Chander Narayanan - A Madcat for Life
A Madcat for Life
Chander Narayanan
In 1975 I was looking at joining a degree course in Chennai when I met C B Govindan who was then Asst F&B Manager at Hotel Connemara. He was a childhood friend, who convinced me to join the 3 year Hotel Management course at ICT&AN, Adyar. He felt that the hospitality industry was progressing at a very fast pace and it had tremendous opportunities in the future in India. So I applied, went for the interview and got selected to join the institute in 1975.
The 3 years in college were one of the best in my life. We had students from all communities and from almost all parts of India. Students from different classes got along very well with each other. We celebrated all the festivals in a grand way. The years were filled with fun and entertainment. We had an excellent pop music band and Indian music group that performed in our college functions and also took part in inter college contests. I remember we always had sing song sessions in college and the hostel and above all visiting Kanagam village for a late-night tea.
I was also Sports Secretary of the College Students Union in 1978. We played sports to a fairly high level and our teams took part in inter college competitions.
In 1978, at the campus interview, I was selected as a Catering Assistant with The Taj Group of Hotels.
I was sent to Fisherman’s Cove Hotel, Covelong and I worked there for a year in that capacity. In June
1979, the Oberoi School of Management, Delhi was looking to recruit trainees for Kitchen Management Training.
I wasn't happy in my role in the front of the house at Fisherman’s Cove, I applied, went through the
process at OSM, got selected as a trainee and joined Hotel Oberoi Towers, Bombay in July 1979. My
batchmate Arun Kumar and I were the first Madcats to join the Oberoi School of Management
Kitchen Management Training program in 1979.
Incidentally, it was also the first batch of the KMT Programme in 1979 at Oberoi Towers, Bombay.
The on-the-job training had no workshop classes unlike they have at OSM, Delhi. It was by far the best training one could ever get. In the two years were there, we were trained in Purchase, Receiving, F&B Controls, Stewarding, Restaurants as Waiters and Captains and were rotated through all sections of the kitchen including Pastry, Garde Manger, Butchery, Soups, Sauces, stocks and restaurant outlet kitchens which served French, Chinese among other cuisines.
It was a tough and demanding job, but was the best and it stood me in good stead throughout my career as a Chef.
I worked at Oberoi Towers, Bombay from 1979 to 1985 as Trainee, Demi Chef and Chef de Partie. I
worked with some very good chefs, both from India and abroad. I learnt a lot from them and it was a
fantastic opportunity and experience to work for one of the best hotels in India at that time.
In 1985, I was sent on deputation to Al Rasheed Oberoi, Baghdad, Iraq. I was part of the team for the opening of two Oberoi Hotels - Babylon Oberoi and Mosul Oberoi in Iraq. I worked with the Oberoi group for 11 years in India and in Iraq and later migrated to Australia in 1989.
After my beginnings as a Chef since 1979 and I retired after a long innings in 2016. My last assignment was with Crown Casino, Melbourne, as Chef de Cuisine.
Post retirement, I have settled down in Melbourne, Australia since 1989.
My career as a Chef has been fairly good and I have been lucky and blessed to have worked in some of the best hotels, hotel chains and with some great chefs in my life. The kitchens has evolved
tremendously since I started my career in 1979. It has seen some drastic changes in its approach of
food preparation, presentation, ingredients used and different combinations of cuisines, especially
fusion and Nouvelle.
The life of a chef is quite demanding and challenging. One has to commit long hours of hard work,
and make lots of sacrifices to achieve one’s goals. One has to genuinely love food in all its forms to be a good chef. If you have these qualities, it is really a rewarding and great job. It’s also a career which is highly respected these days and highly remunerative.
Chefing is a skilled job and there is always a demand for good Chefs all over the world. One can travel and work anywhere in the world. Above all, you never go to bed hungry, if you are a chef.
Chander Narayanan, Class of 1978
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