Atul Kochhar
Encyclopedia
Atul Kochhar is an India
n-born British chef
. Born in Jamshedpur in northern India, Kochhar was trained and worked at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.
, London. By the age of 31, he became the first Indian chef to be awarded the Michelin star.
In 2002 Atul joined Marks and Spencers as a consultant chef and advised on their Indian food range. In the summer of the same year he left Tamarind to start his own restaurant.
Atul Kochhar now owns an elite restaurant, Benares. Its menu reflects his passion for food from all areas of India and a setting to rival the most elegant of restaurants in London.
Never complacent with the quality of his work, he returns to his homeland whenever possible to research new recipes and ingredients. His acclaimed cookbook "Indian Essence" is the product of one such trip and he is currently working on a second book on Indian vegetarian food. His recipes have appeared widely in magazines and newspapers, and he demonstrates regularly on food shows in the United Kingdom and abroad. He lives in west London with his wife and daughter. He also teaches Indian cookery at the nearby Thames Valley University.
Recently, he has represented South-East England in the BBC's Great British Menu
. Kochhar beat renowned chef Gary Rhodes
in order to represent the South-East in the final round. In The 2007 Series, Atul again triumphed in the heat against Stuart Gillies
. Atul got through on the second series National final with a Spicy John Dory
with mushy peas and a chutney, and a Main Course of a Spicy Rack of Lamb but failed to reach Paris.
In January 2007, Atul's new restaurant, Benares, won a Michelin star as well.
Atul competed again in the BBC's Great British Menu
in 2008, losing out in the London and South-east heat to Jason Atherton
.
In 2009, Atul opened two restaurants including Vatika in Wickham Vineyard, Hampshire, and Ananda in Dublin, Ireland.
Atul Kochhar has signed a deal with P&O Cruises to launch a fine-dining restaurant on board the company’s new superliner, the Azura, in 2010. The chef will operate a restaurant called Sindhu, which signifies the river Indus, and is sometimes taken to mean "meeting point" or "fusion" in Hindi, serving his signature modern British dishes with an Indian twist. Kochhar said that launching a restaurant aboard a P&O ship was a "Dream come true. My restaurant on Azura will be called Sindhu, and that’s what my cuisine is, an amalgamation of British and Indian, so it’s just the right name. I’m a great believer that good food is often simple food, so that will be the best thing to give".
On 20 March 2010 Atul Kochhar received the TMG Cordon Bleu Award at his restaurant in Mayfair, London for his educational contribution in bringing South Asian cuisine to the mainstream. The award was presented by Senior TMG Judge and Barrister Safina Haleema along with the TMG Committee.
In April 2010 he became the executive chef of Colony
on Paddington Street.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n-born British chef
Chef
A chef is a person who cooks professionally for other people. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who cooks for a living, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of food preparation.-Etymology:The word "chef" is borrowed ...
. Born in Jamshedpur in northern India, Kochhar was trained and worked at the Oberoi Hotel in New Delhi.
Biography
In 1994, he was appointed head chef at the Tamarind restaurant, in MayfairMayfair
Mayfair is an area of central London, within the City of Westminster.-History:Mayfair is named after the annual fortnight-long May Fair that took place on the site that is Shepherd Market today...
, London. By the age of 31, he became the first Indian chef to be awarded the Michelin star.
In 2002 Atul joined Marks and Spencers as a consultant chef and advised on their Indian food range. In the summer of the same year he left Tamarind to start his own restaurant.
Atul Kochhar now owns an elite restaurant, Benares. Its menu reflects his passion for food from all areas of India and a setting to rival the most elegant of restaurants in London.
Never complacent with the quality of his work, he returns to his homeland whenever possible to research new recipes and ingredients. His acclaimed cookbook "Indian Essence" is the product of one such trip and he is currently working on a second book on Indian vegetarian food. His recipes have appeared widely in magazines and newspapers, and he demonstrates regularly on food shows in the United Kingdom and abroad. He lives in west London with his wife and daughter. He also teaches Indian cookery at the nearby Thames Valley University.
Recently, he has represented South-East England in the BBC's Great British Menu
Great British Menu
Great British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four course banquet. The first series banquet was for the Queen on her 80th birthday. The second series was to cook for the British Ambassador to France at the British Embassy...
. Kochhar beat renowned chef Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes
Gary Rhodes OBE is an English restaurateur, cookery writer, and chef, known for his love of British cuisine and distinctive spiked hair style ....
in order to represent the South-East in the final round. In The 2007 Series, Atul again triumphed in the heat against Stuart Gillies
Stuart Gillies
Stuart Gillies is an English chef. He is currently head chef at the Gordon Ramsay-owned Boxwood Café and will be Chef Patron at the reopened Savoy Hotel in October 2010....
. Atul got through on the second series National final with a Spicy John Dory
John Dory
John Dory, also known as St Pierre or Peter's Fish, refers to fish of the genus Zeus, especially Zeus faber, of widespread distribution. It is an edible benthic coastal marine fish with a laterally compressed olive-yellow body which has a large dark spot, and long spines on the dorsal fin...
with mushy peas and a chutney, and a Main Course of a Spicy Rack of Lamb but failed to reach Paris.
In January 2007, Atul's new restaurant, Benares, won a Michelin star as well.
Atul competed again in the BBC's Great British Menu
Great British Menu
Great British Menu is a BBC television series in which top British chefs compete for the chance to cook one course of a four course banquet. The first series banquet was for the Queen on her 80th birthday. The second series was to cook for the British Ambassador to France at the British Embassy...
in 2008, losing out in the London and South-east heat to Jason Atherton
Jason Atherton
Jason Atherton , is an English chef. He was the Executive Chef at Gordon Ramsay's Michelin starred Maze in London until 30 April 2010.-Biography:...
.
In 2009, Atul opened two restaurants including Vatika in Wickham Vineyard, Hampshire, and Ananda in Dublin, Ireland.
Atul Kochhar has signed a deal with P&O Cruises to launch a fine-dining restaurant on board the company’s new superliner, the Azura, in 2010. The chef will operate a restaurant called Sindhu, which signifies the river Indus, and is sometimes taken to mean "meeting point" or "fusion" in Hindi, serving his signature modern British dishes with an Indian twist. Kochhar said that launching a restaurant aboard a P&O ship was a "Dream come true. My restaurant on Azura will be called Sindhu, and that’s what my cuisine is, an amalgamation of British and Indian, so it’s just the right name. I’m a great believer that good food is often simple food, so that will be the best thing to give".
On 20 March 2010 Atul Kochhar received the TMG Cordon Bleu Award at his restaurant in Mayfair, London for his educational contribution in bringing South Asian cuisine to the mainstream. The award was presented by Senior TMG Judge and Barrister Safina Haleema along with the TMG Committee.
In April 2010 he became the executive chef of Colony
Colony (restaurant)
Colony, or Colony Bar and Grill is a restaurant, bar and grill located at 7-9 Paddington Street, Marylebone, Central London, England. It opened in early April 2010 and is run by restauranteur Carlo Spetale and the Michelin-starred executive chef Atul Kochhar.The cuisine of the restaurant is...
on Paddington Street.