Chai Trivedi

Chai Trivedi brings 20+ years of combined culinary prowess and kitchen management expertise to his role as Executive Chef at Hidden Leaf. A New York City native, Chef Trivedi’s culinary career began in Southeast Asia where he spent time traveling and apprenticing for chefs during a recess from his Network Engineer position. He found his calling to cuisine and trained under the direction of notable chefs, exposing him to a diverse range of cultures including Italian, French, Asian, and Indian – all of which inspire his practice today. Following his return to New York City, Chef Trivedi worked under Chef Patricia Yeo as Sous Chef at Sapa, after which he secured a position as the opening Executive Chef at Pranna. Chef Trivedi pursued the art of Asian cuisine at Buddakan in 2010 as Executive Sous Chef, working under the tutelage of Chef Brian Ray to additionally hone his management and business skills. In 2012 Chef Trivedi served as Executive Chef under Chef Laurent Tourondel at Eventi Hotel, where he spearheaded two full-service restaurants with five floors of banquet space and hosted elaborate events to gross average food sales of $9M.

Chef operated the kitchen at Renaissance Midtown Hotel in 2017, later serving as Executive Sous Chef alongside Chef Andrew Carmellini at Lafayette Grand Café and Bakery. Prior to joining Hidden Leaf, Chef Trivedi managed all aspects of the culinary program as Executive Chef at Hotel Indigo Williamsburg Brooklyn, including planning menus, training personnel, and overseeing food preparation. Chef Trivedi is a multifaceted food and beverage professional who emphasizes the simplicity of using the highest quality ingredients to create the most flavorful cuisines, showcasing his artistry to progress to the final round during his appearance on the Food Network cooking competition Chopped in 2012. When Chef is not in the kitchen, he enjoys listening to Punk Rock vinyl and attending live shows.