Somasundaram Gopalakrishnan, Executive Sous Chef, Courtyard by Marriott and Fairfield by Marriott Bengaluru, gives us a peek into his work and the scrumptious food he dishes out.
Tell us something about the restaurants at the two hotels.
Courtyard by Marriott has two F&B outlets- MoMo Café, the 24-hour dining area, and BG’s, the poolside specialty restaurant. Fairfield, on the other hand, has Kava, the Indian specialty restaurant.
What is the F&B scene in Bengaluru, like?
Bengaluru has a mix of both standalone and five-star restaurant options. These eateries offer a variety of choices for millennials, from the local Karnataka cuisine to other regional options.
What are the signature offerings at the restaurants?
MoMo Café focuses on buffet and has a lavish spread of cuisines from across the world. BG’s is famous for its New Zealand lamb chops, chilled tuna pizza, and tenderloin steaks.
Kava, on the other hand, offers a vast selection of Indian dishes from all over the country.
What are your favourite ingredients and why?
I source fresh, organic ingredients from countryside vendors. The key to making food palatable lies in the quality of the ingredient and this is the main reason I seek freshness in the ingredients I work with.
What is your approach to competition?
Competition is unavoidable. However, we believe that it needs to be healthy. On a monthly basis, we conduct a competition analysis and improvise on our operations whenever necessary.
How often do you do food promotions?
We do quarterly food promotions for all the outlets, every year.
Do you think more Indian diners have started accepting international cuisines?
Yes. As the world gets smaller, owing to better connectivity and more people opting to travel far and wide, the acceptance of world cuisines increases. Indian dishes are also increasingly becoming popular all over the world with more and more restaurants opening up across geographies.
What would you do if you weren’t a chef?
I would have joined my family-owned textile business.
