Tell us a little about yourself and your career to date.
My career began at the World-renowned Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay in 1976 after spending years at college where I obtained a Diploma in Hotel Management.
This was the beginning of my long rugged, eventful, exciting, exhilarating, challenging, and at times extremely difficult career! This year it will be 45 years of solid work: cooking, running large hotel kitchens, small hotel kitchens, restaurant kitchens to restaurants and kitchens.
I have no regrets except perhaps I am very poor at grabbing opportunities when they come knocking. But then I hit the jackpot when I met my wife Pervin in the Kitchen. We’ve been married for over thirty-seven years.
I stayed with the Taj group for fifteen years, working my way up from a commis, leaving them as Group Executive Chef for Goa.
Starting in the main kitchen of a five-star deluxe luxury hotel meant that you went through the various sections of the kitchen. But the one section denied to me then was the Indian section. I was trained and accomplished in classical French cooking, baking and patisserie, plus Chinese and Thai thanks to a short course at The Oriental Cooking School in Bangkok. I spent eight years working in Goa learning Goan and Portuguese inspired cuisine and during that time I decided that I had much more to learn about my own country’s cooking and the cuisine of my own community.
From that moment, the urge to delve deeper into Indian Cuisine grew. This led to my eventual arrival in the UK and immersing myself in the world of Indian Cuisine.
You’ve been a member of the IoH since it was the HCIMA. Can you tell us a little about when you joined and how things have changed?
It was David Wood that got me involved with HCIMA as it was called. I used to work a lot with HTF and the Tecs.
As far as how things have changed, the growth in technology and communication means the IoH is now constantly in touch with its membership, with more events and interactive sessions taking place. More of an educational focus has emerged, even though my involvement is now minimal, one can see the continuous emergence of new ideas and new means of becoming more inclusive.
What makes our industry such a great place to work?
On this, one can write a book. But to me, no other industry offers any individual from any background of any skill level the opportunities to succeed as much as our industry does. A porter can become a Director. An owner can become a manager. Or anything they wish, so long as they are willing to grow. They just need to put the effort in and work towards the success they wish to attain.
This industry is forever emerging and reinventing itself, no other industry goes that far. The hospitality industry is at the top end of innovation and development which includes personal development.
But what makes it so special above everything else is the people! You make friends for life. You spend more time with your colleagues than with your own family at times and it is like that of a close family.
This industry is as personal to its customers and guests, as it is to the people that work within it and bonds, are formed for life.
Yourself and Pervin are speaking at Restaurant Manager of the Year competition next week. What in your experience makes an excellent restaurant manager?
At the end of the day, good old customer service can never be replaced. This is one of the makings of a good manager. Besides of course how he or she manages their team and brings about an overall sense of accomplishment in the eyes of the customer.
As a celebrity chef, I’m sure you’ve met people who have been star-struck by you. What’s the most star-struck you’ve ever been?
Oh boy. Yes, I have met many, but I have been floored by one, but more as an embarrassment than being star-struck. That was with a very attractive, polished lady and of course a huge celebrity. When being introduced to her I committed the sin I never normally do and said “We have met before, I know you”. Her host replied, “In your dreams Cyrus, meet Princess Stephanie of Monaco!” I cringed and would have loved to have disappeared but had to cook a special meal for her, so could not. You should have seen the chuckle she had on her face.
Handshakes with big people that left a lasting impression on me? The first was His Royal Highness The Late King Hussein Of Jordan. For a man, a good few inches shorter than me his handshake oozed power like no other human I have met. The next was Queen Beatrice of Holland and as a man offering a loose hand to Royalty when offered, my palm was scrunched and I got the shock of my life.
There are many others but my memory fades as I never took snaps even when offered, as I was always so shy.
Why say ‘I’min’- #imin to the Institute of Hospitality and our industry?
Through thick and thin, through sorrow and joy, the IoH stands firm by your side with the weakest or the strongest and lends a shoulder to lean on.
Our industry is the best in the world. You can be a chef, boss, mentor, doctor, motivator, marriage counsellor, problem maker or solver all in one and this just happens to make life exciting and interesting and I would not give top this industry for anything.
It has not made me a rich man financially yet, perhaps I’m still dreaming, but the richness I have from my hospitality family soon surpasses wealth. You know you can always count on many of them when they say let me know if you need anything. The Institute is part of that.
Worst, wonderful and weird! What’s the worst, most wonderful and the downright weirdest thing to happen during your career?
Most wonderful – Wow another tough one for me. There are many wonderful occasions, that I cannot pinpoint. But the greatest feeling is when regulars come back again and again and each time it’s like they are seeing you after a long time. Those experiences are wonderful. One of the best experiences I’ve had was cooking for 48 heads of the Commonwealth States. They stayed under one roof for over four days driving everyone nuts. This was in Goa in 1983. In those days it was far removed from the luxury we were so used to in a city like Bombay.
The worst – The worst would be almost getting killed in the line of duty. Or being challenged with a fully loaded gun cocked and ready to fire at an event when tensions ran very high due to adverse security concerns.
The weirdest – The weirdest was when one of my guests, whom I refused to make a mutton escalope, threatened me that if I did not oblige he would jump into the pool! And he did just that! He jumped into the deep end fully clothed but it turned out he did not know how to swim. I nearly died that evening from sheer worry. I wondered what would have happened had the local papers got hold of the story!
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