Chef Aylur V Sriram

Born in Kerala. From the first time Sriram kept foot in his father’s Kitchen, it was the beginning of the long quest for passion and knowledge of food. “I remember being fascinated by the smell and aromas which used to come from the kitchen – it was my first love”. He was always inspired by the way his dad used to work in his restaurant in India. It was striking to see the hard work and efforts put in by my father and his staff and still manage to enjoy and share the jokes. Education : He gave up his Law studies for his first love and in 1984 he joined Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition in India. From a very early age his father recognized his culinary talent and gave him the responsibility of Working partner in the business, even though he was still young and in his college. “It gave me the overall perspective of the restaurant. It was the best training I ever got it” – says Sriram. Career : In 1989 he joined the Taj group of hotels which comprises 57 hotels in 38 locations across India with an additional 14 international hotels in the Maldives, Mauritius, UK, USA, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Africa, and the Middle East. His passion for Food and Knowledge got him overall in charge of Gateway hotel Bangalore in India. It was two years before he became the executive chef of the very hotel. “ it was here that strengthen my thoughts and shaped my desire to unfold the potential of southern indian cuisine” Thus he conceptualized and actualized Karavali Restaurant. “The challenge was to make the ethnic food without taking any shortcuts in the recipes” – remembers Sriram. It was that dedication and spirit to say No to No that got Karavali its place in top 5 Restaurant in India in 1995 – The Statesman. 1996 GENTLEMAN – national monthly echoed the views of the Statesman. In 1997 Best restaurant in South India was Karavali – Hotel and Food Service Magazine. Finally in 1997 The Telegraph – National daily ranked him as one of the Top five Chefs in India. 1999 Sriram earned the opportunity to start the Quilon Restaurant, sister to Bombay Brasserie, in the heart of London – Westminster. The multi award-winning Quilon was awarded a coveted Michelin star in January 2008. Chef Sriram in the early days at Quilon Fellow of Restaurant Hall of Fame (FRHF)