Illustrating India Internationally. Dr. Chef P Soundararajan

Dr. Chef P Soundararajan, The General Secretary of IFCA(Indian Federation of Culinary Association, India) and the Corporate Executive Chef of Mahindra Resorts is a well-known name in the Chef Fraternity both in India as well as abroad with an experience of almost 40 years in the F&B Industry. From a rank holder in IHM to being the Chairman of the Marketing Committee of the World Association of Chef Societies, the chef has tons of achievements that are at par like his journey. 

Dr. Chef P Soundararajan was born into a family of culture, agriculture, food ingredients, and culinary arts.

The culinary journey of this extraordinary person started when he was sponsored by his uncle for education. It is said that our mother is our first teacher, so was with  P Soundararajan. A philosophy by his mother never left his heart.

“Cook with the heart but not with the hands”. 

Throughout his education, he was an exceptional student and after graduating from IHM he was appointed as a Chef Trainee in the Taj Group of Hotels. The desire of getting trained under the renowned Chef Roger Moncourt made him switch to  Ashok Hotel, New Delhi in 1982. The very first assignment was a big deal for him. Being assigned in the team who catered at Asian Games for 6000 athletes per day was quite challenging. This earned him an achievement. The chef was the part of the team which catered for the first Non-Aligned meet and CHOMG.

 Soundararajan also received the opportunity to be a part of the team which opened the best french restaurant in India, ‘Burgundy’. The determination of grasping different things led him to organize Beach Food Carnival when he joined Kovalam Ashok, Trivandrum. This was just the beginning for him, a lot more feathers were still to be added in his chef’s hat. The next step which Soundararajan took was to learn under the guidance of  Chef JM Chaudhuri in Kanishka Hotel New Delhi. Festivals like Burger Festival, Biryani Festival, Bengali Utsav, Mango Festival and Sizzler Festival were initiated by him. He launched the first SALAD BAR in the hotel. 

Life is full of surprises. Getting invited to World’s No.1 Luxury Liner Queen Elizabeth II was a huge surprise for him. Who knew so many big things were waiting for P Soundararajan. He showcased his expertise and exceptional skills by serving 40 different Indian menus to the passengers. Another benchmark for him was being appointed as Chef in charge at New Delhi- Official State house of Prime Minister of India. There he had catered for banquets hosted by Prime Minister and Vice-President of India.

Renowned people like Nelson Mandela, K P Bhattarai, Maumoon Gayoom, praised his culinary skills. 

Soundararajan soon became a star in the culinary world. Today he is the active founder-member of the Indian Culinary Federation which was founded in the 1980s. Soundararajan has worked as the Corporate Chef in Guest Line Days Hotels and Resorts. There he innovated his own cuisine called Kongu Nadu and is a pioneer of concepts like waste management such as composting, herb kitchens and usage of leftovers, etc. 

The credit for the conceptualization of Mumbai’s most popular French and Italian restaurant, Al Fresco goes to him. He has also catered for the launch of Meher Castellino's Fashion Kaleidoscope at Hotel Guestline, Mumbai, Miss India 1995- 96 and launch of the Verve magazine.

In 1997, Soundararajan joined Mahindra Holidays Resorts as Corporate Executive Chef and is continuing till date. He is also the General Secretary of IFCA. 

Forty years of experience and such big achievements are unbeatable. His story is inspirational. The way Soundararajan has made non-stop achievements in his life is commendable. His further achievements are depicted in golden words in the culinary epic. The year 2008 brought glory to his fame.

South India Culinary Association awarded him with the Golden Star Award. Ministry of Tourism accoladed him as the “Best Chef of India”. ICF gave him the “Lifetime Achievement Award” in the 15th Annual Chef Awards. Soundararajan has a restaurant named Triyagyoni, which has made the Guinness World Record of being the fine-dine restaurant at the highest altitude on the earth. 

At World Congress, Greece, Soundararajan received an award for the Best Social Marketing Interaction. He is also bestowed by the SICA Golden Hat. Soundararajan is among the 8 members of the Global Culinary education committee. In 2011, P Soundararajan added to his education and experience, when he received his Honorary Doctorate by none other than former President of India Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. 

Soundararajan has made his mark on the national and international levels. He is an Honorary member of grand associations like the World Chefs Global Education Committee, the Chefs Guild of Lanka, the Emirates Culinary Guild and the Saudi Arabian Chefs Association. 

There is this great saying “Knowledge increases when you share it”. Maybe this is the reason why Soundararajan's knowledge has no comparison. A down to earth person with commendable knowledge which he has shared through his book, Essential Culinary guide. This book is used in many culinary institutes. P Soundararajan himself is the Professor Emeritus, Chef Mentor at Dr. MGR Educational Institute University based in Chennai, India. 

We fall short of praises for a person who has made the culinary industry and India so proud. P Soundararajan is among the shining stars of the industry whose achievements remain immortal. Such people inspire the youth of the culinary industry to represent India and Indian cuisine on an international level. 

HospiBuz Desk