‘I Discovered India in Dubai’

SETTLING IN India was never tough for Chef Ivan Chieregatti. The Executive Chef at Hyatt Regency Delhi has completed his first year in India and clearly loves it here. Hailing from Milan in Italy, his 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry has seen Chieregatti travel across 10 countries. His work experience includes stints at Hilton, Kempinski, the Jumeirah, Hyatt Regency Dubai and Grand Hyatt Amman, as well as his last assignment before he arrived in India--The New World Manila Bay Hotel, where he was the Executive Chef.

Speaking to BW Hotelier about his love for India, Chieregatti said, “I discovered India when I was in Dubai and was working with Hyatt. There at Hyatt, almost 95 per cent of my colleagues were Indian. I have great memories with them. I love Indian food and believe it is one of the best places to live in the world.”

Sharing his thoughts about the F&B industry in India, he said, “The industry here is booming and I think Indian people are very focussed and motivated towards their work. I love working with them, people here are very fast and motivated.”

He may have graduated from Cornell University, New York, but Chieregatti remembers his first cooking experience at the age of six when he made the basic chicken soup. Today at Hyatt Regency Delhi, he is responsible for all of the culinary operations that include banquet spaces, outdoor events, in-room dining and all the restaurants (The China Kitchen, La Piazza, TK’S Oriental Grill and Sidewalk).

“There are many new things that we are discovering. Most of our produce comes from our own farm. Experiments in the kitchen are encouraged, but before that learning the basics and cooking techniques is most important,” he told us.

According to Chieregatti, people are now forgetting the basics as they rush to do something more abstract. He rues the fact that in their rush to be more modern, everyone is rushing towards things like molecular gastronomy, but somehow, this is at the cost of basic traditions that have served as the bedrock of kitchens. “It is a part of the progress but somehow we will lose some basic traditions like I remember how my mother used to make pasta at home,” he said.

 While his job keeps him confined to the kitchen, Chieregatti finds escape by travelling to the Indian coast and relaxing by the sea side. He is also passionate about gliders and is qualified to fly them.