There have been many chefs featured by CLN in past editions and the most well known amongst them is indeed Barianda Naren Thimmaiah. To quote Kaveri Ponnapa from The Coorg Table blog – “The first 10-15 years, there was barely any change in the menu. 15 years were dedicated to learning,” says Chef Naren Thimmaiah with breath-taking simplicity and confidence. “The next 10 years ushered in some measured change”. At a time when food trends in the country rise, travel across the culinary firmament with meteoric speed, only to disappear just as quickly, and chefs everywhere are hard pressed to hold the wavering attention of a clientele pressing for innovation, this single statement says everything about what you can expect at Karavalli.
And then there is Kavan Kuttappa, Founder of Naru Noodle Bar – trained at The Cilinary Institute of America and like the new generation of chefs worked at prestigious establishments like Eleven Madison Park, Le Bernardin, Jean Georges, and Momofuku in New York, where he had built a strong foundation for himself.
Anjana Shanker from Madikeri was part of the kitchen team involved with the production of the classic Modernist Cuisine inspired by chefs Alain Passard and Michel Bras’s vision and approach to cooking. This is an acknowledgd masterpiece and encyclopedia and a guide to the science of contemporary cooking.
We now have Biddappa with a background in engineering that gave way to formal culinary education. Byrajanda Biddappa and Sam Dill have been deeply involved in creating Cuisine Étoilée – Seven chapters on How a professional kitchen actually runs. – CLN Newsdesk
Kodagu-born chef takes international culinary experience to readers through Cuisine Étoilée, a guide to professional cooking techniques
From studying aerospace engineering to mastering the intricacies of French cuisine, Chef Biddappa Byrajanda Naniappa has charted an unconventional path to the upper echelons of the international culinary world. A native of Kodagu, Biddappa has built his career through rigorous training and handson experience in some of the world’s most celebrated restaurant kitchens.
His journey has taken him from Manipal to Paris, New York and Menton in France, with professional experience at restaurants recognised by the prestigious Michelin Guide. His latest achievement is the co-authorship of Cuisine Étoilée, a culinary guide that seeks to make techniques developed through high-level professional kitchen experience accessible to a wider audience.
According to information about the book, it distils more than 10,000 hours of Michelin-level culinary experience into practical techniques. It reportedly sold over 1,500 copies and generated more than €45,000 in revenue within its first eight days, indicating considerable early interest in the publication.
Biddappa’s educational journey began with aerospace engineering at RV College of Engineering. However, his interest in food and cooking eventually led him to pursue a different professional calling.
He enrolled in the three-year undergraduate Culinary Arts programme at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration (WGSHA), Manipal University, where he developed the foundations of his culinary expertise.
During his studies, he interned at O Pedro, a well-known Mumbai restaurant, working under Chef Hussain Shahzad. The experience provided him with exposure to the demands of a professional restaurant kitchen, including managing a cooking station and contributing to live service.
Determined to deepen his technical knowledge, Biddappa subsequently moved to France, where he undertook an intensive diploma in French pastry and an advanced diploma in French cuisine at FERRANDI Paris, an established culinary and hospitality school.
His training also included a six-month apprenticeship at the Parisian pastry establishment Carl Marletti, giving him further experience in the precision and discipline associated with French pastry-making.
He worked as a demi chef de partie at Le Favori, the Michelin-starred restaurant at Les Sources de Cheverny in France’s Loire Valley. There, he gained experience in seasonal cooking, sustainability and the use of foraged ingredients.
He subsequently joined Eleven Madison Park in New York, a restaurant that held three Michelin stars and was named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2017. Beginning as a commis, he progressed to chef de partie and later Chef of Production.
His responsibilities included overseeing essential preparation work, maintaining consistency and quality, and mentoring junior members of the kitchen team. Such responsibilities demand not only technical proficiency but also organisation, teamwork and an understanding of how individual preparations contribute to a restaurant’s overall standards.
His next significant appointment took him to Mirazur in Menton, France. The restaurant, which was awarded three Michelin stars and named the World’s Best Restaurant in 2019, offered another opportunity to work within an internationally recognised culinary operation.
As Chef of Production, Biddappa was involved in quality control, food safety procedures under the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system, and training across kitchen stations. He also worked closely with the restaurant’s gardening team, gaining further exposure to the relationship between ingredients, cultivation and the finished dish.
His experience extended beyond regular restaurant service. He was also part of a four-member team that led a large-scale culinary event for approximately 3,000 guests at Four Seasons Bangkok.
Bringing professional techniques to a wider audience
The co-authorship of Cuisine Étoilée marks a further step in Biddappa’s career, extending his work beyond professional kitchens into culinary education and publishing.
The book aims to translate the knowledge and methods acquired through intensive restaurant experience into techniques that readers can understand and apply. Its reported early sales and revenue suggest that there is an audience interested in learning about the standards and methods associated with elite restaurant cooking.
For aspiring chefs, such resources can help bridge the gap between theoretical instruction and the practical demands of professional kitchens. Precision, consistency, ingredient quality, preparation and food safety are central to this discipline, where the smallest details can influence the final result.
Biddappa’s career illustrates the value of sustained training and progression through different culinary environments. His experience spans French pastry, classical cuisine, production management and large-scale food service, demonstrating the breadth of skills required to operate at an international level.
A Kodagu connection on the global culinary stage
For Kodagu, a region widely associated with coffee cultivation, distinctive food traditions and agricultural produce, Biddappa’s professional journey offers an example of a local talent building a career on the international stage.
His path has not followed a conventional progression. A background in engineering gave way to formal culinary education, followed by specialised training in France and progressively greater responsibilities in celebrated kitchens abroad.
His work on Cuisine Étoilée now brings together that accumulated experience in a format intended for a broader readership.
From the classrooms of Manipal and Paris to the demanding kitchens of New York and the French Riviera, Chef Biddappa Byrajanda Naniappa’s journey reflects the importance of technical mastery, adaptability and continued learning in the culinary profession.
Chef Biddapppa is a reminder that international careers can emerge from unexpected beginnings, shaped by the willingness to pursue a passion with discipline and determination.
Join our WhatsApp Group for News and Article Alerts
