EVERYDAY HEROES !

Masterful Master Chef

By R Kesava Mallia

He is the face of ITC grand Central, Mumbai. One of the renowned gourmet artist known for his authentic, traditional South Indian delicacies. And, yet, very little is known about Master Chef Rajan. Remember, this 77 year old gifted taste maker has been associated with ITC group of hotels for the last 40 years. Interestingly, he refuses to hang up the boots. You might not have heard about him. Now is the time to read up.

"Master Chef Rajan is famous all over the world", quips Kuldeep Bhartee, GM, ITC Grand Central, Mumbai, "he mixes love and affection alongwith the ingredients, serves wholeheartedly. Extremely hospitable and guest centric he is. That is what is making all the difference"

"The milk warming ceremony is very vivid in my memory", explains Chef Rajan on the inaugural days of the Hotel Chola in Chennai, Tamilnadu way back in 1974.This happens to be ITC's first hotel. "It was my good fortune that I was part of the ITC right from day one".

In a span of 40 years, he had served the ITC properties in Delhi(ITC Maurya) Mumbai(ITC Maratha) and Jaipur (ITC Rajputana).Ever since the inauguration in 2004, Rajan has been wedded to the ITC Grand Central, Mumbai.

After serving the guests in Hotel Chola for a decade, Rajan landed in Delhi to join ITC Maurya. In a weak moment, he left ITC to join a multi cuisine restaurant in Baharin. Here, a storm of bad luck gripped him. On reaching Baharin, he learnt that the Arab-Malayali partnership had fallen apart...he worked there for seven months only to return empty handed...he was not given salary for seven months. He returned to India with the help of a guest from Mumbai who had tasted his food only once!! The person who helped him to return to India never revealed his name, forget about his other credentials.

"God is helping you, you need not know my name" was the answer the good soul who had helped him had given.

The Baharin traumatic incident made Rajan more loyal, committed and dedicated. ITC welcomed him with both the hands...he took charge in ITC Maurya...cooked and served the guest of this hotel for 19 years...lapped up promotions promptly and proactively...travelled to Agra month after month for the VIP parties...earned name and fame as a South Indian master chef... The Sunday Lunch buffet spread made headlines...the same was extended to Fridays and Saturdays based on the popular demand of the food lovers of Delhi...his performance has been stunningly spectacular...guests comments cards were replete with embarrassingly superlative remarks on chef Rajan..ITC Maurya has been instrumental in catapulting his image in geometrical proportions........

This writer had met Chef Rajan in 2005. That was in ITC Maratha, Mumbai. My second meeting happened in the ITC Grand central in 2009. Trust me: he radiates enthusiasm all the time, he can smell and tell about the quality of the dish...ne need not taste it at all!!! His memory is laser sharp, incredibly amazing; he not only remembers the name of the guest, but also, his/her preference and dislikes, even after three to five years. He is very humble, his toughness is never construed as arrogance by the co-workers.

"His suggestive selling skills" opines Bhaskar Sankhari, executive Chef, ITC Grand central, Mumbai, "are flawless. The true sense of serving the guests as GOD. He loves serving/feeding the guest with his heart".

Though Rajan was born in Chidambaram, he grew up in Kanchipuram (both places in Tamil Nadu). Chef Rajan, one of the legendary master chefs of ITC, has been to the school only for a year. Sheer poverty prevented him from having his school education. In fact, he started working as a water boy in a restaurant when he was just 13. But, life taught him many things which he could not learn in the schools.

"There are many guests who come only because of Chef Rajan" says Restaurant Supervisor, Coimbatore born Senthil Kumar. While, Sumeet Rohela, Chef in charge of the 24 X 7 all day dining restaurant opines: "his emotional connect with the guests is simply superb. He takes care of them very well".

Though an uneducated person, Rajan will be able to understand everything spoken in English to him by the guests. He is not that fluent in English, but he can speak Hindi, Kannada and Tamil.

Age is not with him is one thing. At the shop floor, he works with full energy is another thing. He does everything even today just like any other staff in the food production department with full vigour.

Rajan is grateful to the ITC guests with gratitude. He believes firmly that the top management has been very supportive and encouraging. In 2012, when he had undergone a major surgery, ITC management stood with him. ITC group of hotels had airlifted Rajan to orchestrate the Indian Food festival in Frankfurt, Germany in 1988.

His younger sister Sakunthala(60) living in Kanchipuram, Tamilnadu is very close to his heart. His day will not be complete without a telephonic call with his beloved sister. Former Prime minister P V Narasimha Rao has been very appreciative of Rajan cooking skills. Former President Venkataraman had gifted a gold ring to him as a mark of respect on his culinary talent.

"The ring inspires me lot" admits chef Rajan.