#ChefAsSeeker #CuisinesAsCultures #FoodAsKnowledgeSystems #CoTravellerForever
Most of the absolutely amazing friends and co-travellers I have had in life are backstage people, never visible and most essential to keep any business, enterprise or organisation going.
Tarun Dacha is one of them, a kitchen person, a friend since more than 30 years he is a professional Chef but way more than that, a trainer, a seeker of knowledge, a builder of teams, processes and organizations, a mentor and an open-source sharer of culinary knowledges, histories and intimate stories of anyone involved in the sacred act of cooking from the soul.
Akanksha Damini Joshi my better half had shot a long interview with him during Covid and turned it into a short film last year on the Street Foods of India and much more.
You can see it on YouTube:
https://lnkd.in/gQnFnzqd
Since I belong to a Delhi Punjabi family who had no experience of Himalayan cuisine, after our marriage Akanksha wanted them to experience her Kumaoni cuisine, but no restaurant served it in Delhi.
Even when the Delhi tourists go to Uttarakhand or Himachal, they eat their Punjabi dhaba style food or Maggi noodles !
A few years later when Tarun was Corporate Chef of Claridges Collection, we were talking to him about this dream, and he said most of the Indian food cooks were "Pahadi" or Himalyan and we can curate a pan-Himalayan cuisine from Dogra-Jammu, to Himachali to Kumaoni to Garhwali!
And we did!
After that Claridges had a Himalyan thali option for some time.
Tarun has had a stellar career but he has helped start-ups and mentored young people in their culinary and food business adventures, of who at least two I personally introduced.
Tarun has an enduring passion for researching, discovering, spreading Indian culinary traditions and sees the genius of the unsung halwais and homecooks of every corner of India.
As of now he is Corporate Chef of Nagpur based
Centre Point Hospitality Group, a prominent player in the Food & Beverage industry, with hotels in Nagpur and Navi Mumbai, dining spots such as Pablo – The Art Café & Lounge, Dali – The Art Café, Highland Waterfront.
Starting his professional career with the ITDC, Tarun has worked with the Hilton Group, The Marriott Group, Radisson Hotel Group, Old World Hospitality, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts Group, Sterling Holiday Resorts, Claridges Hotels.
He has been an active member of the Culinary Federation in India. He was accredited Judge of the World Association of Chefs Society (WACS) in 2012 and also won the Silver Hat Award in the same year.
He was the youngest winner of Golden Hat in 2014 while he was the Corporate Chef for the Sarovar Group.
Former Director - Finance & IT, Orkla India (MTR Foods Pvt Ltd) - a fully owned subsidiary of Orkla, Asa, Oslo
5moIt is a one-stop food fest venue for lip-smacking authentic cuisines of Karnataka's diverse cuisines ..... you can discover the magic on 4th and 5th May 😋