PROS OF HAVING CHINESE AND CONTINENTAL CUISINES! BY: KHATIBAH REHMAT.

1) Tell us about yourself; how did you begin your career? Stating your birthplace, education and all the rewards you received in your culinary career.

Chef Tenzin Losel: My name is Tenzin Losel. I was born in Southern part of India, somewhere near Bangalore and have spent my first seventeen years of culinary career here only. I have worked with few top 5 star Hotel properties in Delhi such as; Taj Palace, Hyatt Regency, Shangri-La Hotel, The Claridges Hotel, Suriya Hotel, Taj Mansingh and Eros Hotel. It has been nineteen years of work experience now and currently I am in the position of an Executive Sous Chef and Chef in charge for fine dining restaurants and banquets at Eros Hotel-New Delhi for last three years. I did my secondary schooling from the South and then completed senior secondary schooling from Dalhousi-Himachal Pradesh and completed Diploma from FCI-Chandigarh, in the year 2002. Later, got married and have two proud daughters now, who are 17 and 8 years old respectively. 

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ACHIEVEMENTS:

Received best Hospitality personality of the year 2014.

Appeared in the cooking show on DD National “wah kya taste hai”, with Michelin star restaurant Chef Vikas Khanna.

International Food Promotion was organized with collaboration with few embassies such as; UAE, Palestine, China, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Czech Republic and South Africa.

Master Class on Metropolis urban winter festival, Shillong Tour-2018.

 
2) Being a Chinese and Continental Chef, how tough it has been for you to assure your guests that the food they are being served is pure and healthy?

Chef Tenzin Losel: With time everyone has changed their eating habits specially after the Pandemic-The New Normal, people have become more cautious about their health. Nowadays, our guests are well aware of the foods and their nutrient contents as well as preparing procedures of a particular dish. They have a clear picture of what they are going to order and what will be presented on their tables? Being a chef, I can’t compromise with quality of food, ingredients required for a particular dish and also can never replace it with local products. You cannot substitute a general soya sauce with high-end brand import soya sauce, same is with Continental cuisines. Same way we should never replicate the Norwegian Salmon with Indian River Salmon. Therefore, according to me the cooking style of Chinese and Continental cuisines are one of the healthiest styles because, both the cuisines are not using much of spices. Just herbs, stir fry and roasting items which retain the nutrient values of both.

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3) People have a stereotype thought against junk food if that fear is true then why it has been served in hotels and restaurants worldwide, including yours?

Chef Tenzin Losel: I strongly agree with everyone’s mindset against junk foods and it is genuinely difficult to avoid. We at Eros hotel also have fast food but, we can prepare it in a better way to make it healthier by using innovation and creativity, for eg. burger, I came up with a very interesting way and we implied it at our hotel, as we started making burger breads with organic flour like ragi and millets and vegetable patties are not deep-fried they’re steamed and I believe this is how we can do a lot more in other top-rated hotels.

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4) How did the market cope up during these tough times when people are avoiding outside food? Has there been any effect on Chinese cuisines specifically?

Chef Tenzin Losel: Yes, things are not being in best state during this pandemic era. We have completely shut down our hotel for five months with some minor functioning. I’m happy to see things gradually moving back to normal from December last year i.e. 2020. Covid cases have drastically gone down specially in Delhi, now people are coming out with all the precautions and we hoteliers are taking all safety measures to ensure that our clients feel safe to dine in with us. We have started with delivering food first. Later, we opened our coffee shop on September 31st, 2020. After five months recently on, 1st. February, 2021 we have opened a Chinese restaurant and are gradually picking up on that positive note. Yes, we know that it will take some more time to get things move towards normal until and unless international clients are back. We are hoping for best till everything revives back.

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5) Give one uncommon Chinese dish or one Continental cuisine to our readers and viewers.

RECIPE NAME: CHICKEN SUI MAI

INGREDIENTS:

Mince Chicken………………..180gm

SALT……………………………….5gm

PEPPER…………………………..3gm

AROMATE POWDER…………5gm

COOKING OIL…………………..5ml

SESAME OIL…………………….5ml

WONTON…………………………12 numbers

SUGAR……………………………..2gm

CHOP GINGER…………………..3gm

CHOP CELERY……………………2gm

GREEN ONION…………………..5gm

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METHOD:

Using a mini food processor, grind the chicken but make sure that it’s coarsely ground.

Mix the chicken with all the ingredients together, set aside in the fridge for 20 minutes.

Take wonton sheet cut into round cutter or use scissor .Place about a tablespoon of the filling on each wrapper, gather up the sides and leave the center open.

Garnish the top with Chopped red, green, yellow peppers.

Steam in a bamboo steamer for about 15 minutes.

Serve hot immediately with:
HOMEMADE DIM SUM SAUCE.

INTERVIEWED: Chef Tenzin Losel.
INTERVIEW TAKEN BY: Khatibah Rehmat
Senior Journalist and Writer.
PICTURE COURTESY: Chef Tenzin Losel.