Revealing the secrets of Air Catering- Chef Rahul Karve

HospiBuz:-What inspired you to enter the culinary world?

Chef Rahul Karve:- When I chose to pursue hotel management studies I was not sure to choose cooking as my profession. When I started with my first-year studies, I was blessed to have Professor Chef Vicky D’souza to teach the culinary subject. It was he who always inspired me and gave me an opportunity to cook. He always forced me to participate in the kitchen team for any event at my college. So I developed the interest and attraction to be a Chef. It was Chef Vicky who told me “You should start your career as a kitchen management trainee and motivated me to achieve the same”. When I entered the culinary industry, Chef Altamsh Patel was and is a culinary guru for me. He taught me all the attitude, management skills, leadership, perfection, and communication. I learned from him to work hard and keep pursuing all the culinary activities around for success. His words “Work smart and develop yourself every second of your life ” motivates me to achieve my goals. I am very blessed to have two culinary gurus in my life. Chef Vicky D’souza and Chef Altamsh Patel

HospiBuz:- Please give us some insights on the training that you receive in  Hotels?

Chef Rahul Karve:-My training was the most important period of my life which was a step towards success. It helped me understand the actual life of a chef and the endless hard work to be pursued. Yes, the training had no time limit, no fixed holiday, no give ups but I took it positively which helped me to grow in the culinary industry. I was fortunate to work with great chefs from whom I learnt the food processing, standards and attitude towards work and colleagues. This was my first step towards the journey of my culinary life.

HospiBuz:- How is the food cooked when it comes to Air catering? Please give us some insights on the food logistics?

Chef Rahul Karve:-The kitchen of Air catering is as equally sensitive as the room of a laboratory. The food process rules are uncompromising from receiving the raw products until dispatching the tray setup for the flight. As the customer consumes the meal after a particular period of time every individual working in the kitchen has to follow all the rules and sanitary actions. According to the tentative reservations for the flight, head chef decides the production quantity be cooked and meals preset. The food is cooked and chilled considering all the liable temperatures which are to be followed for the better product to be delivered. The food is cooked in bulk quantity as well as in a smaller quantity only when it comes for special meals according to the requirement of the client. To avoid any foreign object in the food, every staff is groomed perfectly and veg and non-veg food are strictly stored separately.

HospiBuz:-You have been a trainee in luxurious hotels. Please tell us about their Kitchen structure. How are their kitchens regulated and what goes on in the main kitchen?

Chef Rahul Karve: –A big hotel has a 24×7 coffee shop for a buffet spread, specialty restaurants serving a particular cuisine, In-room dining kitchen serving room orders and multiple banquet rooms. For every specialty restaurant, a kitchen is different and is attached to the restaurant itself. The responsibility of that particular kitchen is to prepare all the products from the menu served in the restaurant. When it comes to a coffee shop, not all the products are cooked in the coffee shop kitchen. Then here comes the role of the main kitchen which is responsible for certain products to be served on the buffet of a coffee shop. 

The major role of the main kitchen is to cook food for banquet events and sometimes room dining. It may be a pre-plated food event or a wide spread of a buffet. The In-room dining kitchen is located near the elevator and has a reserved elevator which is used only for room service staff to avoid any delay. For the desserts and bread, bakery and confectionery kitchen is located in the hotel near the main kitchen which is responsible to serve all the desserts and bread for all the restaurant, room service and banquet events.

HospiBuz:- What is done for the preservation of food when it comes to Air Catering?

Chef Rahul Karve: -As we are aware in the air catering food is served after a certain time to the guest, food storage has a major role in the flight kitchen. Flight kitchen has a particular set of temperature rules and food handling procedures. The food is blast chilled till the food temperature is dropped down below 5 degree Celsius. Then the food is kept in the holding rooms which had maintained the temperature below 5 degree Celsius so it is not possible for bacteria to grow in such a lower temperature.

HospiBuz:- One word for food?

Chef Rahul Karve: –For me, it is “आयुष्य” which means “My World” in English.

HospiBuz:-What is your success mantra?

Chef Rahul Karve: –I set my goals to be achieved for a particular week and make a plan of action which is to be followed at any cost. When I start my day I always absorb all the positivity and power from my people around. The secret mantra for my success is my mother because my (mother) aai always suggests me now and then, maybe at the times I get frustrated but I always follow what she says and I get positive results. Definitely blessings of my loved ones help me be strong at every moment of life.

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