Sustainability is to Produce Enough Food to Maintain Human Population: Chef Sidney Dcunha

“CONRAD PUNE is known for its F&B and my plan is to take the F&B offerings at Conrad to the next level. We have already launched a new Buffet for all three meals. The Pune Sugar Box has a new line of pastry and savoury offerings,” said Chef Sidney Dcunha, newly appointed Executive Chef at Conrad Pune.

Chef Sidney started his career with Taj Mahal Palace Mumbai with Masala Kraft restaurant where he was posted under Chef Hemant Oberoi. Talking about his journey in the culinary world, he said, “In 2013, I joined The Ritz Carlton Bangalore Pre Opening team as Chef De Cuisine and was in charge and successfully opened The Lantern Restaurant. In 2015, I moved to JW Marriott Pune as Executive Sous Chef where we built an excellent kitchen team and added to the culinary nuances of the Hotel. In 2017, I moved to JW Sahar Mumbai worked on interesting concepts at the hotel with the Brunches there especially the BRUNCH SQUARE.”

Speaking about the recent trends, Chef Sidney Dcunha told BW Hotelier, “There is a lot of ‘eating out’ culture that has come about. A good variety of stand-alone restaurants has emerged. Some of the trends are: Sustainability, Go local cuisine, Ban on plastics, Cocktail culture.” Furthermore, he added, “My understanding of sustainability is to produce enough food to maintain the human population. As the world population grows, the volume of food needed in the future will not depend just on these intrinsic factors, but on human choices.”

Working in the food industry requires creativity. Chefs are open to incorporating new food items into menus as well as to improving older recipes. Creativity, imagination and cooking style is what differentiates a chef from the other. “My cooking styles changes with the cuisine or dish I make. I personally like a slow cooking process. In Indian food, I like dum style of cooking. If I am cooking a duck, I would cook it sous vide method. My style changes with the meat/ingredient I am cooking,” he said when asked about his cooking style.

Chef Dcunha carries a rich culinary experience, which defines his skills to create food that is served to local as well as international guests. Currently, at Conrad Pune, he leads the culinary team and is responsible for all day to day operations of the kitchen.

When not at work, Chef Sidney is an avid football fan and can binge on football matches.