There’s nothing like a beautiful looking plate of food, sitting in front of you, waiting to be devoured. It’s when you sink your teeth into a beautifully succulent piece of fish or meat, and feel the crunch of the vegetables, that you give thanks to God for the great food and to the chef for turning out a really scrumptious meal.
PANAJI
These are the men and women who spend hours slaving away in kitchens of restaurants across the State, ensuring that our every culinary whim is catered to. So who thanks them and showers laurels on them. It turns out that the community has decided to look after and applaud their own.
The Goan Chef Awards are just that, “…an event for the chefs, by the chefs and with the chefs!” says Chef Rohan Parish, one half of the team that has instituted these awards. Parish and his business partner Chef Xavier Faria, have been working hard to make sure that all chefs have their day in the sun. What’s more is that this entire endeavour has one beneficiary, the late Chef Boris Rego. Boris was the son of Chef Urbano Rego, of the Taj Group of Hotels fame. Boris Rego was gunned down in cold blood, during the November 26 attacks of 2008, when he was working at the Taj in Mumbai. There are some who haven’t forgotten him and never will.
The Goan Chef Awards started as a six day challenge at the Institute of Hotel Management in Porvorim and culminated in an award ceremony on August 28 at the Park Hyatt, Arossim, with chef Hemant Oberoi as guest of honour and judge. There numerous chefs won awards in different categories like Carne, Chorico, International Veg, Seafood and Fish, Poultry and Desserts. Dozens of chefs from across Goa took part. There were even awards for the best hygiene, punctuality and more. There was even a prize for the youngest chef, which went to a young Chef Royston of Bhatti.
What’s also interesting is that the organisers aim to award one chef with the Chef de Goa award, one that will be on par with the Michelin Stars of the world. This is really interesting, because this competition will not be focused only on Goa, but travel to cities across the country and end up in a national competition to be held in Goa itself. Chef Rohan says “There is no reason for the famous chefs to be only Gordon Ramsay and Jamie Oliver. There are super talented chefs in India and particularly in Goa.” There’s nothing more that needs to be said.
