The deaf-mute cook who shocked everyone in Chef Suresh Pillai’s kitchen

Chef Suresh Pilliai with Vipin (Image credit: @chef_pillai/Instagram)

Chef Suresh Pillai had his doubts about hiring a deaf and mute cook, but it turned out to be one of the best decisions he ever made. In an Instagram video shared yesterday, the Kerala-born, Britain-based chef shared the story of 25-year-old Vipin, who now works at his restaurant in Kochi.

Chef Pillai said he received Vipin’s CV last month through someone he knew in his hometown. “Deaf-mute by birth, he was working as a staff cook in a hotel,” Pillai wrote, admitting that he was concerned about how a differently-abled person would adapt to the hectic and fast pace of a fine dining restaurant kitchen.

Still, the Kerala-born chef decided to give Vipin a chance – he called up the head chef at his Kochi restaurant, Restaurant Chef Pillai, and asked him to call Vipin for a trial.

“And guess what happened? The 25-year-old shocked everyone in the kitchen!” wrote Pillai. He said that Vipin proved himself to be capable, committed and calm in the kitchen. Disciplined and neat, he handled everything with “great poise and maturity.”

He was hired the very next day to work at Restaurant Chef Pillai Kochi, and in the month since, he has proved himself to be an invaluable member of the team.

“Today, he is a brother to the 30-odd chefs working in the kitchen,” wrote Chef Pillai. “They cook together, smile together, strive together and learn together.”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Suresh Pillai (@chef_pillai)

Pillai also revealed that when he first met Vipin in person, he told him he would always have a home with the restaurant. “I don’t know if he understood it or not, but he held my hands tightly and looked at me. The moment I saw his eyes, I knew. I knew my heart was right - this boy was special,” the chef wrote.

He concluded his Instagram post by noting that food does not have a language, it does not need ears or eyes – it only needs passion. “Vipin, you are an inspiration to me, for the entire RCP family. We’re all here as your sound and words, for as long as you need us,” Chef Pillai wrote.

His Instagram video has gone viral with over 1.5 million views. In the comments section, many called it a heartwarming and wholesome post, while others praised Chef Pillai for taking a chance on a differently-abled employee.