Says, Executive Chef Neeraj Rawoot of JW Marriot about creating mindful dinning experiences
- February 7, 2025
- Updated 12:39 pm
Farm-to-Fork with a touch of culinary alchemy is our mantra
OB: Can you share some insights into the culinary philosophy and vision you bring to JW Marriott?
JW Marriott is all about “Nourish – The Whole You”. It’s Serv360 programme is all about preservation and giving back to the nature with a sustainable approach. I support these values by using organic, home grown and farm to fork produce as much as possible. Simple yet authentic cooking techniques with the freshest ingredients is my culinary mantra.
OB: How do you aim to create memorable dining experiences for guests?
Though we have our signature restaurants such as Aaleeshan and East serving authentic Awadhi and Asian cuisines respectively, we also create mindful, memorable experiences for our guests such as “Dining Under the Stars”, “Breakfast in the Pool”, “Hi Tea on a Boat”, “Garden Picnic” and “Evening Halle Katte” with fun, food and family. We believe in customising meals as per our guests’ preferences and special occasions to make each experience a memorable one.
OB: Any special plans for this festive season?
This festive season apart from having Diwali and Christmas goodies, we are also enhancing our guest experiences by introducing new concept-dining – The JW Garden Soiree, The Backyard Barbeque, The Asian Lakeside Brunch, Wednesday Wine Down and Aaleeshan Golden Hours.
We also go the extra mile while handling corporate and social banquets with theme set-ups such as “Dining in the Dark” and “Cooking Relays”.
OB: What are some unique or signature dishes that guests can expect to savour in your restaurant?
That’s a tough question for a Chef to answer!? Well, if you ask my favourites at East, those would be the Plant Protein Salad, California roll, Avocado Uramaki, Chilean Seabass Dimsum, Yaki Udon, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Miso Cod and Flying Ramen. These are a some I usually tend to recommend.
Aaleeshan boasts of Galouti Kebab, Nalli Nihari, Gandane Ka Saag, Anar Badam Ke Aloo, Warqui Paratha and Biryanis to name a few.
Pebbles, Berry Cheese Cake, Ruammitr, hazelnut Crunch, Textures of Chocolate and Sizzling Brownie are some of the sinful desserts one needs to try when here.
OB: What are some of the trends that you're exploring in your kitchen?
Today’s guests are well travelled and they not only want to explore great flavours but also want to know the backstory of the selection of ingredients, it’s sourcing and preparation. We try to grow herbs and vegetables in our JW garden. Likewise, we try to source ingredients which cannot be produced inhouse, from farmers; in and around Bangalore. We try to use the hyperlocal produce of Devanahalli such as pomelos, mint, grapes, honey and jackfruit in our preparations. Our hotel uses 100% cage-free eggs and we recycle our food waste to produce manure, apart from sharing meat waste with local dog shelters. We believe in sustainable cooking practices and that’s the trend we follow in my kitchen.
Are you embracing any cutting- edge technology in your kitchen?
In my kitchen, I’m currently exploring precision cooking, molecular gastronomy techniques, and smart kitchen appliances to enhance efficiency in creating unique culinary experiences for our guests. Sous vide, nitro-freeze, wood-smoked, dehydration, lactose- fermentation are some of the techniques we often use.


