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)