Kunal Kapur (born in New Delhi), is an Indian celebrity chef and restaurateur, best known as the host and judge of the TV series MasterChef India Season 1, 2 and 3 on Star Plus and Junior Masterchef India Season 1. He is Chef extraordinaire, TV show host, winner of several culinary awards and the author his debut cookbook- ‘A Chef in Every Home’. He is living his dream of making Indian cuisine the number one cuisine in the world and empowering everyone through power of cooking to become self-sufficient. Chef Kunal has been recognised amongst the Best Chefs in India by National Weekly Magazine - India Today and Indian Culinary maestro Jiggs Kalra titled him as "the next big guy in kebabs and curries in India” at the start of his career.
Beginnings
Born in New Delhi in a Punjabi family, he studied at St. Francis De Sales School in New Delhi. Growing up in a big family where all men were Sunday cooks, Kunal instantly took liking towards cooking at early age. He is a degree holder from the Institute of Hotel Management Chandigarh; he started his career from the Taj group of hotels. Having spanned his culinary repertoire in Indian cuisine across banquet operations, theme dinners, outdoor catering, creative menus, buffet set-up, Chef Kunal's credentials are seen in numerous awards and medals he has achieved in a career spanning more than a decade. He is also a graduate from the Delhi University in Commerce.
Having the early lessons about cooking from his father and grandfather, he began his career around 2000, from the Taj group of hotels and worked with many of its hotels in various cities across India. After a long career at the Taj group of hotels, he is now the Executive Sous Chef at the Leela Kempinski in Gurgaon. Kunal also opened a restaurant which has achieved the Best Restaurant Award.[citation needed] In January 2008, he was rated as one of the Best Indian chefs in Delhi by India Today and was also titled as "the next big guy in kebabs and curries in India".[2]
Television appearances
Kunal has made television appearances both in India and abroad. He hosted and judged the popular Star Plus television show MasterChef India in season 1, season 2,[3] and season 3. He hosted his first travel & food show ‘The Foodie comes to America’, shot entirely in New York and California, discovering the journey of Indian food in the USA. The show was aired on Times Now which captures Kunal’s travel and culinary journey across one of the world’s most vibrant cities, showcasing the best Indo- American cuisine.
He was invited as a guest judge on an episode of Season 2 of MasterChef USA and made a guest appearance in an episode of Chef Pankaj Ka Zayka,[4] on Star Plus, India.
Kunal's name was cited by Limca Book of Records for creating India’s largest "Chocolate Tower".[5]File:Chocolate tower.jpgIndia's Tallest Chocolate Eclair Tower by Chef Kunal Kapur
Kunal received Dr. S Radhakrishnan National Media Network Award 2014 for his contribution in television (MasterChef India).
Kunal is the brand ambassador for United Ways Delhi, a not for profit organization that focuses on improving lives by Education, Income and Health. Kunal’s role as ambassador is to train under privileged youth in food production, educating them with the right kitchen skills and techniques and help them in becoming small- scale entrepreneurs/food hawkers.
Kunal is in the league of elite Star Chef on board German airline Lufthansa, where he has customized menus for the first and business class passengers. Star Chef Lufthansa
Kunal works closely with NASVI (national association of street vendors of India) to improve the lives and quality of food and sanitation of food hawkers in India.
