Koushik Shankar, popularly known as “Crazy Chef” is an Indian chef and restaurateur. In 2023, he served as a judge in the second season of the Tamil cooking TV show “MasterChef India – Tamil”, which premiered on OTT platform SonyLIV.
Wiki/Biography
Koushik Shankar was born in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. He attended Mallya Aditi International School in Bangalore. He pursued a Diploma in French Language Skills from Alliance Française, Bangalore. In 1997, he received his Diploma in Hotel Management from Bangalore Institute of Hotel Management. He holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Analytics from Symbiosis Distance Learning Centre.
appearance
Height (approximately): 5′ 9″
Hair Color: Salt and Pepper
Eye color: black
Parents and siblings
There is not much information about his parents and siblings,
wife and children
There is not much information about his marital status.
Profession
Koushik Shankar started his career in 1997 as TR. Chef De Partie (Station Chef) at Leela Kempinsky (now The Leela), Mumbai. He worked there for a few months and later resigned. Later, he worked as Product Development Manager at Cafe Coffee Day in Mumbai for over two years (1997-1999). In September 1999, he joined Chimayo Chains Private Limited, Chennai as Product Development and Marketing Manager. He resigned in October 2002 after working there for more than three years. He works as a Product Development Manager at Java Green Private Limited in Chennai. He worked there for more than three years (October 2002 to February 2006). In 2006, he founded his own food and beverage consulting company, Eatitude Gourmet Technologies. He has served as a consultant for several cafes and restaurants including Toss Up, Illusions, Peach’s, Simply South, Azzuri Bay, The Tower (NC), Mantra (NC), Hundred’s Heritage, Coal N Flame, Eleven Fine Dining, Greens N Grains, Raakozhi, Sri Krishna Rassa, Sri Krishna Gokulams, Sri Krishna Sweets, The Gig, Texas Fiesta, The Bayleaf, MASH, Chennai Chillin’, Hazzel Dairy, The Madaras Kafe, Boomerang, Soup and Salad Café, Dewberry’s , Funk N Jazz , Kalmane Koffees , Java Green and Qwiky’s .
television
Koushik Shankar has worked as a chef in Tamil cooking TV shows “Masala Express” and “Thamizhagathin Samayal Champion” aired on Jaya TV. In 2021, he served as a judge in the first season of the cooking TV show “MasterChef India – Tamil” aired on Sun TV. He will also serve as a judge on the second season of the TV show in 2023. The second season of the TV show premiered on OTT platform SonyLIV.
Koushik Shankar (left) in MasterChef Tamil – Season 2
In 2022, he made a guest appearance on the debate and talk show Tamizha Tamizha. The TV show is aired on Zee Tamil channel. In the same year, he served as a guest judge in the comedy cooking competition TV show “Cooku with Comali” aired on Star Vijay TV.
jury
In 2022, he served as a judge for the Merit Awards and Market Research in New Delhi along with Ranveer Brar. In the same year, he served as a judge for several award shows such as the Indian Food Connoisseur Awards, the Indian International Victory Awards and the Restaurant Awards.
Koushik Shankar to judge India International Victory Awards 2022
Awards, Honors, Achievements
- IFCA 2023 President’s Medal
Koushik Shankar receives President’s Medal
- Tamil Tourism Board Best Chef Award 2017
- Winners at Indian Restaurant Conference 2017
- Times Hospitality Industry Icons 2019
- Times Food Awards 2016
Koushik Shankar wins Times Good Food Award 2016
tattoo
He has a Japanese dragon tattoo on his right arm.
Kusik Shankar’s Tattoo
Facts/Trivia
- He has been passionate about cooking since he was a child. In an interview, he revealed that when he was five years old, he got inspiration from a comic book called “Asterix of Spain” and tried Chinese food.
- In an interview, he talked about how he became known as the “crazy chef” and said:
In college, I got the nickname “Crazy Chef” when my teacher saw me cooking South Indian food in a continental style. The name has stuck. “
Categories: Biography
Source: HIS Education