Chef Speak: Rahul Bhagwat, Mangiamo
Jun 10, 2013We hope you liked our first interview with the Moving Cart co-founder, Mr. John Dias. Your nice feedback from our first interview has prompted us to get in touch with the who’s who of the restaurant industry in Mumbai. This time, we got in touch with Mr. Rahul Bhagwat who is the chef at Mangiamo, a restaurant in the suburb on Bandra. During the interview, we tried to get a foretaste of what prompted him to become a chef and what makes him a master in his profession.
UR: Rahul, Give us a brief about your profile and how did you start your career in this industry?
RB: I did my hotel management course from Hyderabad. I started working in 2002 at Radisson Hotel, Goa. After that I moved to Le Royal Meridian in Mumbai. I had always wanted to try my hand at cooking Le Meridian was where I got that break and I got access to the kitchen. There the cuisine was Italian. That is where my love for Italian developed. As a chef, I was working at Mangi Ferra, then The Leela and now Mangiamo.
UR: So what drove you to become a chef? Was it your childhood dream or a career choice later in life?
RB: Well it wasn’t a childhood dream of sorts, but I was always very good at cooking and when I was young, I used to also help my mother in the kitchen. I was actually pursuing engineering, and I had almost completed one year of mechanical engineering but then soon I realised that it was not a place where I wanted to be. So I convinced my father that I wouldn’t be continuing with engineering anymore. And I shifted to hotel management.
UR: What made you join Mangiamo?
RB: Before joining Mangiamo, I was associated with Mangi Ferra in Juhu. The owner of Mangiamo, Bandra and Mangi Ferra in Juhu is the same so when it opened in Bandra, I was the obvious choice.
UR: To complement the cuisine, do you suggest any changes in the cutlery, lighting etc?
RB: The cutlery is very carefully chosen. When we opened shop, we had many options, but we chose from the Rack from UAE. We wanted very subtle crockery. We could have some changes with the glassware as it has to match with the cuisine and the fine dine theme.
UR: How often do you add items to the menu?
RB: Not very often actually, but if the customer wants something new or something innovative then we definitely try to make it. But we don’t change the menu so often.
UR: What is the easiest dish you have ever made? On an additional note, what is the most difficult dish you have cooked?
RB: The easiest I have ever made is risotto. It’s also the toughest dish I have cooked. Because of the preparation, it is easy to cook but has to be cooked to perfection. It’s one of the dishes I like very much as well.
UR: What drives you to become such a successful chef?
RB: The main reason is my passion. When I cook, I don’t think, I just cook with my heart. Anything that you are doing, if you have true passion for it, you will not get tired of it at all.
UR: Personally, what is your favorite cuisine?
RB: My favorites are Italian and Thai cuisine. Also Indian cuisine is nice. I love the textures and the fresh use of ingredients in Thai cuisine.
UR: Who is your role model?
RB: I was very young, maybe 5th grade, when I admired Chef JiggsKalra. He is an amazing chef!
UR: Is there any piece of advice you would like to give to the amateur chefs out there?
RB: Follow your passion. Stick to this industry, don’t think what you are doing is menial. Work as much as you can and gain knowledge to the fullest extent. Experiment with various foodstuffs. Open your mind. If you think you are doing something wrong don’t be embarrassed because every wrong is a lesson learnt and be true to yourself. It’s an arduous industry so don’t be bogged down by the industry and keep working.
