Chef Hemant Oberoi

Career : The Masala chain of restaurants in the Taj Group ladles out innovative Indian food. Masala, a contemporary signature brand, in the Group, opened the Masala Art at Taj Delhi two years ago, followed by Masala Kraft over a year ago at the Taj Mumbai and Masala Bay at the Land’s End in Bandstand. This is the culmination of chef Hemant Oberoi’s eight-year-old dream of a new way of representing north Indian food. Oberoi travelled across Punjab — Jalandhar, Kapurthala, Ambala and Chandigarh — to retrace and revive old cuisines for Masala Kraft. "Tandoori chicken and sheesh kebabs are not on the menu. We wanted to break the myth that Indian food is heavy and oily," informs Mr Oberoi. "In fact, the open kitchens in the restaurants provoke guests to regulate oil and spice levels in the food on request." Extremely capable and inventive, Hemant Oberoi accounts for the successes of Taj Mahal Hotel's myriad exciting destinations such as Zodiac Grill, Apollo Bar, Shamiana, Montini Vaz, Golden Tanjore as well as awe-inspiring gourmet promotions for the Taj Group such as Lemon Grass Flavours, South East Asian Curry Festival and Souffle Festivals. Awarded the Executive Chef of the Year at the prestigious Hotel & Food Services Excellence Awards in 1993, Oberoi have won the hearts of countless ever since, including Bill Clinton. After joining the Taj in 1974, Oberoi quickly rose to the ranks and was posted to several cities including London and France. His Latest project - The Zodiac Grill at The Taj Mahal is said to be India's premier restaurant.