UNBELIEVABLY “NO” LAND EVEN WATERS LEFT: By Khatibah Rehmat

Whenever he comes, he comes like a thunder storm and which so ever kitchen he enters he plays his own cards. His magical terror, terrorises his co-chefs so much that they used to be on the track which always gives a smooth pass to all the trains of life and each and every time a good cuisine comes out of the kitchen for the guest counts of the restaurant he works with. The fingers or the blocks made on those fingers will get lessened but, the countries he has been traveling will be far far more than those. He has been cooking to almost all the kitchens of the world and I am pretty sure that he has been left with none by now. The best part of him is that he is just 26 and has achieved so much in his life that people do not get all this even at their 40s’. I feel like patting my back that, I took an interview of such a chef who works internationally and actually belongs to OUR country named ‘INDIA’. Whether being land or being waters he has been everywhere and is been cooking with NO place left types. I think so it’s only the skies with which he is left with (I giggled). Oh I am extremely sorry and apologize from the depth of my heart that I have not given the introduction to the great personality who belongs to this piece of interview of my magazine called REFT.

Yes, I was speaking all through about Chef Akshat Parihar who loved cooking since childhood and used to burn more than cooking a great meal. (I laughed). But, the best part in him was that he used to start from scratch every time he spoils any food he used to cook. Chef Akshat was born in Rajasthan where half of his family lives and rest half is based in Chandigarh the most civilized and highly developed city of the country. He has done his Bachelors in Hotel and Tourism management, later he did his specialization in Pastry from Hotel Oberoi – Bangalore. I believe, Walt Disney has truly said this saying specially for Chef Akshat Parihar that: If you can dream it, you can do it! Cooking and exploring world cuisines is not just his passion but making and converting all his dreams coming very true from a family where people used to do jobs or are into businesses. Going and working off the beat was not that favorable from his family members end but, he believed in him and stepped off the track which was actually out of the actual path for him. He thought of it and he made it! (laud round of applauds).

Let us now see where all, Chef Akshat has worked and is still associated with:
a) THE OBEROI.
b) MR. BEAN HOME CAFE (Italian Fusion Chain- India).
c) CAPTAIN EGG a restaurant chain.
d) GRAND SEASONS, Malaysia.
e) THE LEGEND RESORT, Kuantan-Malaysia.
f) PENANG CLUB, Malaysia.
g) SUSHI ON 5, (Celebrity Cruises-USA).
h) ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL, Miami Florida-USA.
i) INDIAN CURRY PALACE , Seattle Washington-USA (here, he is associated as a Brand Chef for launching new menus and working on new projects for their growing branches). If you are reading and thinking that, this is ALL about Chef Akshat, then I will say that you are absolutely wrong. There is something more in his little movable vanity which everyone must know. Come, let us see what’s next? He is working as:
a) WAYS BRAND AMBASSADOR with Celebrity Cruises.
b) Chef with Royal Caribbean International.
c) Last but not the least, he has recently launched a new menu for egg lovers in India with the name of Captain Egg with Mr. Dhaval Desai.
It was all about the places he has and is being working with till the date. Let us now proceed with the cuisines he has made in his little, long and admirable journey of his adventurous life. Readers…! Keep your fingers ready to count the finger licking cuisines he has prepared round the globe.
a) Japanese
b) Italian
c) Indian
d) Pastry
e) Bakery
f) Chinese
g) Vietnamese
h) Mexican
i) Oriental
j) Fusion
k) Arabic
l) French
m) Asian
n) Mediterranean
o) German
p) Tasmanian

Alas…! I asked him while taking his interview that, shall I heave the sigh of relief or shall I proceed without any halt? (and we both laughed). After all this, he is still on and charged up day and night for his never ending cooking and is exploring and inventing for something new and extraordinarily different to present that to the world of food lovers. The best part he likes the most, about his life is that he is still very young in number of years he is, for the achievements he gained at present (got up and clapped for him).
Akshat says that whatever he has achieved in his life today wasn’t be possible without a great team. It is always a good team work that counts and he can never forget those people of his life who were always there with him. He added that there are few hidden people in his life who actually brought him where he is standing today and have even learnt a lot from them. Mentioning the names of all, would not be possible for him but still few of them are:
a) Chef Rajeev Arora – Canada.
b) Chef Amit Wadhawan, Executive Chef-The Oberoi Gurgaon, India.
c) Chef Edward Gomes, Executive Chef Celebrity Cruises – USA.
d) Chef Vinod Menon, Executive Sous Chef Celebrity Cruises, USA.
e) Chef Frank Pollak, Executive Chef Royal Caribbean – USA.
e) Chef Ritvik Anakand, The Oberoi-Gurgaon.
f) Chef Charles, Executive Chef Royal Caribbean International-USA.

After I finished asking him questions, Akshat asked me that he can answer more if something is still missing. (I looked at him with wide opened eyes) and simply said NO to him (we both again laughed). Well, this was all about Chef Akshat Parihar from India, who hardly gets time to come and visit his own country. (I giggled and ended up with the interview).

Interviewed by: Khatibah Rehmat
Interview of: Chef Akshat Parihar
Picture Courtesy: Chef Akshat Parihar.
Category: SPECIAL, as he revolves within all parts of the earth, whether being land or being waters.