1. SHYAM SUNDER LONGANI
Executive Chef – Taj Cape Town
Cell - +27 827373290 E-mail:
shyam.longani@tajhotels.com
http://www.tajhotels.com/luxury/city-hotels/taj-cape-town-cape-town/fine-dining/chef-
profiles.html
http://tajcapetown.co.za/dining/
EXPERTISE
Food & Beverage Strategic Planning, Restaurant Conceptualisation, Hotel Pre
Opening, HR & Skills Management, Food & Beverage Operations & Building teams
EXECUTIVE CHEF - THE TAJ CAPE TOWN (October 2009 – Present)
The Taj Cape Town is a 176 room luxury, 5-star hotel set in the vibrant heart of Cape
Town, offering guests a combination of refined Indian hospitality and a true Cape
Town experience.
F&B at The Taj Cape Town
Bombay Brasserie is an extremely successful Fine Dining Indian restaurant serving
Contemporary Indian Cuisine. It is rated as one of the top Indian restaurants in Cape
Town.
Winner of American Express Fine Dining Awards for last four years from 2013-2016
Winner of Tripadvisor ‘Hall of Fame’ – 5 Years of Culinary Excellence
The Reserve Banquets & Catering 10 rooms with a catering capacity of 800 guests
per meal period and offsite catering options.
Mint -Local Grill and All day Dining
Twankey Bar - Oyster and Tapas bar
Lobby Lounge - Café & Salmon Bar
Jiva Spa - Wellness cuisine
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
• Managing Kitchen Operations in accordance with company vision and
financial objectives
• Strategic Planning for Events, Offsite Catering, Promotions and Festive
Calendar
• Menu Planning, Engineering, Food Trials and Implementation.
• Pairing of food and wine
• Food Production, Quality Control and Supervision
• Effective Goods Procurement, Inventory and Supply Management & cost
controls
• Development and training of staff including Cuisine Exposure, Creative
thinking & Cooking Demonstrations.
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2. • HR Skills management, recruitment, compensation, performance
management
• Implementing International Hygiene Standards and Local Statutory
Requirements
• Preparing Capital, Operational and Revenue Budgets – Plan and implement
the course of action to meet the budgets.
EXECUTIVE CHEF - THE TAJ CAPE TOWN – PRE OPENING OF THE HOTEL
(October 2009 – March 2010)
Conceptualisation and Planning of F&B Operations during the project stage of the
hotel.
SR. SOUS CHEF – THE ZODIAC GRILL (2004 -2009)
Fine Dining European restaurant -“The Zodiac Grill”. Zodiac Grill has been regarded
as the Best Fine Dining European Restaurant in the country for the last twenty years.
Accolades for The Zodiac Grill during my tenure
• “Best Continental Restaurant” for the year’s 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 &
2009 by the ‘Times Good Food Guide’.
• “Most Romantic Restaurant” for the year 2004 by the ‘Times Good Food
Guide’.
• “Best Continental Restaurant” for the year 2006 by the ‘Savvy Cook Book’.
• “Finest Restaurant in Asia” for the year 2008-09 & 2009-10 by the ‘Miele
Guide’, Singapore
SOUS CHEF - MASALA KRAFT (2002 – 2004)
Developed the cuisine of ‘Masala’ restaurants post extensive research and travelling.
‘Chef de cuisine’ of ‘Masala Kraft’, this is the second in a series of four restaurants
serving ‘Contemporary Indian Cuisine’
CHEF DE PARTIE - TANJORE (1997-2002)
Tanjore served Northwest Frontier and regional Indian cuisine.
HOTEL OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT TRAINEE (1995-1997)
HOMT is a comprehensive induction programme sharpening cooking skills and
techniques for professional chefs. The programme covers Global cuisines and
Trends, HR planning, Cost Controls, Hygiene. Effective Kitchen operations for
Butchery, Larder, Pastry, Bakery, Banqueting and Outdoor catering
PROFESSIONAL ACHIEVEMENTS
• TATA Business Excellence Leadership Programme – Successfully graduated
to become an Assessor for TBEM based on the ‘Malcolm Baldridge National
Quality Awards’
• Culinary Olympics – IKA 2008 – Member of the first ever culinary team from
India led by Chef Hemant Oberoi, winning a Diploma.
• “Young chefs of India” rated as one of the top three by ‘Taste & Travel’,
India’s premier Food & Travel magazine.
• Tata Business Excellence Awards, July 2003 - Business Excellence Award in
‘Exceptional Individual’ category.
• Winner of “International Indian Chef of the Year Competition 2002-03” in
Edinburgh (U.K.)
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3. • Winner of “Best Indian Chef of the year Competition 2002-03” in Delhi
organized by British Airways.
• “Long Service Award” - Twenty years of service with the Taj Hotels & Five
years service at The Taj Cape Town.
INTERNATIONAL CUISINE PROMOTIONS
• Bombay Brasserie, London – Food trials and prelaunch of the iconic
restaurant
• ABC Stores, New York, hosted a “Gateway to India” promotion in their
restaurants.
• World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, presenting “India
Everywhere”
• World Gourmet Summit 2002, Singapore
• Rang Mahal, Pan Pacific Hotel, Singapore – Contemporary Indian Food
Promotion.
• Hotel Baur Au Lac, Zurich - “Masala Kraft” food promotion.
• The James Beard Foundation, New York – Grand Charity Dinner
• Great wall Sheraton Hotel, Beijing, China - CII (Confederation of Indian
Industries) Meet.
• U.S Road Show, Passage to India – at the San Francisco Museum.
• Hotel Bel - Air, Los Angeles, CA – Taj Group Sales Meet
• Imperial Hotel, Osaka, Japan – “The Taj Mahal Hotel week “
• MV Oriana – Indian Cuisine Promotion on Board Cruise Liner from Hong Kong
to Colombo
• New World Hotel, Saigon, Vietnam – ‘Cuisines of The Taj’ promotion
• Sahara Wedding, Lucknow India – ‘The Great Indian wedding’ was part of the
team of chefs catering to the event.
PROFESSIONAL QUALIFICATIONS & TRAININGS
• “Certified Lead Auditor” for ISO 22000 & H.A.C.CP Hygiene Standards.
• Wine Spectators Sommeliers course for Professionals on “Wine Tasting &
Food Pairing”
• “Wine & Food” with Master Sommelier Richard Dean
• Extensive research on ‘Dietetics in Ancient India’
• ‘EL TAJ ‘– Future leaders in Hospitality
• Insights – Discovery Personal profile and Leadership workshops for 2 years
• South African Labour Legislation and application of Sound company HR
practices
• Chairing HR Disciplinary Enquiries as per South African Labour Act
• Supervisory Skills Development Programme.
• Advanced First Aid, Fire emergencies, Evacuations & External threat training
• Judge for ‘Nestle Young Chef Challenge’ and ‘Chefs Competition’ at the
Naval Institute Of Technology, Mumbai.
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4. EDUCATION
2009-2012 : Human Resources - Post Graduate Diploma in
Business Administration from Symbiosis Centre for
Distance Learning, Pune.
2005-2006 : BSc in Hospitality and Hotel Administration
Indira Gandhi National Open University, New Delhi.
1992-1995 : Diploma in Hotel Management and Catering
Technology from Institute of Hotel Management,
Ahmedabad.
Six Month Industrial release training at Maurya
Sheraton Hotel and Towers, New Delhi.
1991-1992 : 12th
Std. (AISSCE) – CBSE Board
Don Bosco School, New Delhi.
PERSONAL DETAILS
Date of Birth : 02nd
May 1975
Present Address : 502, Twin Towers, 191 Beach Road, Three Anchor
Bay
Sea Point, Cape Town – 8005
Telephone : +27-21-8192016 (Office)
+27-827373290 (Personal)
Date: October 2015
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