The Fusion Chef of Tibet and India

HospiBuz:- Chef, please tell us, what inspired you to enter the culinary world?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- From a very young age, I was interested in drawings and slowly when I grew up and started cooking food. The interesting part is whenever I went for a holiday my brothers and sisters always asked me to cook as I was the youngest in the family and a very focused person and had great enthusiasm in making people happy by my cooking. At the same time, I love tasting all kind of food from street food to the high-end restaurant. So I thought that’s it, as all people work hard for the 3 meals and they can’t stay without the meals so if I cook the best food for those people who trust me that will make both of us happy. So started focusing more on it.

HospiBuz:- Different cuisines require different temperature regulation and different infrastructure. Therefore, the luxurious hotels have varieties of kitchen regulated by a major kitchen. Please tell us how many kitchens does a hotel generally have and how are they regulated?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- Kitchen in hotels varies according to the F&B concept of the hotels. Majority of the hotels have the Main Kitchen for all-day dining and, Specialty kitchen from where the hotel serves special food such as Indian, Asian or western, etc. Each outlet has its special chef and team of chefs specialized in what they serve, but people hardly know that under the big outlet and main kitchen, sections have been divided into many parts. The main kitchen never sleeps for the hotel. From morning to till next day it runs for guest. the people working in the main kitchen are experts in their field.

for example –

1. Butchery and commissary = they are first who take the call for perfect input of ingredient and quality of all meat items

2. Garde manger or pantry = a section where cold dishes such as salads and other accompaniment required has done perfect way its ventilated area where temperature and well-prepared food are stored under refrigeration.

3. Bakery and pastry – the most creative section or say the department of the hotel where the best food and sweets come from morning sunrise breakfast to till midnight cookies- words go on …….

Above Mentioned is the main lift which coordinates with all outlet these days each hotel has a minimum of 5 F&B outlet or more.

If we go for standalone or independent restaurant, these are those who have own core values and are owned by self owner or chef who doesn't link with any other chain, such restaurant has own sets of kitchen divided into section base on cooking style and segregated the flow of work in individual as per speciality of dishes .

HospiBuz:- Tell us something about Yazu and its Asian Cuisine?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- Yazu is a restaurant which has got an experience of rich, deep, and varied. Explore its essence through the exotic flavour that rise from its land and one can find its rightful place at Yazu, the food and recipe delicately balancing the tradition and modernity. Yazu has authentic Asian ingredient that combines with delightful veggies option and tender meats to create the gastronomic bliss ,all dishes are served fresh as they are prepared by our passionate team of chefs and served by the amazing welcoming nature of staff as soon as they are ready, Yazu is casual dining and has lots of curated signature drinks and food that's made quite different from others in terms of flavour and ingredient used . Yazu encourages guest to live life at fullest and be generous with experimentation that makes a moment for both sides. Yazu served the best of Asian cuisine from all pan Asian countries as per trends and served with authenticity. Yazu is a fresh flavour of food and beverages that comes from the heart of many chefs and our staff which inspires all of us to do better ahead.

HospiBuz:- Your roots are in Tibet but you are grown up in India. Please tell us how you amalgamate the flavors of both the places in your dishes?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- As you know that Tibet is in extremely high altitudes with harsh climate which Tibetan food has to be adapted. Tibetan food is not only sustainable but also helps Tibetan people survive the harsh climates. The main ingredients are meat and dairy products whereas Indian foods have rich varieties of spices. Being Tibetan grown up in India with this two amazing different culture, when it comes to dishes It allows me to bring new authentic flavour of my own kind. I always try my best to serve good food and its hard sometimes things turn up on wrong way which are not supposed to so for that we try our best to rectify the mistake and make it strong for a good time ahead.

HospiBuz:- Which is the one ingredient according to you, if missing will make your kitchen incomplete?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- Cooking from the heart is my special and most important ingredient.

HospiBuz:-  “All momos are dim sums but all dim sums are not momos”. Since your roots are from Tibet, can you please clarify this statement?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- I am basically from Gyalthang a region in Tibet, now consider as Shagila. There is one kind of momos which are steamed and has heart and soul in it. Yes, it's part of cuisine that reflects Tibetan living condition back then and now also. Dim-sum is more of fusion cuisine which has many methods of cooking and its usage of ingredients. Momos have a limited method of cooking if we go on an authentic side, dim sum has got lots of ingredients from a various number of flour used as per each dishes and ingredient used to make it different.

HospiBuz:- What is the first thing that you do when you enter the kitchen?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- I Greet and Smile at my colleagues to start the day and then check the Hygiene and food preparation process.

HospiBuz:- How important is the menu planning and designing in a bar? How do you make it compatible with the alcohol served?

Chef Karma Tenpa:- It’s so important and actually the toughest thing at the beginning because we need to do research on the market that what type of guest we are going to focus on and what F&B concept that we can provide to our guest as there are so many restaurants in the area and we need to know ourselves that why guest should choose us, what are we going to serve them to makes us special about and let them celebrate amazing lunch or dinner by enjoying good food with their family or fellowship. Through that we do the menu designing and the beverage combination to serve the best flavor of food and beverage to our guests so that they become our loyal guest and keeps inspiring our work.

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