Shefs at the Leela aim to empower women in the culinary space

The Leela Palace Bengaluru brings to you Shefs at The Leela – special edition on the eve of International Women’s Day on the 6th, 7th and 8th of March 2023, a three-day culinary experience at people’s favorite restaurants in town – Jamavar, Citrus and Zen. Shefs at the Leela is one of its kind events held across India honoring ladies whose unique spin on their desi roots is making everyone sit up and take notice all over the world. These women range from intrepid pioneers to overhauling their traditions across the globe. After the success of the first edition of ‘Shefs at The Leela’ at The Leela Palace Bengaluru, The Leela Ambience Gurugram Hotel and Residences along with Dean with us (Rupali Dean and Akanksha Dean) now presented its second edition with a sublime culinary repertoire celebrating three Indian women Chefs who are creating ripples in the culinary world with their passion and commitment to excellence.

MORE ABOUT THE SHEFS

WIMON PAHUJA

With a vast experience of 16 years in various hotels in Thailand and India, Chef Wimon is the master of the Thai cuisine. The chef says that she dreamed of becoming a culinary expert since she watched a chef cooking on a television channel. Today she runs her own kitchen with her husband. Wimon says that she must overcome many challenges while preparing the Thai dishes in all its authentic ingredients hence she forages her own. She will be joining us at Zen to show her original recipes, paying an ode to her homeland.

SRI BALA

A food aficionado and a passionate cook, e iShef Shri Bala has been cooking from the age of fourteen. She horned her cooking skills under the tutelage of her uncle P S Sankaran, who is the son of author Smt. Meenakshi Ammal, (cookbook Samaithu Paar).

Food history and food evolution fascinates her. She explores all cuisines and tries to adapt them to suit a vegetarian palate. South Indian Cuisine is her forte so she conducted a vegetarian food festival titled Dakshin Rivaayat in Trident BKC, Mumbai from 8th to 14th April 2016 under the aegis of Chef Ashish Bhasin, whom she considers her Chef Guru in the professional cooking arena.

She has taken it upon herself to display to the world that South Indian cuisine is not just Idli, Masala Dosa and Sambar. She is promoting the cuisine by sharing the trivia and evolution history of each South Indian dish in her social media handle.

She is very particular about right ingredients for each dish. She tries to explain the logic behind each ingredient and the restrictions of ingredient usage if any. She is now learning several rustic native dishes of South Indian cuisine. Shef Shr Bala will be taking us on a culinary journey of South India at Jamavar. 

KAREN YEPTHOMI

A Delhi-based Naga restaurateur Karen Yepthomi was awarded the 13th National Women Excellence Award, 2020 during a ceremony organised by the Indo-European Chamber of Small & Medium Enterprises (IECSME) 

Yepthomi’s Dzukou Tribal Kitchen in Delhi has been grabbing the attention of Northeastern people living in Delhi, among others, for her Naga cuisine and the elegant look of her restaurant. Yepthomi has another eatery by the same name — Dzukou Tribal Kitchen — in Kathmandu, Nepal. A trip has been designed by Chef Karen for a trip around Northeast of India that will delight your senses with an exclusive range of dishes featuring naga cuisine at Citrus.