“I wanted to reach the top of my cooking game before I turned 30,” says chef Sanjeev Kapoor
The celebrity chef takes a walk down memory lane as he discusses his hopes, dreams and fashion sense when he was 22
At 22, where were you career-wise?
I was working as a chef at Hotel Varanasi Ashok, ITDC Group.
And your bank balance?
I made between ₹5,000 and ₹10,000.
What about your relationship status?
I was busy romancing my work.
Where did your focus in life lie?
I wanted to learn as much about food and cooking as I could.
What was your mind-set like?
Fertile.
Tell us about your fashion sense then.
I could always be seen in a chef’s uniform complete with chef’s hat, scarf, apron, the works.
What did you do for fitness?
As I could work easily for 16 to 18 hours a day on most days, so I must be quite fit!
And your most prized possession...?
My family and my drive to excel in my field.
What was your biggest dream then?
To reach the top of my cooking game, before I turned 30.
Finally, what’s the biggest life lesson that you learnt?
I learnt a lot from my numerous train journeys. Sawaari apne saamaan ke khud zimmedar hai (You are solely responsible for your life). That includes the good, the bad and the ugly!
From HT Brunch, December 6, 2020
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