Chef Nitin Minocha

Batch of 1995
Executive Chef
Taj Pamodzi, Lusaka, Zambia

A chef par excellence with a flair for fusion, food styling and research into global cuisine, Nitin Minocha has traversed the world learning under Michelin starred masters of the trade. The beginnings of this illustrious career can be traced back to his time spent honing his craft at Dadar Catering College, a place he describes fondly as a Mecca of learning and his first home in Mumbai.

At heart, a hard core Delhi boy from an army family, he imbibed the values of discipline and being articulate from a very early age. “I come from a family of veterans. My grandfather and father have both served in the armed forces and my brother is a serving colonel with stints in Kargil. My Uncle, Mr. Kamal Khera, a true Taj veteran was the real motivation for me in entering this field.

I cleared OTA Chennai, but I chose not go for the interviews after finding more allure and command wearing a chef coat for the very first time.” True to these very values, Chef Nitin secured 2nd rank in the National Council All India rankings and won the All India Chefs Competition under Chef Vernon Coelho’s guidance in his third year. Among memories of these achievements are interspersed moments from Mumbai monsoons, Dadar Chow patty, the bonhomie of batch mates, and the sweet respite of Aarey Milk Booths.

Upon graduating in 1995, he joined the prestigious flagship Taj Mahal Palace and Towers in Mumbai, consistently setting industry benchmarks for over two decades under the guidance of Chef Hemant Oberoi. This period was marked with a dedication to master French gastronomic art, with a decade spent at the signature French restaurant, Zodiac Grill. Chef Nitin earned a participation diploma at the Culinary Olympics IKA, Erfurt, Germany 2008, an accolade he describes as the most memorable moment of his culinary journey.

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