Chef Rida Alam – The Boss Lady!

One of the first females to have ever led a fine-dine restaurant in Pakistan, Chef Rida Alam is rightly lauded for her creative and innovative lifestyle when it comes to food. Betting big on her obsession, with a balance between innovation and tradition, Rida has made a reputable position in the food industry while working as lead chef at CFU Steakhouse, Karachi. Now, as she steps ahead towards fulfilling her life long dream of being a part of the aviation industry, ‘Sky’ is her only limit!

When did you decide to become a chef? What was your first exposure to culinary art and work?

I never intended to become a chef; instead, I envisioned myself as an airline cabin crew member. My first institution was my mother, always cooking fresh and healthy produce. Inspired by her, I would create different dishes using versatile products and fusing flavours together from a very early age. However, it began in O’ levels when I decided on taking up home economics, which included studies in food & nutrition, food technology, fashion & fabric, and home management. This is where I learnt the fundamentals of being in the kitchen.

I was never a good student, but after doing O’ levels, I received the highest marks in home economics because it was not just a subject for me, but also my passion. However, after my studies, I would say that I squandered three years of my life deciding what to do with my career because I couldn’t find a reputable culinary institute to hone my skills. To become a good chef arose from my desire to care for my home, specifically the kitchen, as all of our mothers wish for us to do. These fundamentals are what have propelled me to the position of professional chef that I am today. Girls and women today are embarrassed to do housework or feel it is stone-aged, but this is all what has made me who I am today.

My first foray into the culinary world began when I began training at COTHM (College of Tourism & Hotel Management). I would often stay ahead of the class because I already knew more about food and nutrition, but aside from food, we were taught to manage and keep our space clean, including mopping and sweeping the floors as it all came to be. After that, I spent a year as an apprentice at the Marriott Hotel Karachi, my first professional job. I’ve worked in Marriott’s bakery and butcher shop, but it was the attitude and impression of a chef in a uniform working in a hot kitchen that attracted me more and that’s where I led myself, further learning how to manage the hotel food system profoundly.

How would you describe your overall cooking philosophy?

My cooking philosophy can be summarised as “I love to create new things.” I don’t always use the same recipe because I believe a true chef is one who creates new recipes based on what flavours pair best with each produce. I also believe that food should look as well as taste good. When a customer enters a restaurant, the first sight of the meal creates a mouthwatering sensation in them. So, if it appeals to the eye, it also appeals to the heart and palate. This is why I enjoy my job so much: I bring to the table food that people eat wholeheartedly, satisfying their appetites with the best of all tastes.

Furthermore, I prefer to cook with fresh and natural ingredients rather than processed foods. Not only that, but I try to make the entire recipe from scratch, such as making my own burger bun, pizza sauce, pickles, and so on. In doing so, I keep track of the nutritional value of my food in order to eat healthily and avoid excessive fats. Finally, I always try to keep my food recipes simple rather than complicating them with various ingredients, as I believe this detracts from the true flavour of the meal.

Belonging in a male dominant society, what challenges did you face into achieving the name and success you hold today as one of Pakistan’s lead chefs?

I’m not a feminist, and I believe that a man has a higher status than a woman, as Islam also depicts. The true meaning of feminism, according to what I believe and strive for professionally, is that we work in a balanced manner. In terms of difficulties, there are always difficulties to be encountered.

When I first started working in this field, some of the guys in my class would make fun of me for being so thin and frail while working in such a harsh environment with sharp knives and such. Though it had an impact on me at the time because I wasn’t always this bold and confident, I never let it bring me down because I was confident that I would overcome it.

My father had always been an inspiration to me; he was a self-made, self-established individual, and his faith and motivation helped me whenever I felt weak. And, God willing, today I have so much respect from the people that it’s almost unbelievable.

Tell us about all your previous ventures in the culinary world and what have your garnered from all those experiences?

I began my professional career at Marriott Karachi before moving on to Pearl Continental. After a few years, I began a new food career in connection with the media industry, as my father hoped to see me on television as a celebrity chef. So I began as a celebrity chef in a Ramazan transmission that then moved from one channel to another, after which I was approached by Salman Shahid, the owner of CFU Steakhouse, and he asked me to work for him at this restaurant. At first, I thought it was a joke, but when he called again the next day, I realised I had untapped potential.

He invited me and my family to eat at the restaurant, and when I met him, he showed me around the kitchen, and I liked the overall atmosphere. He hired me right away and asked me to meet with the head chef the next day, which I did, and thus met the ‘Meat King,’ Chef Khurram Rasheed, whom I regard as my true mentor and truly respect after my parents in all that I have accomplished to date. He is also a consultant and has taught me a lot. He instilled in me such confidence that he was willing to hand over the Karachi branch to me as head chef, managing the kitchen, guests, front house, and back – believing that I could become a one-woman army.

I worked at CFU as if it were my own restaurant. Salman Shahid, the owner, just told me that every customer who leaves after a meal must be satisfied and happy. He didn’t care how many meals were sold, but rather how happy and satisfied the customers were when they left. CFU was a watershed moment in my life. It was my dream job, and I consider myself fortunate to have had it as my second home.

Heading towards aviation, when did you plan that ‘sky is the limit’?

Being a member of the cabin crew had been a lifelong dream of mine since I was a child. I had always travelled, and the cabin crew had always inspired me with their cleanliness, polite attitude, and service. However, I became a chef, but now that I have been given a chance and selected today, I see myself as a Sky chef one day, but there is a lengthy training process that I must complete before I can understand things on air as a cabin crew member. It is a difficult assessment to complete because every detail is scrutinised, from overall personality to gesture, English communication skills, and physical appearance. People in Pakistan believe it is an easy job, but it is far from it.

How different is Rida Alam in a kitchen at home then that professionally?

I’m not much of a different person when I’m in the kitchen, whether at home or professionally. It’s mostly the same story; I don’t like any impediments when I’m cooking food, I have three to four stoves going at once, and I cook with nutritive value in mind. The only difference is that when I cook at home, I keep the kitchen clean because it isn’t as hectic as it is in a restaurant.

It’s not that I can’t tolerate anyone in the kitchen when I’m cooking at home, but if anyone is talking or causing a distraction, I simply ask them to leave because I believe that cooking should be done with a clear mind and complete focus. Whether I’m preparing a three-course meal or a simple ‘daal chawal,’ I try to serve it in a way that appeals to both the eye and the palate. When it comes to food, you could say I’m a workaholic.

I am very responsible when it comes to my home and the kitchen, and I don’t want to hire a cook to make my life easier because I feel more comfortable eating what I cook knowing what ingredients I’ve used. I want to be an alto under every circumstance, a one-woman army. I simply know that I want to do more, achieve more, and be known for a good cause while maintaining a positive attitude in my life.

What advice do you have for the young girls that look up to you for inspiration, aiming to become ‘Rida Alam’ one day?

Cooking is mostly a matter of craftsmanship with talent and some inspiration added, along with a sprinkling of love for the perfect dish; one cannot cook indifferently. Many people want to become executive chefs right out of culinary school or become food network stars. But in reality its a cutthroat environment. Anyone can cook, but to be a great chef you need to be passionate. It has to come from within you, from your soul. If you want to make it in the kitchen, you have to be tough—emotionally and physically.

Becoming a chef is not easy. It requires sacrifice, motivation and passion. It requires a smile of satisfaction at the end of a long working day, in order to transmit the emotion to the staff and the customers.  If a person is ready for this, then they can think of becoming a chef.

Quote:“The love of food and the obsession with flavours, ingredients, and techniques are the chef’s source of strength”