Executive Chef, Santokh Singh Santokh Singh is executive chef for Gaylord India Restaurant’s Sausalito location. The spacious and elegant restaurant is located at the Valhalia, one of Old Town Sausalito’s most beloved historic landmarks. Having arrived in the USA in 1983, he has been with the Gaylord for more than twenty years. Santokh first joined Gaylord as assistant chef and worked under then executive chef P. Lal. He studied Lal’s techniques, especially his ability to maintain traditional recipes, while also experimenting with fusion cooking. Lal saw something special in Santokh and became his mentor. When Lal retired, it became a seamless transition to install Santokh as executive chef, a promotion he worked hard to earn. As executive chef, Santokh imparts this same coaching and mentoring for other kitchen staff, encouraging them to engage their jobs with a passion and ownership. Gaylord has become his life’s work. A resident of El Sobrante, Santokh enjoys commuting to Sausalito, and says “what a luxury it is to come to such a beautiful town. The drive gives me a chance to enjoy the scenery and think about how I will direct the kitchen each day. Our customers consist of local residents and workers, as well as a good number of tourists. They come to Gaylord’s because they know they can expect consistency and excellence. It’s my job to make sure they enjoy the best possible culinary experience.” Santokh never compromises on taste and quality, and always uses fresh ingredients to prepare the special sauces – the masalas that make Gaylord’s curries so unforgettable and famous. What Santokh enjoys most about Gaylord India Restaurant is its atmosphere, the staff and management convey a strong sense of professionalism, yet at the same time the restaurant also conveys a wonderful sense of kinship, it’s the kind of place to bring the whole family. Tandoori Chef, Gurdey Singh Gurdev Singh is the tandoon chef at Gaylord India Restaurant’s Sausalito location. Gurdev came to the United States in 1981 in search of opportunity. Eager to apply the culinary training he received in India. Gurdex has realized his dream of taking a job in America’s restaurant business. His mentor, Chef Ram, is on of India’s best known chefs. Gurdev is passionate about introducing the exotic, smoky flavors of tandoori cooking to westerners; to him cooking is an art form. He has been tandoori chef at Gaylord for some 21 years. The founder and president of Gaylord India Restaurants is Kishore Kripalani, toward whom Gurdev feels a deep loyalty. He makes a point of visiting the many Indian ethnic kitchens, especially in the East Bay and observing the techniques of others. Gurdev enjoys experimenting and pushing tandoori cooking as an art form. The many flavors of the meats and breads are truly delicious. He has introduced many different flat types of bread, called “nan”, including mint, lamb, garlic, onion and others. Gurdev describes his most fulfilling moments on the job as when he watches others sample his cooking. “Each day, I come to the restaurant with a renewed commitment to doing my best to please our customers. There is nothing more rewarding than to watch our diners bite into the meats and breads from our tandooi ovens. It doesn’t matter who they are – presidents and rock stars or everyday people, the sense of accomplishment is equally satisfying”.  Gurdev Singh’s engaging sense of humor and ability to smile even under pressure has served him well, and thanks to Gaylord’s busy customer base and active customer turnover it can get pretty intense in the kitchen.

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