Anup Pawar, sous chef at The Address Downtown Dubai, and Time Out Dubai's Young Chef of the Year, tells Caterer Middle East why chef competitions are so important to the future of the industry:
You were named Young Chef of the Year by Time Out Dubai, how did that feel?
It was indeed a great feeling. For me, it was not just about winning, it was also about the effort, planning, and execution that went into preparing for this. This is a title that has not only reminded me of how my career began, but also stands as a reminder of where I want to be years from now.
What do you believe is the secret behind creating a winning dish?
I personally believe in one thing — to ensure that you do not confuse the guest’s palate. Always keep the dish simple and comprehensible. However, it is also essential to do justice to every ingredient in a dish so that the different elements on the plate stand out both in presentation and in quality.
What would be your advice to chefs to excel in culinary competitions?
Stick to the basics, but think outside the box. As long as a chef has basic culinary skills locked in, nothing can go wrong. Culinary competitions allow chefs to widen their scope, especially since there is no cap on creativity and passion in this field. In order to succeed, here is the golden rule: “Don’t strive for success, strive for perfection. If you achieve perfection, success will be achieved for sure.”
What are your thoughts on Dubai’s food and beverage offerings?
Dubai has come to be a hub for F&B in recent years. Its multicultural diversity and ability to adapt to the latest trends keeps the industry at the forefront, ensuring that people can find the best of any global cuisine in the city.
What’s the best career advice anyone has ever given you?
There are two pieces of career advice that I still hold very close to my heart, and those are: “The hotel industry is very small — never burn any bridges behind you.” The second most important thing is: “Take care of your team and your team will take care of you.”
What’s the worst career advice anyone has ever given you?
The worst advice I think I received was to work on a cruise liner — and that is only because I get very seasick.
If you could serve up a three-course meal for anyone in the world, who would it be and why?
It would be for my mother and my elder brother. Considering that I do not really have the time to cook at home and they still think of me as a little kid, I would like to show them what I am capable of creating. On a more serious note, I would love to cook for world-renowned Indian cricketer, Sachin Tendulkar, because I believe that his drive and ambition in his respective field mirrors my own commitment to the job.
If not a chef, what would you like to be?
If I were not a chef, I would have been a pilot.
Tell us one thing your team does not know about you?
I was a long-distance runner when I was in school, with 10 km being the longest stretch I have covered.