Kumar Mahadevan: Culinary Guru
Drawing inspiration from the movies, such as Burnt, Chef, and Ratatouille, a young man from Tirunelveli, Tamil Nadu, India, cherished a dream to be a chef. In spite of his initial foray into the study of economics, Kumar Mahadevan, fondly called among the dining circles in Australia "Guru of Indian Cuisine," made a detour into culinary arts. He joined Madras Catering college at the suggestion of a friend. The idea of becoming a chef seemed a plausible option to him, but some pointed out the arduous journey ahead. Although he received a full scholarship for the three-year catering course, he found it a daunting task to convince his parents who expected him to pursue an academic discipline.
Born in 1959, Kumar was brought up in a typical Hindu Brahmin joint family, consisting of his grandmother, her three sons, their wives and children. His father was a steel merchant. Kumar got his first taste for the Indian cuisine in his mother's kitchen at a very young age. He names his grandmother as his biggest culinary influence, He credits his culinary sense of smell as something he inherited from her. He recalls that when he was eight years old she had taught him to make rasam, a lentil soup that is a staple in most South Indian meals.
At the end of his first year of his catering course, The Taj Mahal Palace, Mumbai, offered him a summer job as a trainee. He recalls doing double and triple shifts, and working for eighteen consecutive days. And he had to commute for an hour and a half to the hotel from his aunt's place. He began his work from butchery and continued to work in every department under the able guidance of Cyrus Todiwala, a Parsi chef, who now owns London's Cafe Spice Namaste. Kumar graduated from the catering college in 1979.
Early Days
After the completion of his catering course, he went back for his apprenticeship at The Taj, which he completed before its scheduled tenure. In 1981, he received a job offer with a salary hike from the newly opened Sheraton in Basrah, Iraq. But due to the worsening Iran-Iraq war he returned to India soon. Meanwhile, he cleared his father's debt, and once again went back to Mumbai in 1984. In the following year, he received another job offer from the Mayur restaurant in Sydney, Australia, which had a joint-venture between Air India and the Tea Board of India. The restaurant had the reputation for his famous customers of the likes of Elton John, Mick Jagger, and the then King of Bahrain. At Mayur, Kumar recalls working for 96 hours per week for a meagre salary. He was reportedly compelled to work more hours, since he had signed a contract with the restaurant that in case he were to leave the job his parents would be liable to pay a huge penalty.
In 1987, Kumar married Suba Krishnamurthi, a commerce graduate from Chennai. His wife soon followed him to Sydney. The long working hours and the low wages soon took a toll on him. He was desperate to leave the restaurant where he worked since his arrival in Australia. At one point he came close to walking out in 1988, but he was forced continue on account of his son's birth. But by 1989, Mayur's finances were in the doldrums when the Tea Board of India and Air India lost interest in the joint-venture. This situation helped Kumar to leave his job at the restaurant without having to worry about the contract he had signed.
Kumar soon got a job offer from Sorrentino Cafe in Sydney's Circular Quay. He took up the job in 1989. Doug Moxon, the owner of the cafe, grew warmer towards the hardworking Kumar, and soon they decided to open an Indian restaurant together. Upon finding a suitable place in North Strathfield, they opened a restaurant in 1990. The restaurant was christened Abhi's after Kumar's first son Abhinav. In the following year, his second son Akilesh was born. Kumar and Suba had to face difficulties for a few years in spite of the fact that the restaurant was receiving good feedback.
Moment of Glory
In 1994, Les Luxford, a food critic at The Sydney Morning Herald published a good review on Abhi's, which set the ball rolling for Kumar. Shortly thereafter Abhi's became a popular haunt of food lovers. His wife Suba lent her hand in the evening rush hours. As they say then there was no looking back for Kumar. After 30 years of operations Abhi's popularity is still on a growth trajectory.
In 2003, Kumar opened another restaurant, Akhi's, named after his second son, on the then newly restored Woolloomooloo Finger Wharf. Since the restaurant was located in a high-end area, the cost of maintenance was high, which reflected on the higher prices at this Indian restaurant. However, it took a while for the people of Sydney to accept the Indian cuisine and gain popularity.
Kumar had awaited this moment to exhibit Indian cuisine at the next level to give a contemporary twist to traditional flavours. Through his restaurants he aims to offer his customers a delightful dining experience in Indian cuisine. The restaurants are the epitome of Kumar's skillful handling of flavours with fresh and fragrant spices for crafting traditional desi food. He delights in creating dishes that combine authentic flavours of South India with the best seafood and other local produce of Australia. It's this ingenious approach that has given him a huge customer loyalty.
Despite his phenomenal success, Kumar is still striving to be the best. He attributes his success to his wife Suba, who, according to him, has not only been the biggest supporter but also the harshest critic.
(Photo: Courtesy Company Site)
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