Gurgaon is a foodies delight

An opportunity to work at The Leela Kempinski, Gurgaon, is Gods answer to whatever prayers I have offered in my life, says MasterChef India first runner-up Jayanandan Bhaskar, as he settles down, along with his mentor and celebrity chef Kunal Kapoor, for a tete-e-tete with TOI.
It has not been even a week since Jayanandan officially joined the plush Gurgaon hotel as a trainee chef, but the professionalism he exudes is hard to match.And this attitude is what, the shy 24-year-old confesses, helped him keep going right till the grand finale of the popular culinary competition on television.
Jayanandan had never thought he would make a living out of cooking. In fact, he always aspired to be a singer. I received formal training in classical music with the desire to become a singer someday. But destiny had other plans for me. And I dont regret one bit of what life has brought my way, he smiles.
As a youngster, he cooked because experimenting with food was his hobby. But his hobby soon turned into a passion. And after my parents demise, it became a compulsion for me to cook, just to keep the household running, he says.
Jayanandan has no qualms talking about the hardships he has faced in life. I have faced my share of hardships, but I believe if you have set your eyes on something in life, there is nothing that can deter you from achieving it, he says. A never-say-die attitude with a passion for cooking has brought him where he is today, he adds.
While he appeared unnerved by whatever roadblocks that came his way during the show, Jayanandan admits he was nervous, especially when it came to pleasing the judges. Chef Kunal was the one whom I found the real taskmaster. Thats primarily because during my first audition in Mumbai, he was the only one who gave a thumbs-down to me, he says.
However, once I was told I had to finish a task, I focused all my attention towards it and worked on completing in as well as I could. The judges helped us with several tips, which proved very invaluable to us. I also made it a point to learn from my mistakes and not repeat them when I cooked on the show, Jayanandan adds.
The youth from Lucknow, who has no formal training in cooking, is now busy learning the nitty-gritty of cooking from the man he dreaded the most while on the show.
When I was first asked to use a tandoor on the show, I had absolutely no idea how to handle it. But I learnt gradually. I am new to the hotel industry, but with Chef Kunals guidance, I am picking up things, and I am sure Ill not disappoint people here, he says.
Ever since he has landed in Gurgaon, Jayanandan has been too busy to move around the city, but he intends to make the most of his stay here. I have heard a lot about Gurgaon, and I have also heard that people here are big foodies. I am still in the process of settling down, but I really want to get a feel of that Gurgaon lifestyle, he says.