Executive Chef Mani Mohan Pathak takes over as Chief Chef, Howard Johnson Bengaluru Hebbal
Chief Chef at Howard Johnson Bengaluru Hebbal, Mani Mohan Pathak, has an almost 20 years of experience in well-known star kitchens across the country. He eventually settled down in Bengaluru, the startup capital, where he even tried his hand to get off the beaten path by lending his expertise in a joint venture.
Chef Pathak joined HoJo in May 2018 as its head chef. His forte is to deliver a gastronomic experience in progressive Indian food.
He says he would love to host guests with a five-course plated meal at his table served with all the subtleties that would bring out the best of Indian delicacies with a twist.
Starting his professional journey in 1999 at Radisson after graduating from IHM, Calcutta, Chef Pathak soon made a move to Kabab Factory in New Delhi. He later moved to The Taj in Visakhapatnam as a Continental chef.
“Ever since more number of Indians started globetrotting and the digital era hit us, food and its finite understanding tops the agenda of discerning Indians. Progressive Indian food is like Mediterranean food and Italian food which suits the Indian palate. Likewise, now, we have started showcasing our food varieties with a little twist which is acceptable to foreign travellers. Chicken tikka pizza is one example which is more Indian in flavour,” says chef Pathak.
From the seashore of Andhra Pradesh, he soon moved to Bangalore and settled down for a decade at The Lalit Ashok. He helped open Fisherman’s Wharf in Bengaluru and later at Hyderabad. He also had brief stints as Executive Chef at The Aloft in Whitefield and Ibis City Centre.
“There is a lot of scope with Indian food. It is versatile in its acceptability. India is a land of variations and every few kilometers the culture and tastes of the geography changes remarkably. For a chef, nothing can be more satisfying than such a change in people’s eating habits,” says the avid traveller.
Chef Pathak also partnered at Namisserie in the start-up city before joining HoJo.
When he’s not attending to guests from different cultures spread across the globe, he tends to his little garden perched in his apartment. He has grown mustard and brinjal among others in pots. “I enjoy gardening which is so relaxing. I love growing both flowers and veggies,” he says adding he best loves working the farms back home in Bhagalpur whenever time permits.
OTHER ACHIEVEMENTS
· Got certified as a certified departmental trainer
· Qualification: Diploma in Hotel Management & Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition from IHM Kolkata, 1996 – 1999 Batch.
· Qualified HACCP training program
· Qualified iso22000 food hygiene audit program
· Undergone EHC audit of Starwood