Chef Sriram Aylur – Chef and Director of Operations
Chef Sriram Aylur was initiated into the world of restaurants by his father, who inspired in him a passion for food that would lead the young Sriram to study at India's acclaimed Institute of Hotel Management, Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition.
In 1989 he joined the Taj Group, rapidly rising through the ranks to become Executive Chef of The Gateway Hotel in Bangalore where he created the multi-award-winning restaurant Karavalli, often featured among the World's Best Restaurants. Chef Sriram moved to London in 1999 and founded Quilon, winning a Michelin star in 2008 and now oversees Bombay Brasserie as well.
Sriram's experience, hard work, passion and dedication has seen him receive an array of awards and accolades which he now intends to extend to his latest project; Bombay Brasserie.
Shailesh PANDYA
Shailesh joined Bombay Brasserie in 1988, seeing it through the heydays of yesteryear and today, and contributing to the success and fame of the restaurant as he moved up the ranks to Manager in 1999 and Operations Manager in 2013. The familiar persona that luminaries and loyalists alike recognise as its welcoming face, Shailesh has been witness to the changes that have graced Bombay Brasserie and professes that his favourite and the finest is its current avatar.
Shailesh instils in the team his infectious passion and strive for excellence in service, with the privilege of having served prime ministers, celebrities and captains of industry alike and takes pride in his specialty of arranging memorable corporate events, wedding receptions, family celebrations and charity do's.
CHEF PRAHLAD HEGDE – EXECUTIVE CHEF
From a very early age Chef Prahlad Hegde was always interested in cooking, helping out in his family's restaurants. While he achieved a bachelor’s degree in science, he was drawn towards hospitality, studying at the Institute of Hotel Management in Mumbai.
His first assignment was as chef trainee in the kitchens of the Taj Mahal Hotel and Palaces Mumbai, the flagship of the Taj Group of hotels where he underwent a rigorous training in many of the hotel’s restaurants under the acclaimed chef, Hemant Oberoi. This included specialist roles, like butchery, barde-manger, pastry and banqueting. To further his culinary skills he trained for three months in the kitchens of The Taj Hotel in Goa, where he learned much about the local cuisine South-west coastal cuisine. When Chef Hegde returned to Mumbai he was posted to the kitchens of The Chambers Club, which is an exclusive club at the Taj.
In 1991 Chef Hegde was invited to join the Bombay Brasserie and he has proudly been a contributor to its growth and development ever since, exploring new ways to present the authentic food of Bombay n all its ethnic variety. He believes Indian food is not all about chillies and spice, but does takes great care selecting only the finest ingredients, preparing all his own spices to fully extract all the nuances of flavour and texture. Chef Prahlad’s dedication to Indian Cuisine and the Bombay Brasserie, in particular, was recognised by The Good Curry Guide, which awarded him their Lifetime Achievement Award.