Chef Shivam Bansal - The Buoyant Chef

It is not only his cheerful smile that is attractive, it is his cheerful heart for every individual whom he serves. Chef Shivam serves in The Westin Hyderabad, India, as a chef. For the past 8 days, it has been a pleasure to be in the company of this young chef who showed so much passion in his cooking.

It was my delight and honor for Chef Shivam to allow me to take some portrait shots of him. I wanted to share with the world (he did not know my intention, of course!!!) about this wonderful young man who has made, not just our lives, but every single one who meets him and shakes his hand.

Thank you Chef Shivam for being such a role model. Our first trip to Hyderabad, India, has been perfect because of you. This blog entry is my thank you gift just for you. It is to remind you that our meeting is not just a handshake and goodbye; it will hopefully be a uplifting reminisce to you whenever you feel down or tired. 

It is his positive and buoyant attitude that wins the hearts of all.

It is his cheerful presence that makes a day ends perfectly.

His hard work and cheerful nature makes any goal achievable.

A role model chef who is passionate about food and life

His personality is like an open fireplace; warm and optimistic.

His life is filled with colors of his experiments in spices and ingredients.

A successful chef in the making, definitely. 

His commitment to work is admirable. His attitude to work and people are impeccable.

Chef Shivam in action

He prepares small dishes of food every evening for everyone to enjoy with beer and/or wine. 

Spicy fritters

Crunchy salad

Spiced chicken fillets

Chicken wrap with Roti

Curry noodles

Friends for life!

Golconda Fort

Golconda Fart was built by Rajah of Warangal in 1143, with mud, and was reinforced with stone by the Qutb Shahi Dynasty in the 15th century. This fort was built to defend their kingdom and to protect diamond mines. By 17th century, Golconda was was famous for its diamond market. This was the birth home of the Kohinoor diamond. This fort is famous for its design and structure; a hallmark of excellence in military architecture. 

Yupp, we climbed to the top. See the white minarets behind me, on top fo the hill? Google said it is about 365 steps to the top but believe me, with the unevenness and the rocky parts, it sure felt like 3000 steps!!!! 

Nevertheless, the view was to die for. Magnificent. You would not want to stop looking left to right and vice versa when you are on the top of the hill. Just outstanding. 

Canteen

Not even half way up!

Almost thereeeeeee!

Tadaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!

Baahubali Movie Set

Visited BAAHUBALI movie set at Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad. This film city is located about an hour away from the city; literally in the middle of nowhere, on about 1666 acres of land. Entrance fee was 1360 Rupees for general admission. 

This movie was the first Telugu film that won the Special Effects and Feature Film in the National Film Awards. It was the highest grossing film in India. 

The movie set itself is just a part of the Ramoji Film City, but it is a huge movie set. Intriguing. Epic. It is a fantastic movie set.