It is rare to see a Naga lad engrossed in the kitchen, handling spoons and spices, especially if it means taking up ‘cooking’ as a serious profession. But Liochan Ovung has followed his dream and it looks like he’d always prepared himself for this moment.
He was fascinated by the art of cooking even as a small boy…..and, obviously, his Mother was his first influence. He also actually started experimenting with the help of recipe books even before he turned a teenager.
And there’s really no stopping somebody who has that special passion in his heart. Liochan persevered to become a Chef somewhere down the line. And it was the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund that gave him the real start to his career. Therein, began his journey of dreams in the United Kingdom where he attended the Llandrillo College, Wales UK, and earned himself a Diploma in Professional Cooking.
He definitely did well as he went on to be recognised as the Bronze Award Winner for Starters and Main Course at the British Culinary Federation, Student Cook and Serve Challenge which was held at Stratford- upon- Avon College in June 2008. Prior to that, he was also given the Bronze Award Winner for Open Learner Omellettes at the Welsh International Culinary Championship at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru.
But what I found most commendable was that this young Naga Chef introduced a traditional Naga cuisine to the Mandir Restaurant in Switzerland. As an invitee at the Museum Der Kulturen Basel, he taught Swiss cooks a simple Naga pork dish, or ‘Machihan’ as it is called in Lotha dialect.
It was during the ‘NAGA - A forgotten mountain region rediscovered’ event organised in collaboration with the Department of Art and Culture, Nagaland, that his culinary delights hogged the limelight more than the artefacts did.
Undoubtedly Naga dish became a popular choice in Switzerland even as the Mandir Restaurant decided and kept it in its menu for the whole year. Recalling it as a pleasant experience, Liochan delightfully adds that even the President of the Basel Canton tasted the Naga dish.
The young Naga Chef, moreover, stole the hearts of the Swiss Television and other local media in Switzerland even as he was pressed for time handling one interview after the other.
He also worked in a 5 Star Hotel as Breakfast Chef at AA 3 Rosettes, the Bodysgallen Hall Hotel in Llandudno Wales, UK and took part in numerous events ranging from Rotary Charity D inners, Teenage Cancer charity, Chef of Wales Dinner, Chefs United and Themed events in the UK.
He went on to learn German language from the Goethe Institute, Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, after he returned to India and subsequently worked as Chef in New Delhi’s finest stand alone Italian Restaurant - Celebrity Chef Ritu Dalmia’s DIVA Italienne, New Delhi.
But like they say, perhaps home is really where the heart is.
Today, he’s working as Chef and Manager of Niathu Resort, Dimapur, and I have a feeling he’s living his dream. But ironically, many folks still think it’s just not enough. However, he simply dismisses people from the old school of thought when they come telling him the tired refrain - “why don’t you look for a government job?”
With a specialisation in Italian Food, Niathu Resort will soon have it in their menu. He is excited about this new venture and enthusiastically explains that ‘Italian food doesn’t need so much detail unlike French food which requires a lot of technicalities’.
He says that Italian food is very homely and, even as he is delighted to present it shortly, he plans on starting from scratch by way of using only fresh organic ingredients and not chemically bottled stuff.
But as he enthusiastically pushes on, there is one little regret he voices. “We (Nagas) still do not have the habit of going out to eat, but instead we go out to drink and get drunk only,” he says. However, he is optimistic as he feels that the hospitality sector is slowly growing up. With only Chinese and Indian food making a real impact in the State so far, he also looks forward to introducing new dishes that will tickle the palates in the near future.
It is also his dream to open his own restaurant someday but, knowing that it’ll take some more time for that to happen, he is content to be where he is right now.
All said and done, he voices his appreciation for the initiatives taken by the Chief Minister in encouraging the youth to venture beyond the State and, of course, for his own scholarship that has enabled him to realise his dream. Besides, he has a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for his parents for their full support in what he wants to do (and also does best) and not imposing on him some other plan that they may have had in mind.
He was fascinated by the art of cooking even as a small boy…..and, obviously, his Mother was his first influence. He also actually started experimenting with the help of recipe books even before he turned a teenager.
And there’s really no stopping somebody who has that special passion in his heart. Liochan persevered to become a Chef somewhere down the line. And it was the Chief Minister’s Corpus Fund that gave him the real start to his career. Therein, began his journey of dreams in the United Kingdom where he attended the Llandrillo College, Wales UK, and earned himself a Diploma in Professional Cooking.
He definitely did well as he went on to be recognised as the Bronze Award Winner for Starters and Main Course at the British Culinary Federation, Student Cook and Serve Challenge which was held at Stratford- upon- Avon College in June 2008. Prior to that, he was also given the Bronze Award Winner for Open Learner Omellettes at the Welsh International Culinary Championship at Coleg Llandrillo Cymru.
But what I found most commendable was that this young Naga Chef introduced a traditional Naga cuisine to the Mandir Restaurant in Switzerland. As an invitee at the Museum Der Kulturen Basel, he taught Swiss cooks a simple Naga pork dish, or ‘Machihan’ as it is called in Lotha dialect.
It was during the ‘NAGA - A forgotten mountain region rediscovered’ event organised in collaboration with the Department of Art and Culture, Nagaland, that his culinary delights hogged the limelight more than the artefacts did.
Undoubtedly Naga dish became a popular choice in Switzerland even as the Mandir Restaurant decided and kept it in its menu for the whole year. Recalling it as a pleasant experience, Liochan delightfully adds that even the President of the Basel Canton tasted the Naga dish.
The young Naga Chef, moreover, stole the hearts of the Swiss Television and other local media in Switzerland even as he was pressed for time handling one interview after the other.
He also worked in a 5 Star Hotel as Breakfast Chef at AA 3 Rosettes, the Bodysgallen Hall Hotel in Llandudno Wales, UK and took part in numerous events ranging from Rotary Charity D inners, Teenage Cancer charity, Chef of Wales Dinner, Chefs United and Themed events in the UK.
He went on to learn German language from the Goethe Institute, Max Mueller Bhavan, New Delhi, after he returned to India and subsequently worked as Chef in New Delhi’s finest stand alone Italian Restaurant - Celebrity Chef Ritu Dalmia’s DIVA Italienne, New Delhi.
But like they say, perhaps home is really where the heart is.
Today, he’s working as Chef and Manager of Niathu Resort, Dimapur, and I have a feeling he’s living his dream. But ironically, many folks still think it’s just not enough. However, he simply dismisses people from the old school of thought when they come telling him the tired refrain - “why don’t you look for a government job?”
With a specialisation in Italian Food, Niathu Resort will soon have it in their menu. He is excited about this new venture and enthusiastically explains that ‘Italian food doesn’t need so much detail unlike French food which requires a lot of technicalities’.
He says that Italian food is very homely and, even as he is delighted to present it shortly, he plans on starting from scratch by way of using only fresh organic ingredients and not chemically bottled stuff.
But as he enthusiastically pushes on, there is one little regret he voices. “We (Nagas) still do not have the habit of going out to eat, but instead we go out to drink and get drunk only,” he says. However, he is optimistic as he feels that the hospitality sector is slowly growing up. With only Chinese and Indian food making a real impact in the State so far, he also looks forward to introducing new dishes that will tickle the palates in the near future.
It is also his dream to open his own restaurant someday but, knowing that it’ll take some more time for that to happen, he is content to be where he is right now.
All said and done, he voices his appreciation for the initiatives taken by the Chief Minister in encouraging the youth to venture beyond the State and, of course, for his own scholarship that has enabled him to realise his dream. Besides, he has a heartfelt ‘thank you’ for his parents for their full support in what he wants to do (and also does best) and not imposing on him some other plan that they may have had in mind.
At Dream Thanks for this amazing content.
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