Awarded as the Best Lady Chef by Ministry of Tourism in India for her Outstanding Achievement and Contribution to the Promotion of Tourism in the Country, Chef Veena Arora is the genius behind the beautiful creations at The Spice Route at The Imperial. Born and brought up in a small town named Phathalung situated in the south of Thailand, she grew up amongst Thais as hers was the only Indian family in the neighbourhood. This led to an early start of her love affair with Thai cuisine which enthralls us till date.
She joined Holiday Inn (now The Lalit) at Babar Road near Connaught Place, New Delhi as a Thai Food consultant during the year 1994 for their Thai Restaurant, SILK ORCHID. Thereafter she was sent to England for a couple of months by the management to train for their new restaurant, “Blue Elephant” to be opened in place of Silk Orchid in the year 1996. After the Blue Elephant was opened, she left the organisation to join HOTEL IMPERIAL as their Consultant Chef for the yet to be opened SPICE ROUTE – The South Asian Restaurant, in the year 1996.
Ever since then she has been attached to the Spice Route Kitchen at Hotel Imperial as their Chef De Cuisine creating various menus for different seasons and occasions all round the year. We try to draw out a few snippets of her life while tasting the wonderful Winter Menu.
Salt and Sandals(SnS): What drives you to be in the food and beverage industry? Where do you draw you inspiration from?
Chef Veena Arora(VA): My love for food. I have grown up seeing my mother and grandmother cooking Thai food. They were proficient in Thai vegetarian specials, sweet and sour soup and chutneys which I can never forget and always try to go back in time imitating those recipes. These are some of my most cherished childhood memories till date. I even did a festival few years back talking about 9 memories of my childhood which not only brought back recipes close to my heart but also became a great success with diners at The Spice Route. Thus, my passion for cooking and eating since my younger days, inspire me in my creations with innovation and tradition.
SnS: What would be your advice to upcoming chefs?
VA: There are five things I would like to share with the younger women chefs who aspire to be in this industry:
Follow your heart: It is easy to fall in line and do what is expected but it is important to follow what your heart tells you. So follow it!
Learn to enjoy your job: When you enjoy what you do, it will reflect in the quality of your work. The first step in getting something right is to enjoy it.
Take ownership of what you’re doing: It is a sign that you are responsible and are willing to face the flak if need be. It shows integrity.
Be confident: If you’ve put your heart and soul into something and take ownership for your actions, there is no reason for you to worry about the outcome. So, don’t be afraid; be confident. Don’t second guess yourself and wonder about all the things that can go wrong.
Be honest: This is possibly the most important. Whatever you’re doing in life, it’s crucial you remain honest to that task. That is the only way you can be successful.
SnS: What is the most essential item in your kitchen?
VA: Fish sauce, Thai herbs and my favourite raw papaya peeler
SnS: What do you cook at home that you never cook at your restaurant?
VA: At home, as I mentioned above I am fond of making various types of chutneys which I have inherited from my mother. I do cook some vegetarian recipes too from South of Thailand and even love making Indian specialties.
SnS: What are 3 tips for running a successful kitchen?
- Work with the true team spirit
- Always taste the food before serving to the guest
- Prepare it for your guests as if you are cooking it for your family… made with love!!!
SnS: What’s your regular comfort meal?
VA: A Thai meal is always a comfort meal for me.
SnS: When you’re at home or someone else cooks for you, do people feel pressured to cook you something fancy because you’re a big a celebrity chef yourself?
VA: Yes my husband and daughter are always worried about my liking. Infact both of them cook great Thai cuisine but when they are serving me they are always on guard for my critical comments.
SnS: Mention one project which is very close to your heart?
VA: Has to be The Spice Route. I have an unbreakable and everlasting bond with it all due to my association with it since its inception. From making its first menu to treating its guests from the across the globe, to winning the President’s award as Best lady Chef to making it the one of top ten restaurants in the world, The restaurant has given me the most cherished memories of my life and resides in my heart and soul.
So, the next time Thai food is on your mind, check into The Spice Route for a meal of your lifetime.
