For Chef Bhol Bahadur Bishwakarma, those years were spent beside a tandoor, learning quietly, long before anyone knew his name. He had no famous teacher and no easy path. What he had was a willingness to work, and a hunger to learn one of the world's richest cuisines. Today he is Head Chef at Fairfield by Marriott Kathmandu Thamel, a Nepali chef with deep command of Indian food. This is the story of how a young man from a village in Khotang earned that title.

Leaving Home

Khotang, in eastern Nepal, is a long way from the world of five-star hotels. Bishwakarma left it as a young man and went to India without knowing what work he would find or where life would take him. He only knew that he wanted to work, learn and build a better future.

About ten days after arriving, he found a job at a club. He stayed for about two months. It was not a glamorous start, but it changed him. Instead of treating the kitchen as just a workplace, he began to watch it. He studied how the chefs moved, how food was prepared, and how a team worked together. Slowly, curiosity turned into a dream.

The First Fire

That curiosity opened the next door. He was offered casual work in the tandoori section of a catering company, and he stayed almost two years. There, he began learning Indian cooking from the ground up.

Kebab making, marination, spices, heat and timing became his daily lessons. He learned that Indian cuisine is not about piling on spice. It is about knowing how long to marinate, how hot the fire should be, when to turn the food and how each spice supports the others. He made mistakes, corrected them and tried again. The tandoor became his first teacher, and it taught him patience, balance and discipline.

Delhi

In 2009, Bishwakarma took a big step. He joined Keeya Kainosh, a restaurant in Vasant Kunj, Delhi, as Commis II in the Indian tandoori section. It was his first professional role, and he was determined to prove that what he had learned could stand up in a real kitchen.

He spent about a year and seven months there, working on marinades, spice mixes, portion control and presentation. His employer later described him as an Indian tandoor specialist and noted his honest, punctual work. He also learned that a professional chef must be able to cook the same dish with the same quality, again and again.

The Food Test

After a short time as Demi Chef at a restaurant in Connaught Place, a call came from The Westin Gurgaon. A senior who had worked with him earlier had recommended him. The hotel asked him to cook in a food test.

He made a simple choice. He did not try to impress with dishes he did not know. He cooked what he had practised for years, Indian and tandoori food, and the chef was impressed by its quality and presentation. He joined the Westin as Commis II.

Five-Star Standards

A five-star kitchen asked for far more than good cooking. It demanded hygiene, standard recipes, mise en place, teamwork and clear communication. Bishwakarma listened to every senior chef and practised everything he was taught. Over three years and seven months, he was promoted to Commis I.

His hard work showed in big moments. He was trusted to run the tandoor section on his own at two banquets, one for 350 guests and one for 400. He also helped his team reach a food safety audit score of 96.75%. The Westin honoured both with its "You Created a WOW" awards, in 2013 for banquet service and in 2014 for food safety. 

Many Kitchens, One Cuisine

India taught him that its food is not one cuisine but many. At Sheraton Hyderabad, he moved into South Indian cooking, which is very different from the tandoor food he knew, and was promoted to Chef de Partie. He then held the same role at The Den in Bengaluru.

Over ten years, he mastered the regional cuisines of India one by one. He learned Mughlai cooking, with its royal, aromatic style of slow-cooked gravies, nuts, cream and yogurt, in dishes like shahi korma, nihari, biryani and Mughlai chicken. He learned Awadhi cooking from Lucknow, known for delicate flavours, patient slow cooking and balanced spices instead of heat, in the galouti kebab, kakori kebab, shami kebab and Lucknowi biryani. He learned Rajasthani cooking, shaped by the desert and built on pulses, grains, dairy and dried vegetables, in dal baati churma, laal maas, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri and bajre ki roti. And his base of North Indian food stayed strong, from tandoori chicken and paneer tikka to butter chicken, dal makhani and rogan josh.

Along the way, he learned the small details that make an expert. A galouti kebab must stay delicate, because too much handling makes it firm. A tikka marinade should not be too sour, or it spoils the meat. A strong spice like ajwain must support the dish and never take it over.

The Road Home

In 2019, Bishwakarma learned that Marriott was opening a hotel in Nepal. He applied, passed the interviews and returned home to join the pre-opening team of Kathmandu Marriott Hotel as Chef de Partie. Over about five years, he became Demi Sous Chef and then Sous Chef. He later moved to Hyatt, where he rose to Chef de Cuisine, before becoming Head Chef at Fairfield by Marriott.

He brought India home with him. His curries are built in layers, with base spices for body, whole spices for aroma and finishing spices for freshness. His menus place butter chicken, seekh kebab and dal makhani beside momo, timur chicken and Mustang aloo. His belief is simple: respect the tradition, understand the ingredient and master the technique.

Awards and Certificates

His work has been recognised at every step, and he has never stopped studying. At Kathmandu Marriott, he received a Certificate of Appreciation for his essential service during the COVID-19 period in 2021. That same year, he was named Cleanliness Champion for his commitment to hygiene. In May 2022, he was named Brilliant Executive of the Month for his initiative and contribution.

He also became a teacher of the craft. Marriott certified him as a Departmental Trainer in 2022 and renewed it in 2023, the same year he completed its programme for supervisors and managers. Hyatt Centric awarded him a skills training certificate in 2025. He holds First Aid and CPR and Basic Life Support training, and he attended a Molecular Gastronomy Masterclass in 2024.

In 2026 alone, he earned a National Skill Certificate in food production, completed management-level food hygiene and HACCP training, and received a Professional Chef Instructor and Advisor certificate from StarChef Hospitality.

Still Walking

Chef Bhol's story is not about luck. It is about a long road walked one shift at a time, with a tandoor as his first teacher and India as his classroom. Today he shares what he has learned with young cooks, so that the next person starting with nothing has someone to follow.

His message is simple: where you begin does not decide how far you can go.