As the famous saying went ‘One for all, and all for One’ epitomizing the unity of the brotherhood of a higher calling, there maybe a twist to the Dumas tale in sunny Goa. AAJ Hospitality as formally known in food circles, these three friends for the love of all things food have come together to whip up a storm in the culinary world the Oriental way. Sitting down across the three on a windy afternoon the affable Asheen, effervescent Alwyn and enigmatic Joseph bring forth in a tet-e-tete what it is like running a multitude of establishments in Goa the Oriental way.
Tell us a little about yourselves? We are Ex employees to various 5star chains, passed out from the best hotel management colleges India had to offer at that time, specialized in food and beverage. We are extensively travelled to parts of India and abroad to learn and improve our skill sets which require constant honing in this competitive age. We crossed paths over a period of time at events & parties, we shared the same interest for food, cocktails and concepts. A friendship blossomed and then a partnership.
Give us a brief into your culinary journey. It all began with L'Orange. We had a great concept in the heart of Candolim, which was abuzz with many events and activities ranging from Salsa night handled by Joseph. Now in its new avatar, it has become a caterer. With the establishment of L’Orange, we moved over to Wok & Roll, which is a South East Asian restaurant. Following the footsteps of Oriental, we are managing Tao an oriental restaurant that is owned by the Good Life Group. Cohiba was another feather in our cap, which required our skill sets to manage the kitchen of this buzzing establishment. Fat Panda is the latest entrant in our foray, which works and caters to Indo Chinese cuisine, as the trends here in Goa are very favourable for the same.
What is new on the chopping block? We have been tirelessly working on a new concept for the last two years. We are planning to do a lot of backward integration where we will be working with Goan housewives, organic farmers, local vendors and also recycling wastage and energy, where we give back to nature and the society. We are just getting the groundwork ready for the same.
What about your personal palate preferences? When you talk about our personal palates we aren't fussy at all. We eat practically everything. Call it research and development. From small carts and drink at small taverns to meals at trendy restaurants and hotels across our motto is each partner travels twice in a year on a hunt for new trends and concepts. We try to implement it in the most price effective and trendy way for our patrons back home.
Your personal motto? Well, the joke about town is Alwyn and Asheen love to feed people while Joseph gets them fit and trim- a perfect synergetic balance. Signing off its all about working hard to have a Great life, make Great friends and create Happy memories. One for all, all for one indeed.
Written By
An award winning photojournalist, Nolan is torn between food & travel. Having held multiple exhibitions across- he loves to capture the essence of a meal or moment through his lens. Known for his love of food he believes in making viewers salivate over drool worthy pictures, titilating their palates over social media. His photography added vivid dimensions through his contribution to the book The Culinary Heritage of Goa which won the Gourmand Best in the World for Historical recepies in 2015. Author of the ever popular food/travel blog www.nolansatwit.com, many have commonly referred to his wit or 'twit'iness. A recepient of the prestigious REX Karmaveer Chakra award by UNESCO he spends most of his time divided between sampling the various offerings of the gastronomic world and his unending quest for new and far flung places.
