Avinash Ramchandra Shah

Expertise in Lebanese Cuisine:

1. Baklawa

Baklava is a rich, sweet dessert pastry made of layers of filo filled with chopped nuts and sweetened and held together with syrup or honey. It is characteristic of the cuisines of the Levant and the broader Middle East, along with Greece, the South Caucasus, Balkans, Maghreb, and Central Asia.

eg. pistachio baklawa, walnut baklawa, almond cranberry nutty mix baklawa etc.

2. Falafel

Falafel are deep-fried balls or patties made from chickpeas or fava beans, sometimes both, plus fresh herbs and spices. Falafel is a popular Middle Eastern street food sold from vendors or fast-casual spots in countries such as Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Israel, where it's the national dish.

3. Fatayar

Lebanese spinach pies, which are also called fatayer, are basically the Spanakopita of the Middle East. They're made with a simple homemade dough recipe, stuffed with a spinach, herb and lemon filling and baked in the oven until golden and puffed. Your house will smell like the best Middle Eastern bakery!

4. Manakish

Manakish (also pronouned as Manaeesh) is a Lebanese pizza or flatbread made with a soft dough and topped with various toppings, the most common of which is Za'atar and cheese. It can be made into small circular rounds or larger ones depending on preference.

eg. cheese pizza manakish, cheese honey manakish, zattar cheese manakish, grill veggies lebane manakish.

5. Falafel Wraps and Rolls

Falafel, a staple Middle Eastern dish—and a popular street food around the world—that consists of fried spiced balls or patties of ground chickpeas or fava beans (or a mixture of both) stuffed into a pita or wrapped in laffa bread with hot sauce, tahini sauce, and generally some salad like combination of tomato

6. Lavash

Lavash bread is an Armenian flat-bread made of only salt, flour, and water that can be found at your local grocery store, trader joes, sprouts, or online via amazon. Add a little cayenne pepper to kick up the heat along with the tandoori twist. Remember as the chips cool they'll crisp up more.

eg. cheese pizza lavash, chilly garlic lavash, multigrain lavash and gluten free lavash.

Additional Responsibilities

• Collaborated with staff members to create meals for large banquets.
• Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
• Prevented cross-contamination from utensils, surfaces, and pans when cooking and plating meals for food allergy sufferers.
• Oversaw grill, stove, and oven, and cleaned equipment after every shift.
• Inventoried food, ingredient, and supply stock to prepare and plan vendor orders.
• Placed orders to restock items before supplies ran out.
• Utilized proper cleaning techniques to sanitize counters and utensils used in preparation of raw meat, poultry, fish, and eggs.
• Prepared meals from scratch using authentic, popular recipes to generate repeat business.
• Trained kitchen staff to perform various preparation tasks under pressure.
• Monitored line processes to maintain consistency in quality, quantity, and presentation.
• Disciplined and dedicated to meeting high-quality standards.
• Checked freezer and refrigerator prior to each shift to verify correct temperatures.
• Obtained fresh, local ingredients to improve dish flavors and limit grocery costs.
• Scheduled and received food and beverage deliveries, adhering to food cost and budget.
• Maintained well-organized mise en place to keep work consistent.
• Observed different kitchen chefs' preparation of sauces, breads, and other items to gain knowledge in diverse cooking and baking techniques.

• Handled breakfast and lunches of the employees working in Rube Tower i.e Fast Food , Main course and hi tea menu.
• Developed menus, controlled food costs and oversaw quality, sanitation, and safety processes.
• Developed kitchen staff through training, disciplinary action, and performance reviews.
• Planned promotional menu additions based on seasonal pricing and product availability.
• Generated employee schedules and work assignments and determined appropriate compensation rates.
• Inventoried food, ingredient, and supply stock to prepare and plan vendor orders.
• Maintained high food quality standards by checking delivery contents to verify product quality and quantity.
• Scheduled and received food and beverage deliveries, adhering to food cost and budget.
• Delivered excellent food quality and maximized customer satisfaction by preparing meals according to customer requests.
• Initiated training for new team members on culinary techniques to improve productivity and increase kitchen workflows.
• Handled and stored food to eliminate illness and prevent cross-contamination.
• Oversaw business operations, inventory control, and customer service for restaurant.
• Modernized work processes to reduce guest wait times and boost daily output.
• Maintained well-organized mise en place to keep work consistent.
• Observed different kitchen chefs' preparation of sauces, breads, and other items to gain knowledge in diverse cooking and baking techniques.

• Designed and oversees banquet meals for a restaurant or catering company.
• Selecting the courses, ordering food, hiring staff, and preparing the meal.
• Limited portion sizes and used garnishes to control food costs.
• Helped design, create and implement outlet menu changes to attract customers and boost sales revenue.
• Set and enforced performance and service standards to keep consistent, high-quality environment devoted to customer satisfaction.
• Received, inspected and verified food and kitchen inventory delivery before storage.
• Floated throughout kitchen to assist in meal preparation and plating, effectively anticipating chef, and waiting staff's needs.
• Orchestrated positive customer experiences by overseeing every area of operations.
• Maintained cleanliness and order of kitchen prep areas and appliances as well as convenient organization of ingredients.
• Prepared and cooked quality meals in high-volume, fast-paced service environments.

• Worked as garde manger which is a cool, well-ventilated area where cold dishes (such as salads, appetizers) are prepared and other foods are stored under refrigeration. Larger hotels and restaurants may have garde manger staff to perform additional duties, such as creating decorative elements of buffet presentation like ice carving and edible center pieces.
• Worked in Continental Department (soups, sauces and steak).
• Prepared Salads, terrine of chicken and fish.
• Prepared cheese board and setting the same in buffet.
• Maintained well-organized mise en place to keep work consistent.
• Observed different kitchen chefs' preparation of sauces, breads, and other items to gain knowledge in diverse cooking and baking techniques.
• Ordered new ingredients and supplies to meet expected needs.
• Placed orders to restock items before supplies ran out.