Chef Hari Pulapaka Interview
January 23, 2013
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Le Cordon Bleu, Orlando
• 0 Comments
Hari Pulapaka
Graduate: 2005, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Orlando
Degree: Associate of Applied Science in Le Cordon Bleu Culinary Arts
Current Position: Executive Chef and Co-Owner of Cress in DeLand, Florida (near Orlando), which recently received a Zagat score of 29 out of 30 making it the best restaurant in the area.
Orlando Chef Hari Pulapaka and his wife, Jenneffer, opened the doors to Cress in 2008 and have never looked back, despite putting in countless 18-hour days to maintain dual careers.
“Both of my careers require meticulous thinking, multi-tasking, and organization,” said Chef Hari Pulapaka when asked about the similarities between being a Stetson University math professor and a chef. “It’s not like I’m solving equations in the kitchen. However, much like solving an equation I’ve never seen before, I often try to create food I’ve never seen before.”
The Cress menu includes seasonal dishes with locally-sourced ingredients that are created using classical techniques, but with global flare. Chef Pulapaka makes it a point to create dishes that he would want to eat himself, which means many of his menu items are inspired by bold cuisines like that of India where he grew up.
“Being passionate about your work means keeping it interesting.”
“The academic in me wants to learn new things all the time,” he said. “I never create new food from a safe point of view. I don’t always put out things that I know will do well. I like to push the boundaries for my guests.”
Most people who meet Chef Pulapaka and learn about his diverse career ask him how he followed two completely different paths, one so left brain and one so right brain, and if he plans on continuing to work as both a chef and professor.
“While it’s hard physically and mentally, I feel lucky to have both,” he said. “Technically, my current schedule is not sustainable long-term, which is why I see myself changing or adapting differently to what I do. I don’t see myself giving one up, but perhaps I won’t work so hard.
“At this point, I still run circles around most other people in the kitchen. When that changes I might reflect a little more.”
The appeal of culinary school
Unlike many culinary students, Chef Pulapaka did not grow up in the kitchen or aspire to be like a celebrity chef he follows on TV. Chef Pulapaka grew up being told he would study math and technology, which he did. He’s been an academic all of his life.
“Choosing to enroll in culinary school was a case of professional boredom and maybe a bit of a midlife crisis,” he said. “I had been contemplating a few different career paths, but one day I saw a commercial for Le Cordon Bleu and it was fast forward from there.”
Chef Pulapaka said he always enjoyed cooking, but never imagined himself as a chef. However, once he put his mind to it he was very serious about his decision, and his Le Cordon Bleu chef instructors noticed. “I was very impressed with the rigor and discipline involved in culinary school,” he explained. “It was new to me, but I harnessed that serious side of me. Because I was an older, nontraditional student I think it came easier.”
Chef Pulapaka went on to say that culinary students, or any student for that matter, will only succeed in school if they give it their all.
“Education is not a guarantee of success. If you are tentative, you can’t gauge how you will do from that experience. You can’t force yourself to like something, but if you do like something you have to push yourself beyond the classroom.”
A husband and wife partnership
After committing to culinary school Chef Pulapaka began making plans to open his own restaurant with his wife, Jenneffer Pulapaka, who is a podiatric surgeon with her own private practice called The DeLand Foot and Leg Center. “My wife is an indispensible part of my career. Without her there would be no Cress.”
But before investing in Cress he gained the necessary restaurant experience to master his technique and increase his speed on the line. He completed his externship at Canoe in Toronto and found a summer position in Denali, Alaska, at the Wilderness Lodge. In addition, he worked as a private chef around Orlando and as a guest chef for local restaurants.
All of this experience, along with his and Jenneffer’s growing love of food, wine, and the restaurant business, brought them to where they are today.
To learn more about Chef Pulapaka and Cress, visit www.cressrestaurant.com
Career success will depend largely on the effort put into studies, job search efforts, experience and attitude. Le Cordon Bleu does not and cannot guarantee employment, and the experience of the alumni is not representative of all students.
