding, “When I decided to launch Souk at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, specialising in Mediterranean cuisine, everyone suggested it wasn’t going to work, but it went on to establish its name and recently celebrated its 12th anniversary.” The story of Wasabi by Morimoto is similar. “When I went to Japan to understand its cuisine, I realised it was not going to work in India, for a significant number of my Indian guests were vegetarians. So I had to undertake extensive research and introduced vegetarian dishes,” reveals Oberoi.
The chef’s table at the Chef Studio, which he created in Mumbai, is a culinary joint comprising the who’s who of India and also those visiting the country. Oberoi’s popularity can be gauged by the host of dignitaries, businessmen and celebrities he has served in his career, including the Clintons, the Obamas, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, the Bachchans, the Ambanis, Tom Cruise and Lakshmi Mittal, among others. Along with these fond memories, also embedded in his mind are the 26/11 terror attacks at The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai. A constant reminder of this tragedy are some bullet shells he found later in his office. “That event made me a firm believer of destiny,” recalls Oberoi.
Following his footsteps
An ideal mentor and a disciplined chef, that’s how his sons describe him. Following in their father’s footsteps, both his sons are employed with the Taj. While his elder son Sidhartha is the F&B manager at St James’ Court, London, a Taj hotel, his younger son, Saransh, is a sous chef with Taj Campton Place, San Francisco. He completed his graduation from The Culinary Institute of America in New York. “I decided not to study and work in India because the pressure would have been more to perform since I was chef Hemant Oberoi’s son. Also, I wanted to grow and San Francisco was a familiar market for me,” opines Saransh, adding, “I look up to him as a father and, secondly, as a celebrated chef. His guidance is backed up by a lot of love and mutual understanding.” Being Oberoi’s son has been a defining factor for him, he believes, for he is constantly pushed to know his own strengths and limits. But ask him what his dream is and he quickly says, “I want to be bigger and better than him.
That’s a big thing to do.” Resonating the same feeling, Oberoi states, “My son has to be better than me, for, in this business, you need to be the best. Being on top for decades is not an easy feat.”
