{"id":2501,"date":"2023-03-31T07:49:10","date_gmt":"2023-03-31T07:49:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/?p=2501"},"modified":"2023-03-31T07:50:10","modified_gmt":"2023-03-31T07:50:10","slug":"head-of-bombay-brasserie-brings-a-lot-to-the-table","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/2023\/03\/31\/head-of-bombay-brasserie-brings-a-lot-to-the-table\/","title":{"rendered":"Head of Bombay Brasserie brings a lot to the table"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Copy <\/strong>and Photos<\/strong> Supplied.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The appointment of Farzanah Harris, sous chef and the head of the Bombay Brasserie, the Taj Cape Town\u2019s fine-dining establishment, is a bold move that celebrates the group\u2019s emphasis on female empowerment, while giving this dynamic chef a chance to bring a fresh interpretation to a classic Indian menu.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thirty-two-year-old Farzanah first honed her cheffing skills at the South African Chefs Academy before working as a chef and events planner at Olde Wellington, a whiskey and brandy farm in the Cape Winelands, after she qualified. She then shifted her focus to fine dining, taking on a post as sous chef at the Table Bay Hotel, where she met Taj Cape Town\u2019s Executive Chef Keshan. Before becoming part of Chef Keshan\u2019s team late last year, Farzanah was instrumental in bringing to life Siba The Restaurant, the eatery belonging to female celebrity chef Siba Montongana.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Instagrammable food<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Farzanah\u2019s appointment to the Bombay Brasserie brings an exciting element to a restaurant that is already a well-loved part of the Mother City. \u201cI\u2019m a game changer. I refuse to do what\u2019s expected of me,\u201d she said. It\u2019s not surprising, then, that she\u2019s aiming to ring the changes: although Bombay Brasserie\u2019s guests can still look forward to exotically flavourful Indian cuisine, they should expect a bit of a twist. \u201cI like to experiment with tastes and ingredients,\u201d Farzanah noted. She\u2019s also keen to introduce local elements to established favourites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Imagine a dollop of yoghurt adding tangy creaminess to lamb rogan josh, for instance, with Cape Malay spices creating an element that speaks to the rich local heritage.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still an authentic Indian menu, but now it has an extra dimension that gives our guests a taste of the Cape, too,\u201d Farzanah said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

She added that, as a woman, she brings a touch of finesse to her position as head of the restaurant. \u201cMy goal is to make sure that people want to return to the Bombay Brasserie again and again, so it\u2019s all about making sure they enjoy a superlative experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Bombay Brasserie interior<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

She enjoys adding a theatrical element to any visit to the Bombay Brasserie. \u201cI strive to create very close connections between our waiting staff and those hard at work in the kitchen, so that your waitron is able to convey the chefs\u2019 passion and maybe even tell you a bit of the story behind the dish. It makes your meal that much more memorable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Farzanah is well aware that she\u2019s a rarity in kitchens, which continue to be strongly male dominated. That\u2019s why she\u2019s committed to bringing more women on board. For example, as sous chef, she works closely with fellow female banqueting sous chef Alzette, and is working to upskill intern, Lize, in the art of pastry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cluster General Manager Mark Wernich said that Farzanah\u2019s appointment reaffirms the group\u2019s commitment to women empowerment. This principle is enshrined in the Taj Group\u2019s \u201cShe remains the Taj\u201d initiative, which has set a target of ensuring that females fill 25% of all jobs by 2025. Taj Cape Town leads progress in this area, with females accounting for 60%  of the workforce. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe are extremely proud of this achievement, and remain committed to furthering female empowerment. Farzanah\u2019s appointment demonstrates this commitment, and we are confident that her passion will enhance our diners\u2019 experience.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The hotel\u2019s ground floor has been refreshed as part of this exercise, with a new menu along with a wood-fired grill introduced at Mint Restaurant, and a new Whiskey Bar unveiled together with a fresh look for the Lobby Lounge and Bar.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The appointment of Farzanah Harris, sous chef and the head of the Bombay Brasserie, the Taj Cape Town\u2019s fine-dining establishment, is a bold move that celebrates the group\u2019s emphasis on female empowerment, while giving this dynamic chef a chance to bring a fresh interpretation to a classic Indian menu.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2504,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2501","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food-wine"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2501"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2506,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2501\/revisions\/2506"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2504"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2501"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2501"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/atableforone.co.za\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2501"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}