Taj Falaknuma Palace to a luxe resort in New Zealand, meet Chef Srinivas Reddy Makka

(August 18, 2024) As part of the team that cooked for PM Narendra Modi and Ivanka Trump at the Taj Falaknuma Palace, to serving gourmet Indian food at a luxe resort amidst snow capped peaks, Chef Srinivas Reddy Makka’s career has some interesting milestones.

In less than two decades after graduating from the Shri Shakti College of Hotel Management in Hyderabad, Chef Srinivas Reddy Makka has worked across several leading hospitality brands. He landed his first job at the prestigious Taj Krishna in Hyderabad, as a commis chef. His six-month residency before that had been with the Taj Deccan across the road. He recalls, “I worked at Firdaus, the restaurant serving Indian food at the Taj Krishna for a year. Then I was with Encounters, their all-day diner for two years and I learnt a lot during my time there.”

Chef Srinivas Reddy Makka

Three years with the Taj Group and Chef Srinivas got an opportunity to join the pre-opening team of The Park Hotel in Hyderabad. This was in 2009. “I joined them as the demi chef de partie and was there for 18 months. I went back to Taj Deccan after that as chef de partie,” he tells Global Indian.

Learning curves galore

During all his assignments, Chef Srinivas focussed on learning as much as he could on the job. “I was comfortable with European, Italian, fusion, Asian and Indian food. Under the leadership of chefs Sachin Joshi and Sajesh Nair, I learnt a lot. Then, when I moved to The Westin, I was in charge of the Continental cuisine for the coffeeshop.”

Wanting more, Chef Srinivas joined a cruise liner that sailed along the Mediterranean but unfortunately, he had to leave the job and return to Hyderabad due to health issues. He rejoined the Westin again as chef de partie and was there till 2016, when a plum assignment came his way. “I got a chance to join the Falaknuma Palace as a junior sous chef. Here I worked at Adaa, the Indian restaurant and Celeste, the Italian one.”

A little-known fact about both these iconic restaurants is that despite a steep cover charge, they are usually booked out well in advance. Adaa was also ranked 91, among the 100 best restaurants in the world. Chef Srinivas was part of the banquets team and it was during his tenure there that PM Narendra Modi hosted Ivanka Trump, the daughter of Donald Trump to a lavish dinner, as part of the Global Entrepreneurs Summit in 2017. Chef Srinivas recalls that experience, which had the hotel teeming with the most stringent security. “We had the NSG and the FBI and they would double-check everything. It was a big event and I had several chefs working under me. The food was tasted before it was served to the PM and his guests.”

Southern Hemisphere charms

Six years with the Taj Falaknuma Palace and Chef Srinivas was ready to spread his wings again. This time though, he looked beyond India. And while Australia was on the anvil, he ended up in New Zealand. He says, “The property I currently work at is called The Hermitage, in a place called Mount Cook, near Christchurch, in the South Island. It is a luxurious four-star property near a national park. It is beautiful but quite isolated and we get a lot of snow in winter too. During busy times I stay at the hotel itself.”

Incidentally, Mount Cook offers stunning views of the Milky Way galaxy in the month of May, should you wish to escape the Indian summer for a less crowded location.

 

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Chef Srinivas’ philosophy to learn as much as possible has led to his success. “You have to be willing to learn; I used to grab whatever opportunity that came my way if it meant I got to learn something. I’d work night shifts, manage teams, help mentor junior chefs and it was teamwork all the way. All of us seniors would train the interns who were raw, on how to go about everything. I believe that knowledge must be shared and if you teach someone, do it well.”

At The Hermitage, Chef Srinivas is a sous chef in charge of the breakfast café. He says, “It is a big place and we get groups of tourists from across cultures. Since it is the only big property in this area, we serve mixed cuisines to cater to all nationalities. The food I cook here includes pastas, steaks, and a bit of Indian food for our VIP guests. But I miss the plating skills because we don’t do much of that here.”

Having said that, his learning curve here too is intact. “The work culture here is very different and each position matters. The higher up you go, the more the responsibility. Also, because we are isolated, we have to order provisions accordingly. They are calibrated every second day because if it is snowing, we can’t always have access to ingredients.”

According to him, fusion kitchens, which make a little of everything, will be the next big global trend. And, because Chef Srinivas is currently in a happy place in his career, he hasn’t thought about what lies in the future. It would probably be a venue which involves substantial learning as and when he decides to move.

• While travelling, Chef Srinivas likes to eat:
  Mirapyaki kodi at Spice Junction: Taj Deccan, Hyderabad, India
  Spaghetti Aglio e Olio at Bella Cucina: Queenstown, New Zealand.
  Gutti Vankaya Pulao from Teluguness: Kompally, Hyderabad, India
  I like trying mostly vegetarian and spicy street food wherever I travel.