“There’s no better deed than feeding a hungry person,” says the Indian culinarian Ajai Sharma, mapping his journey as the Chef De Partie at New York’s popular Cafe Altro Paradiso. “Cooking has given me a new identity. When I look at the title of ‘Chef’ as a prefix to my name, I know that it’s something I’ve earned and that I have to live up to it. It’s not just something that I do, it’s who I am.”
Honning his first exemplary breakthrough in New York’s Michelin Star Gramercy Tavern Altro Paradisio. “My first restaurant experience in New York City was everything a person can dream of, well as they say New York City is a concrete jungle where dreams are made of. I went to New York to be born again” Says the Chef.
For Ajai, cooking is more than just preparing meals and serving people. It’s an outlet to start conversations, celebrate cherished memories, and bring stories out of people.
Speaking of his dedication towards his profession, Ajai mentioned how he shuts all his devices as soon as he enters the kitchen. “Weekends are the busiest, when people go out to celebrate, we work.” To phase into his professional space each day, he shows up an hour early and relishes some alone time in a beautiful garden outside his restaurant.As a professional in one of the finest places in the US, Ajai’s life is full of new experiences and learnings with exposure to a vast multicultural diversity. “As a chef belonging to the Indian diaspora, staying in the US is an enthralling experience altogether. You don’t just come across people, you come across cultures…says he. He is so grateful for his experiences in the city and has an optimistic approach towards paying it back in his lifetime.
On being asked the most crucial lesson he has learned in life, he said “I believe treating people with dignity goes a long way in shaping your career regardless of the profession you’re in. We are taught to respect the lowest level in the hierarchy as they’re the backbone of the brigade. You can’t run a hospital just by being a doctor. Likewise, if a dishwasher doesn’t wash the dishes, we won’t have any dishes to plate.“
Ajai’s journey as a chef from cooking along with his mother in his home kitchen to cooking alongside some of the great Chefs at the most prominent restaurants in New York is a testament to his unwavering dedication and zeal to keep going regardless of the obstacles. A message that Ajai intends to pass on to upcoming chefs is propelling them to fall in love with the process of growth. “Never stop dreaming. You’ll get rewards only when you’re being yourself in the truest sense.”
