Heading a team of five chefs and 100-odd assistants, Rajhans finds almost every day lined up with functions and events. Besides, he also looks after food preparations for the five restaurants at the hotel in addition to room dining.

“I love food and love to cook. And what really gives me a kick and keeps me motivated is the pleasure on the faces of guests after they have dined. It is simply overwhelming,” he beams. Rajhans, who has been in the profession for 22 years now, says though he happened to study hotel management by default, he donned the chef’s cap by choice.

“One needs to be a food lover; that is a pre-requisite to be a good chef. The knowledge of various kinds of food and different cuisines and the knack to introduce something new in his dish is what makes a chef good. But the job of a chef is no longer what it used to be. It is much more challenging than producing a perfect dish,” he says.

“A chef is now a manager, cost controller, public relations person and marketing manager too. Everything is part of the chef’s job.”

“I have already managed two events since morning and three more are lined up for the evening. It’s really very hectic and I am often left with no time to breathe,” he says, while giving instructions to other chefs on how to go about the marriage event lined up next.

He says that good and timely planning is the key to handle the job well. “A different plan is required for every event of the day and therefore, planning is the key to managing all the functions well. So, I always take at least 20 minutes at the beginning of the day and plan it according. That saves a lot of time and confusion which may occur at the eleventh hour.”