From Odisha to Hyderabad: Rise of Chinese food counter chefs

Young men from Odisha are moving to Hyderabad to work as master cooks in restaurants and street food stalls. With formal training and experience, they earn good daily wages and play a key role in the city’s growing food industry.

Hyderabad: Young men from Odisha are turning towards Hyderabad to earn a handsome amount by working as cooking masters in Chinese food counters at hotels and roadside eateries.

The cook masters are paid anywhere between Rs 800 and Rs 1,400 a day for their skilled work. Right from Chinese cuisine to Italian spread, the cook masters have perfected the art.

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“In Odisha, there are several towns where there are basic culinary skills training institutes. These cooks, after passing out from these institutes, go to different cities and work under experienced chefs in big hotels. After they perfect their skills, they start working independently and command handsome wages,” said Mohd Yaser, a hotel owner.

In majority of the restaurants with Chinese food sections, one can find the chefs from Odisha preparing the food.