Montu Saini

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Montu Saini (born 5 August 1982) is an Indian chef based in New Delhi. He was posted as Executive chef to the President of India in the Rashtrapati Bhavan from June, 2015 to July, 2020.[1][2][3][4] He is the recipient of "Young Hotel Chef" Award 2014[5][6] from Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Association Of India and "Master Chef" Award 2014 from Indian Culinary Forum

Montu Saini was associated with Ashok Group of Hotel since 2005. He joined Ashok Group of Hotels as a Kitchen Management Trainee and became a Chef in 2007 promoting to Sous Chef in March 2014. Notably he is also the youngest member of the Club des Chefs des Chefs.[7][4]

As a Presidents Secretariat headed the kitchen Brigade of family and state banquets. He has hosted banquets to some of the highest dignitaries of the world from countries like Tanzania,[8] Republic of Mozambique,[9] French Republic,[10] Abu Dhabi,[11] Myanmar,[12] Republic of Egypt,[13] Israel,[14] Republic of Indonesia[15] since his position as the executive chef to the president of India.

Career[edit]

On 16 June 2015, he joined the Presidents Secretariat as Executive Chef to president of India and headed the Kitchen Brigade of family kitchen as well as State Banquets.[16]

He planned and executed menus for state banquets, high teas and luncheons at which the President of India hosts his counterparts and other VIPs from India and abroad. While he specializes in dishing out cuisines from around the globe; his signature dishes include the Subz Baoli Handi, wherein vegetables are slow cooked in the dum style in their own juices, and Murgh Darbari, a chicken curry inspired by nihari, and made with roasted wheat and red chilli powder.[1]

Busiest days of the year are of state banquets and various ceremonies, including the swearing-in, award functions, etc. But the real challenge, he said, are on days such 15 August and 26 January, when the President organizes At Home, which is attended by around 1,500-2,500 people. The third India-Africa Forum Summit where he and his team served 54 Heads of States at One Table in November 2015 was one of the reputed events of his career.[17][18] This was the biggest State Banquet ever conducted by the Palace. Recently ASEAN Heads of States from 10 neighboring countries were also served at one table.[19]

Media[edit]

Montu Saini, organized the general assembly of one of the world's most elite gatherings of culinary experts: Le Club des Chefs des Chefs (CCC). India hosted the annual assembly of CCC for the first time in 2016.[20] The club was greeted & hosted by The then President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee in the palace. Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi also hosted a Hi-Tea on 25 October 2016, in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi, India.[21][22][23][24][25]

He was the jury member of Spice Route culinary festival where chef from 15 nations gathered in Kochi in 2016 organized by Ministry of Tourism.[26][27][28][29]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "Meet The Man Who Cooks For The President Of India". Huffington Post India. 26 October 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Meet the man who cooks for the President of India - All about food". The Economic Times. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  3. ^ "Cooking for the President - BPD". www.expressbpd.com. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  4. ^ a b "What is it Like to Cook for the President of India? The Power Chef at Rashtrapati Bhawan Spills the Beans". The Better India. 12 November 2016. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  5. ^ "HRANI Hospitality" (PDF). HRANI Hospitality. 9 (2). Hotel & Restaurant Association of Northern India: 16. September 2014.
  6. ^ "Hospitality Biz India :: Young achievers honoured at annual FHRAI Awards". www.hospitalitybizindia.com. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  7. ^ "Members - club des chefs des chefs". club des chefs des chefs. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  8. ^ "State visit of President of the United Republic of Tanzania to India (June 17 – 21, 2015)". www.mea.gov.in. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  9. ^ "State visit of President of the Republic of Mozambique to India (August 4 - 8, 2015)". mea.gov.in. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  10. ^ "President Pranab Mukherjee Hosts Banquet For French President Francois Hollande: Live Updates". NDTV.com. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  11. ^ Chaudhury, Dipanjan Roy (2 October 2016). "Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan to be chief guest on Republic Day". The Economic Times. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  12. ^ "State Visit of President of Myanmar to India (August 27-30, 2016)". www.mea.gov.in. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  13. ^ "India sees Egypt as a bridge between Asia and Africa, says President". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Speech by the President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee at the Banquet hosted in honour of the President of Israel, he Mr. Reuven Rivlin on November 15, 2016". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  15. ^ "India-Indonesia Joint Statement during the State visit of President of Indonesia to India (December 12, 2016)". pib.nic.in. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  16. ^ Chaudhuri, Zinnia Ray. "The executive chef of the Rashtrapati Bhavan offers a peek into his kitchen – and his life". Scroll.in. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  17. ^ KevinStudio. "INDIA AFRICA FORUM SUMMIT". mea.gov.in. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  18. ^ Haidar, Suhasini (9 November 2015). "India-Africa summit: beyond the event". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  19. ^ "India to invite heads of 10 Asean nations for Republic Day celebrations - Times of India ►". The Times of India. Retrieved 6 February 2018.
  20. ^ "World's most exclusive gastronomic society meets in Delhi". www.enca.com. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  21. ^ "Montu Saini – Executive Chef to the President of India hosts the World's Most Exclusive Culinary Event | Varli Media". varlimedia.com. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  22. ^ "Montu Saini, India's Chef-in-Chief | Sommelier India". Sommelier India. 23 April 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  23. ^ "All The Presidents' Chefs". theman.in. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  24. ^ "World Leaders' Personal Chefs Meet In Delhi". NDTV.com. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  25. ^ "Of Kitchen politics and culinary diplomats". @businessline. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  26. ^ "Chefs From 15 Nations at Spice Route Culinary Festival". NDTV Food. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  27. ^ "International Spice Route Culinary Festival and Competition". UNESCO. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  28. ^ "Spice Route Culinary Festival - The Kerala Chef Competition | 23rd to 26th September 2016 | Kerala Tourism". www.keralatourism.org. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
  29. ^ "Travellers from 15 nations along Spice Route to call on port". The Financial Express. 22 September 2016. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
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