Hyderabad (Telangana) [India]: Hyderabad born and bred Chef Varun Shahani is delighting the connoisseurs of good food with his exceptional culinary skills and winning accolades globally. He recently led the Relais & Châteaux meet, an annual prestigious event of the renowned Jean George chain of restaurants at its flagship restaurant at New York City. He had the privilege of making the general managers, chefs and restaurateurs of the Relais & Chateaux properties from across North America and high-profile chefs like Daniel Boulud and Gabriel Kreuther, several of whom are French natives, taste their cuisine and applaud the lip smacking fare.
Chef Varun has been associated with Jean Georges, a prestigious two-Michelin-starred restaurant in the heart of New York City. Jean Georges was ranked as the No.3 French restaurant in the USA in 2015 and secured a place in the top 100 among 1000 French restaurants throughout the globe, accredited by France’s Foreign Ministry.
Chef Varun Shahani curated the menu for the Relais & Châteaux meet, right down to the plating of each of these dishes. It turned out to be an elegant and memorable affair that included canapés as the main dish for the event paired with champagne. The food was appreciated by the veterans and foodies alike. It’s an outstanding feat by an Indian on the global stage and an immensely proud moment for all Indians.
About Chef Varun Shahani
From a humble beginning, Chef Varun reached the top position in one of the leading French restaurants in the world. He began his career as a Commis-1, with Trident Hotels at Hyderabad and then became a Demi Chef de Partie at Conçu, Hyderabad. He got associated with Jean Georges as an extern initially as part of his internship program with the Culinary Institute of America during his 2nd semester.
Since then he had an upward career trajectory with immense dexterity he put in. Began as a line cook, worked extremely hard to know the rules, technicalities, detailing, nuances, and creative aspects that were part of a Michelin-starred restaurant. Through his passion and undying spirit, he quickly reached the higher rung of his Chef career. As someone who believes in giving back to the society, he is doing his bit by grooming the future breed of hospitality professionals by passionately sharing the knowledge he acquired.
About Relais & Châteaux
Relais & Châteaux is an association of more than 580 landmark hotels and restaurants operated by independent innkeepers, chefs, and owners with a shared passion for their businesses and a desire for authenticity in their relationships with their clientele. The members of this community have a driving desire to protect and promote the richness and diversity of the world’s cuisine and traditions of hospitality.
