About Me
My passion for cooking has deep roots in family traditions and early experiences in the kitchen. My home kitchen stories are inspired by the warmth and joy of family meals. Born and raised south of India “God’s own country” Kerala. My love for food and cooking began at a young age, witnessing my mother prepare meals for our family. The memories created around the dining table and the happiness in the kitchen during those family meals left a lasting impression. The joy and passion for cooking, as well as the desire to create memorable experiences motivated me to pursue a career in the culinary industry. The satisfaction of bringing people together through food and creating those special moments around the dining table are at the heart of my culinary stories. With over 23 years of experience with internationally recognized hotel brands like Marriott, Hyatt, Intercontinental, Starwood is a testament to high level of skill and professionalism. One of my standout qualities is specialization in pre-opening and opening hotels. My culinary philosophy is rooted in a deep appreciation for fresh, locally sourced ingredients, and it reflects a commitment to both exceptional taste and community support. Locally sourced Farm-to-Table Connection, Creating Lasting Memories through storytelling food, are some key elements of my culinary philosophy.
Traditionally mine
My thoughts on “Traditionally mine” is all about dishes that are passed on through generations or which have been consumed for many generations. Traditional foods and dishes are traditional in nature, and may have a historic precedent in a regional cuisine or local cuisine. My memories with traditional food started at my home, cooking with mud pots and wood fire. The taste and aroma is going into your memories, which is connected with my emotions.
Some traditional foods have geographical indications. For me we have made mud pots from our own lands clay and we cooked the food which grown on the same land and fish from nearest river in my village. Marriage between mother earth and emotions are deeply connected when I am thinking about my food culture from my village, especially from my home.
Ajok Zacharias
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Culinary Philosophy
I truly believe in using the freshest, locally sourced ingredients to create dishes that not only taste amazing but also supporting small businesses globally. Growing up in a farmer family provided me with a unique and close-knit agricultural traditions and practices that are integral to the community Experience. Fresh home-grown ingredients are close to my heart. I love to Experiment with flavors, fall in love with my ingredients and craft story telling dishes which creates ever lasting memories.
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Food is an Emotion
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Food is not only a nourishment, also it is an “Emotion” that we have become habituated. Food is connected between emotions, nutrition, thoughts and social interactions. Family gets together for a celebration of a new born or a demise of a person, whether we are happy, sad, lonely, angry etc. there is an existence of food or reminiscence involved. The food is not simply feeding the body to satisfy hunger, but also feed the heart to influence positive and negative emotions.
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My Work Place
Hyatt Regency
Hyatt Regency Nairobi Westlands, Kenya.
Marriott Marquis Doha
Marriott Marquis City Center Doha Hotel, Qatar.
Marriott Al Forsan
Marriott Al Forsan Abu Dhabi, UAE.
JW Marriott Marquis
JW Marriott Marquis Dubai, UAE.
Grosvenor House Hotel
Grosvenor House A Luxury Collection Hotel,Dubai, UAE.
Park Hyatt
Park Hyatt Goa Resort and Spa, Goa, India.
InterContinental
InterContinental The Grand Resort Goa, India.
Goa Marriott Resort
Goa Marriott Resort and Spa, India.