Last Bite: Summer 2024

AS A YOUNG MAN just out of high school, Hariprasad Dhatchinamoorthy would watch the chefs cook at street food stalls in his hometown of Chennai (formerly Madras) in India. That sparked his passion for all things culinary, and touched off his career as a successful chef.

The city’s nickname is “Detroit of South Asia” as it is one of India’s biggest automobile cities, Dhatchinamoorthy says, adding that it’s also popular for vegan plant-based food and known as the birthplace of world-famous “Madras curry powder.”

“I graduated from a small culinary college in India, but always had a dream to study in America,” he says. After working at some of India’s finest hotels and restaurants, including Oberoi Hotels, Park Hyatt, Tuscana Pizzeria and more alongside award-winning chefs, his dream became a reality when he came to America. It’s fitting that he landed in Detroit after growing up in the Detroit of South Asia. He earned an associate’s degree at Oakland Community College and furthered his culinary education with a short course at the Culinary Institute of America.

He has offered cooking demos at the Farmington Hills farmers market and the annual Arts Eats Beats festival in Royal Oak. His goal is to serve modern Indian cuisine food to the Detroit Metro area.

Dhatchinamoorthy’s role as a chef is not just about storytelling and education, he says. It’s about highlighting the true breadth and depth of a cuisine that is as varied as the Indian subcontinent itself.

Hariprasad Dhatchinamoorthy is a chef in Metro Detroit.