“DREAM COME TRUE”
Among the businesses that have benefitted is Riverwalk Tandoor along Rangoon Road.
Its managing director Sharonjeet Kaur went as far as saying the move was a “dream come true” amid the challenges the restaurant was facing in hiring chefs.
“Anyone can say, ‘I’m a chef’, but to specialise in tandoor, curry, even frying is a bit difficult because it’s Indian food. It’s not something that any person can just come in and do,” she said.
The restaurant was able to hire three more cooks over the past year. With a small shift in manpower strength, the restaurant was able to take more than 40 catering orders per day in the lead-up to Deepavali last Thursday (Oct 31), compared with about 30 previously.
Ms Kaur said it has even been exploring new types of dishes, taking inspiration from Western and Chinese cuisine.
“In India currently, the trend is Indian fusion everywhere, so … we started on it, new ideas, new chefs. When they come in, they come up with their own cooking style. So that’s how we actually grow,” she said.
The move has allowed Indian restaurants to up their game, said Gayatri Restaurant managing director S Mahendran. “Within this one year, I think we have seen tremendous changes within the Indian culinary space. I speak for my restaurant and my fellow restaurateurs who have been in the industry for quite some time,” he added.
