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Nostalgia photo feature: When I was 22, I wanted to helm Thai Pavilion, says Chef Manish Mehrotra
The chef goes on a nostalgic trip down the memory lane recounting his finances, fashion sense and biggest life lesson
At age 22, where were you career-wise?
I was a new fish in the big sea of Mumbai, the city of dreams!
What was the state of your finances like?
Close to nothing. My salary was just ₹4,000 a month, out of which half was used to pay for the accommodation.
What were you focussing on, professionally?
To learn more, grow more and fight for survival.
Did that impact your mindset?
I was scared working for a great chef and a tough boss like Ananda Solomon in a big hotel like Taj President, Mumbai.
Tell us something about your romantic life back then.
I was single, looking for my special one.
And the family situation...?
My family was extremely supportive and encouraging.
What was your fashion sense like?
It was limited to street fashion of Mumbai!
What did you do for fitness?
It completely took a back seat. Learning, eating and enjoying were the only three motives of my life.
What was your most prized possession at the time?
My brand new black Hero Honda Splendor. For the first time ever in my family, someone had bought a bike instead of a scooter.
And your biggest dream...?
To become the head chef at Thai Pavilion.
If you had the chance to rewind and change one thing, what would it be?
I don’t want to change anything. That’s because I strongly believe whatever I did at that time has laid the foundation for my life ahead.
What would you say is the biggest life lesson that you learnt at 22?
That you don’t get anything without sincerity and hard work.
From HT Brunch, November 1, 2020
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