PROFILE -- 5 ::

VIJAYAN OF TAJ VIVANTA, EXECUTIVE CHEF FOR 22 YEARS!!

BY P S SUNDAR

B C Kumar, General Manager, Vivanta Surya Coimbatore by Taj, is known to support food promotions by building a committed team of kitchen and service professionals.  My treatise on his profile appears in this Blog separately.  

This highlight is on his Executive Chef H N Vijayan who has been with Coimbatore Vivanta since its inception in 2011.

Thirty four years ago, Vijayan graduated from IHMCT and started his career with Vivanta by Taj President, Mumbai.  There has been no looking back since then.  Even by 1994, he has been designated ‘Executive Chef’ by the Taj group – that means, he has been an Executive Chef for 22 years by now.   That itself speaks about his managerial capacity in Food and Beverage department.

He has worked in several Taj properties across the nation which gave him opportunities to showcase his best to cuisine lovers.   And, among the extraordinary opportunities he lists are catering to Prince Charles of the UK and being the official team leader for catering to Indian Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh during SAARC summit in Sri Lanka in 2008.  

Known to be an ardent promoter of theme cuisines, he is remembered for his successful promotion of Chettinad food in Sri Lanka, Mauritius and Singapore.  He had specialised in Chettinad preparations for seven years at Taj Connemara, Chennai.

Chef Vijayan specialised in Ethnic Kerala cuisine in Taj Vivanta, Thiruvananthapuram.  

At Vivanta Coimbatore, he has introduced Ramasseri idli as live presentation during breakfast in the restaurant.   This speciality of Ramasseri village near Elappally near Palakkad has become a favourite among guests from all over to Vivanta Coimbatore.

Chef Vijayan, who himself belong to Badaga community of the Nilgiris, is also hailed for introducing Badaga regional cuisine at Vivanta Coimbatore with Kumar’s guidance.

“We have now introduced Kongunadu cuisine in regional home-style cooking.  This includes many traditional Kongu-style vegetarian and non-vegetarian preparations as done in the homes of Coimbatore and surrounding areas”, Chef Vijayan told me.   

Today Chef Vijayan is hailed to have standardised the South Indian dishes across all Vivanta hotels of the Taj group.

“Among my mentionable contributions is the Intensive Training Kitchen Programme where we have developed young chefs specialising in south Indian cuisine.  It is six-month intensive training programme for less-educated under-privileged rural youngsters for sustainable career in food and beverage.   We have placed early 30 such candidates in various Taj hotels across the country”, noted a very satisfied Chef Vijayan.

“I focus on innovation like developing Chef calendar for gift to all departments.  I update knowledge through various sources and even by direct experience of eating at different restaurants.  I lay necessary accent on hygiene and develop many home-style cooking ingredients.  Equally significant is my obsession with cost and food wastage control as they are required not only for the hotel but the country as a whole”, sums up Chef Vijayan.  

     

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com) 

         

FOOD 5 :: 

NOW, VISITORS CAN TASTE RAMASSERI IDLI IN GATEWAY HOTEL COONOOR

P S SUNDAR

Visitors to The Nilgiris during the forthcoming second season can enjoy the unique Ramasseri Idli, thanks to the Gateway Hotel Coonoor introducing live counter for it. 

"We have introduced this under our ‘home-style cooking’ category, handled by Indira, a housewife from Badaga, the predominant community of Nilgiris.  She comes daily from her hamlet, cooks Badaga traditional cuisine and entertains visitors with live preparation of Ramasseri Idli”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.

Ramasseri Idli is a unique delicacy from Ramasseri, a village near Elappally in Palakkad district.

“These are steam cooked in unglazed clay pots leaving an earthy aroma.  They are larger in size, flatter in shape.  Parboiled rice is used and the idlis are laid on cloth in three tiers”, said Indira who had undergone special training for this from the traditional cooks.

“Visitors enjoy seeing the preparation and taste them with Molaka podi mixed with coconut oil”, she added.

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

AWARD -- 2 ::

THE ‘DOSA KING’ GETS GLOBAL RECOGNITION

P S SUNDAR 

Chef Joseph Jayaraj of Taj Savoy Hotel Ooty has brought credit to Nilgiri hospitality sector by bagging international professional award.

He has returned after receiving the prestigious ‘MD Club Award’ from Rakesh Sarna, Managing Director of Taj group of hotels.

“He is the only one in Nilgiris so far to receive such a global honour.  It recognises his professional excellence and serves as tonic for other employees which collectively mean a new food and beverage experience to tourists visiting Nilgiris this summer and beyond”, Savoy General Manager P Vibhakar told me after complimenting him.

“The ‘MD Club Award’ is the highest professional recognition under the Special Thanks and Recognition System (STARS) which is hailed to be among ‘the best employee engagement programme’ in hospitality industry”, he disclosed.

“Chef Joseph has won this coveted honour excelling in a three-pronged ranking process involving guests’ comments, colleagues’ comments and his own productive suggestions for organisational growth”, Human Resources Manager Antony Gerald said.

“In particular, Chef Joseph, who is hailed as ‘Dosa King’ for his extraordinary Dosas which have captivated visitors including foreigners, has been rewarded for his innovation in kitchen”, he noted.  

“Some of my suggestions had been hailed to be cost-effective and enhancing guest satisfaction”, recalled Chef Joseph.

General Manager P Vibhakar (right) and HR Manager Antony Gerald complimenting Chef Joseph

(response can also be sent to : pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

FOOD -- 4 ::

NEW CHINESE CUISINE AT TAJ SAVOY

BY P S SUNDAR

A main addition to tourists’ culinary pleasure in The Nilgiris this summer is the authentic Chinese cuisine at Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty.

“Our objective is to take the food more towards Chinese taste in preparation without compromising Indian guests’ preference”, Savoy General Manager P Vibhakar said.

“I am presenting many new dishes from the training I had from Master Chef William Tong of Hongkong at ‘Memories of China’ Restaurant.  Our ‘red bean dumplings in ginger syrup’ is a dessert rarely available this side”, said Chef with 25 years experience M Arogyanathan, popularly called ‘Chinese Nathan’. 

“Pickled colour pepper and eggplant salad along with vegetable spring roll and honey chilli potato starters followed by garden fresh vegetables in white garlic sauce and chilli mushroom baby corn to accompany vegetable fried rice and Hunan Noodles are our guests’ favourite Chinese vegetarian dishes”, said Executive Chef Nisi Kant Panigrahi.

“Crispy prawns with golden garlic, Konjee Crispy Chicken, steamed fish in black bean sauce, Kung Pao chicken and honey chilli chicken are our guests’ favourite Chinese non-vegetarian dishes”, Arogyanathan added.

Vibhakar and Food and Beverages Manager Om Prakash led the Executives of the hotel in dedicating the new format of Chinese cuisine to the guests. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

VALUE ADDITION -- 2:

TAJ GIFTS TREE SAPLINGS TO TOURISTS

BY P S SUNDAR 

Taj group of Hotels in Nilgiris made environment day special to tourists by gifting to them tree saplings.

“We had specially procured these saplings keeping visitors’ place in mind and motivated them to care for growth of these trees back at home.  We also gave useful horticulture tips for their growth”, R Muralidharan, General Manager, Taj Gateway Hotel, Coonoor, told me. 

“This has made our visit to Nilgiris memorable.   I will grow this sapling with lot of care as it will remind me the litter-free, green lawns and colourful flowers which enhance the hotel’s ambience where we stayed”, Maya Kunnath, corporate lawyer from Bengaluru, said.

Earlier, Muralidharan led his staff for a clean-up drive in Lamb’s Rock, popular picnic spot, as also the Figure-of-eight Road.

HOUSEKEEPING MANAGER R NAGARAJ ARRANGING THE TREEE SAPLINGS

“We enlisted guests’ involvement for over a month now by encouraging their children to draw paintings on environment care and distributed green badges which our employees also wore”, Antony Gerald, Human Resources Manager, Taj group of hotels in Nilgiris, said.

“We took our guests on ‘Green Walk’ and screened Environment awareness movie”, added P Vibhakar, General Manger, Taj Savoy Hotel Ooty.

TAJ SAVOY OOTY  TEAM

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

AWARDS -1 :

TAJ GROUP’S GARDENS BAG 7 PRIZES AT FLOWER SHOW

P S SUNDAR

Taj group of hotels has created a record by bagging as many as seven prizes for their gardens in the just-concluded Flower Show at Udhagamandalam. 

“In particular, we are privileged to receive the coveted Rolling Trophy for ‘the Outstanding Rose Garden’ among all competing institutions in the category in the Nilgiris.    This adds value to eco-tourism by providing opportunity to tourists to be in the midst of ‘Award-winning outstanding rose garden’ when they are with us”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me. 

Muralidharan has the credit of having brought to the doorsteps of guests the opportunity to view Kurinji flowers (Strobilanthes kunthiana) which blossom once in 12 years in select parts of Nilgiri mountains.   He has created a ‘Kurinji lawn’ in Gateway Hotel Coonoor.

“We also received three First Prizes for the Rose Garden, Large flower garden and vegetable kitchen garden.  We grow a variety of vegetables in a caged field so that while the vegetable grow the organic way, they are protected from monkeys and wild animals without interfering with their mobility freedom.  These vegetables are used in hotel’s kitchen”, noted Housekeeping Manager R Nagaraj.

“Besides, our Taj Savoy Hotel Ooty has bagged First Prize for potted plants and two second prizes for large garden and lawn”, D Antony Gerald, Human Resources Manager of Taj group of Hotels, Nilgiris, said.

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

PROFILE -- 4:

VIBHAKAR PROMOTING HERITAGE & HISTORY 

BY P S SUNDAR

What do King Edward VII, the then Prince of Wales, Harold Robins, the famous fiction writer, David Lean. Famous film Director (remember Dr Zhivago) and P Vibhakar have in common?

Taj Savoy Hotel, Ooty.

The King, the writer and the Director are among the famous personalities who had stayed at this hotel and hence added to its rich collection of historical documentation.

As General Manager of this prestigious hotel, Vibhakar has presented this rich history and the heritage associated with them and others to the Government of India’s Ministry of Tourism helping the property win the renewal of “Heritage Grand” title in April 2016.   So, Taj Savoy Hotel Ooty will enjoy the coveted classification of “Heritage Grand” for four years from now which is renewable thereafter.

What does this mean?  The Government classifies hotels into ‘Star Category’ and there are six such categories up to 5 Star Deluxe.   In the mountainous Nilgiris district, it is not possible to go into or beyond Four Star despite many top-standard facilities.  That’s where the Government’s another classification based on ‘Heritage Category’ counts a lot.  Heritage Basic, Heritage Classic and Heritage Grand are the three prestigious categories in this rising order.     

“Taj Savoy Hotel is the first in the country to win ‘Heritage Grand’ and even now, only 11 hotels, most of them in North India, have been able to get this title.   This title is equivalent to ‘Five Star’ rating”, said Vibhakar.

“We had to fulfil a plethora of parameters and present our case convincingly to the team which came for on-the-spot assessment.   It is a great honour to team with Vibhakar in this endeavour”, D Antony Gerald, Human Resources Manager of Taj group of hotels in the Nilgiris, told me.

Vibhakar is leading a team of 68 employees in various levels at Savoy which has 6.5 acres in its possession.  More importantly, he has the responsibility to balance business with heritage because each of the 40 rooms in the hotel has a piece of history and heritage.  On the one hand, the heritage concept of the buildings has to be maintained for that is what attracts the guests to the property; on the other, modern comforts will have to be provided to help the guests enjoy a pleasant sojourn. People like to see age-old buildings but want to stay in contemporary comfort !

“We fulfil exactly this dual requirement.  The history of this hotel dates back to 1829 and to mark this, we retain this first building for guests’ stay as “The Garden Cottage”.  The exterior has the original ancient look of 187 years old but well maintained.  The interior is modern to suit guests’ comfort – flooring, bathroom, TV, amenities etc.   What is important is that we have retained the fireplace, huge mirror, adjunct rooms for dressing and privacy besides the bedroom and veranda.  So, practically, the guests stay in a house, not a room!”, Vibhakar rightly detailed.

This is the case with all the 40 rooms as also the main hotel building built in 1838.  I saw a round Bridge table with four drawers used by the British, all chairs, tables and cots crafted in those days, an ancient piano in the restaurant – all well maintained.  Even the glass panes and the doors take one into nostalgia.

Vibhakar is a proven lover of plants.  I enjoyed walking with him in the well-laid out gardens when he introduced to me the gardeners.   He explained the types, varieties, families as also the history or origin of many plants.  Years ago, the hotel’s garden was a sight-seeing place in Ooty and even today, it remains so with the visitors!

To create contemporariness, he has erected a Selfie-frame in the garden where guests enjoy taking selfies!   After all, having worked for the Taj for 31 years now in various capacities in different properties, Vibhakar should certainly know the pulse of guests.

Yes, 31 years in this group having begun his career in 1985 at Taj residency in Bangalore which included a two-year stint at Taj Sheba in Yemen and opening of Manjarun Hotel in Mangalore.   He became a General Manager in 2006 at Varkala in Kerala and moved into Savoy Ooty in 2011.

Front office management has been core function but he excels in overall management at Savoy with accent on improving the infrastructure and introducing ethnic varieties for enhancement of guests’ pleasure.   Cases in point for this are his introduction of weaving traditional shawls by Toda tribe women on the corridors of Savoy, the ethnic regional food cuisine in the restaurant to represent authentic food of Badagas, the predominant community of the Nilgiris and the live counter handled by a Badaga housewife.

“I am now working on introducing Anglo-Indian cuisine because Anglo-Indians have constituted a great share in the Nilgiri life over the years”, Vibhakar told me.

His encouragement of staff for skill enhancement is another highlight.  For the first time in the history of Nilgiri hotels, a staff member of Savoy has entered the Managing Directors’ Club.  Joseph Jayaraj, a chef of Savoy, has now returned from Mumbai with the coveted award received from MD Rakesh Sarana.

Another chef M Arogyanathan now stands motivated at Savoy to introduce to  guests authentic Chinese dishes as Vibhakar has identified his interest and talent and given him the necessary training from Chinese chefs at Bangalore.

“Savoy is among the most preferred destinations for discerning travellers and we are working on providing value-addition through history and culture to the visitors”, summed up the soft-spoken 58-year-old Taj professional that Vibhakar is.   

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

TOURISM -- 7:

ELECTIONS ARE AFFECTING PEAK SEASON HOTEL BUSINESS IN NILGIRIS

P S SUNDAR 

Elections are affecting hotels’ business in Nilgiris this peak summer as many prefer to defer their travel.  

“Hotels are busy during weekends but rooms are empty during weekdays, contrary to normal happening in peak season May.   Elections have hit hotels’ business substantially”, N Chandra Shekar, Secretary, Nilgiri Hotel and Restaurant Association, told me. 

. 

“People from other states are seeing this as ‘election season’ rather than ‘summer season’ in Nilgiris and are not all that comfortable to travel now.  Hoteliers are waiting for pick up of business after election results are declared on May 19”, R Muralidharan, General Manager, Gateway Hotel Coonoor noted.  

“We will introduce attractions for tourists after May 19 so that the rest of the peak season is not lost in the height of elections.  Some professional conferences scheduled in our hotel have been postponed because of elections”, disclosed Sudharshan Motwani, Managing Director, Orchid Square Boutique Hotel, Coonoor.

“Elections have upset our schedules for three weeks in peak May season but we hope that the last 10 days will bring in revival when Fruit Show and Flower Show are being conducted”, P Vibhakar, General Manager, Taj Savoy Hotel Ooty said.

“We have lost nearly 20 per cent of our business so far this season and we fear this situation will continue till May 19.  With many hotels around us reporting low occupancy during weekdays unlike usual peak May, our restaurant business has suffered drastically because of elections”, G Ujjual, Managing Director, Quality group of Restaurants, added.

   

(response can also be sent to:: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)

VALUE-ADDITION -1::

ORGANIC FARM-FRESH VEGETABLES GIVE VALUE-ADDITION

BY P S SUNDAR

This summer tourists can enjoy the unique experience of wandering in organic vegetable fields and dining on the fresh vegetables plucked from these fields, thanks to Gateway Hotel Coonoor launching ‘from the field’ feel to visitors.

“We are growing these vegetables within our campus but inside wire mesh to protect them from the invading battalions of monkeys.  The very fact of wandering within the mesh enclosure gives a unique feel to visitors especially from crowded metros”, Gateway General Manager R Muralidharan told me.

“On the one hand, this in-house farming reduces our procurement cost of vegetables; on the other, as we use them in our kitchen, guests are assured of organic farm-fresh vegetables in their food”, he explained.

“Tourists gain value-addition when they see our fields flushed with carrots, beetroot, turnips, cabbage (green, violet and Chinese), radish, potato, tomato, lettuce, greens, garlic, beans, spinach, and herbs including peppermint, thyme, lemongrass and rosemary”, added Housekeeping Manager R Nagaraj.

Fruits like peach, plum, passion fruit, custard apple, Nagai, Thavittu and Usi pazham are also grown for direct consumption by guests. 

(response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com).