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Aboard an exclusive kitchen!
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Chef Meril Antony has cooked exotic dishes for the rich and the famous aboard the world famous ocean liner, the QE II.
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FROM THE small and sleepy village of Aloor near Chalakudy in Thrissur district to the galleys of the world's most prestigious ocean liner, Queen Elizabeth II, was a dream transition for chef Meril Antony. The only son of A. E. Antony, a schoolteacher, Meril was always a bright and outgoing person. After completing his graduation in Physics, Meril took a dramatic career decision by opting to continue his studies in Hotel Management. And this proved to be the start of a journey that ultimately took him on board the Queen Elizabeth II.
Meril started showing promise in his future career while pursuing his studies in Hotel Management at Mangalore. Consistently, he won the Best Student Chef competitions and walked away with the institution's gold medal for academic excellence during his final year. With the sort of promise that Meril had shown, he soon joined Hotel Taj Malabar as Operations Trainee.
On confirmation, Meril was accepted by his peers and seniors as a competent chef and promotions came his way as a matter of right. It was while working at the Taj that Meril applied for an opening with the ocean liner. Needless to say, with his credentials, he was selected and thence started a whole new world of experiences for him.
On board, Meril discovered a whole new world. The ship, to his utter wonder was a world of its own. Weighing 70,327 tons, 963 feet long and 105 feet wide with12 guest decks, 950 suites and cabins, a passenger complement of 1,791 and a crew of 921, the QE II was literally a self-contained floating city. Other onboard facilities included seven restaurants, seven lounges, indoor and outdoor swimming pools, spa and sauna, beauty salon, casino, shopping promenade with shops and boutiques for almost everything a passenger would need, the latest in communication equipment, health club and Yoga centre, world class entertainment and other recreational activities to make the passenger's voyage truly memorable. Meril, who specialised in continental style of cooking, was assigned to the Mauritania restaurant's kitchens. The restaurant, which could seat 530 at a time, catered to the various tastes of the passengers and a meal served there was always world class. Meril found that he was always called upon to be innovative, inventive and matching up to the very exacting standards of the QE II. The meals were of the highest standards when it came to taste and cleanliness and were complemented by attractive presentation and superb table service. The waiters aboard the QE II were highly trained to cater to the smallest whims of the passengers and the sommelier was always at hand with his erudite recommendations from the extensive wine list.
If the professional experiences aboard the QE II were beyond any previous experiences that Meril had before, the world outside the ship also provided him with varied and rich experiences. Different countries, cultures and lifestyles opened up before him as the ship went from port to port. Since the QE II was a luxury cruise liner and the passengers were holidaymakers the majority of the ports of call of the ship were exotic and famous destinations. The ship sailed to all corners of the world carrying the rich and the famous and Meril became richer in knowledge and experience. Demands of family forced Meril to return to India and presently he is working as Executive Chef at the Punnamada Backwater Resort at Alappuzha. The additional skills that he has picked up from his stint onboard the QEII has stood him in good stead. Dining at the resort is a great experience as Meril weaves his special brand of culinary skill into the most mundane of dishes. He is happy to be with his family and thrives on his professional challenges. Yet, somewhere deep within him the longing to be onboard and working in the world's most prestigious ocean liner the Queen Elizabeth II still burns bright.
K. BALAKRISHNAN
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