Close-Up with Chef de Cuisine Dushyant SinghThe Grill at the Wigwam Chef de Cuisine Dushyant Singh was going to school in India learning hospitality management when he discovered his true love of working in the kitchen. Part of his schooling in India included the culinary arts, which he quickly discovered he really enjoyed. So he decided to focus on cuisine only and moved to New York to continue his culinary education at the Culinary Institute of America.
After he graduated from school, he moved to Arizona, where his family lived. His first job right out of school was at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch working at Vu under Chef William Bradley. And, Singh says, this is where he got some of his best training as a chef. “Bradley has influenced me in contemporary French dining and fine dining,” he says.
Singh also spent time working in Las Vegas at the Paris Las Vegas before he came back to Arizona to work at The Grill at the Wigwam. He says working at Caesar’s Palace taught him a lot about how to manage a very large restaurant.
Now, he says he’s happy to be back home and working at a resort that puts a high priority on its food. What could be better for a budding chef?
Q&AQ: What made you decide to work at The Grill at the Wigwam?
A: When I came to Arizona, a chef I had known had worked at The Wigwam Golf Resort & Spa. The property and its attention on food and beverage is great at this resort. The Grill at the Wigwam was renovated about a year ago, and I was able to create a whole new menu. The restaurant sits on three championship golf courses. I just love the whole setting – the casual dining but a little upscale.
Q: Tell us about the restaurant’s menu and what drives it.
A: The menu is based on concentration of flavors and using the right techniques to cook the food. I’m all about doing the basics right. I hate to see anyone misusing a product. And seasonality is important. We offer contemporary American cuisine with a little bit of a Southwest flare while incorporating Asian ingredients.
Q: What are your favorite dishes on the menu?
A: Right now on the dinner menu I like the Black Cod. It’s very flakey and buttery. I’m a big seafood person.
Q: What makes The Grill at the Wigwam stand out from other restaurants?
A: It’s the whole setting of the restaurant – sitting on the patio and looking at the greens. And we have a very approachable menu – anyone can look at it and understand our dishes and the ingredients we use in them.