GOLDEN CHEF
April 2018 Gulf Gourmet
Flying high The second team shortlisted this month for the on-going ‘Golden Chef’s Hat Award 2018 – Season 6’ are young chefs from Dubai International Hotel Chef Buddika Perera
The 29-year-old Sri Lankan works at the McGettigans Irish Pub housed within Dubai International Airport as Chef de Partie. The Colombo-born chef came to Dubai on a holiday following his studies when his uncle found him a job as a steward in the Grand Millenium Hotel in Al Barsha. This was 10 years ago. He took up a cross training opportunity and got transferred to the Belgian Beer Cafe as a Commis III. He then worked across two more hotels, further perfecting his skills at creating
delicious yet high quality pub grub before moving to the Dubai International Hotel as Chef de Partie. “I, at first, wanted to become a Pastry Chef. I trained myself in pastry. But the icing and piping was not my piece of cake so I moved to hot kitchen,” he says. Hi eventual dream is to first become a Sous Chef and then to open a restaurant of his own back in Sri Lanka. “It is already under construction and will be ready in 2 years. We will be serving local food and some international fare like burgers and
Chef Buddika Perera
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sandwiches. The place will be just 45 mins from Colombo city,” he says.
Krishanth Nandivarman
This 24-year-old is also from Colombo, Sri Lanka and works at Dubai International Hotel as Commis III in the pastry kitchen. He says, “I got into cooking because of my grandmother. She has always been a homemaker. I have learnt my basics from her. I used to always help her during festivals when she would prepare sweet dishes. She taught me all the secrets to perfecting the local sweets.”
Krishanth Nandivarman
