Wegmans Food Market at Woodbridge has what may be a first for supermarkets: A tandoori oven. Executive Chef Llewellyn Correia, who grew up in Bombay, will be teaching his staff to master a dazzling array of dishes traditionally made in this kind of oven that bakes at sizzling 550 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Yes, it will produce Tandoori chicken, but many other dishes as well. Namely, Spiced Ground Lamb Shish Kebab, Malai Kebab, Boti Kebab and Chicken Tikka Masala, plus a variety of Indian flat breads.

Tandoori dishes aside, though, Chef Correia and his team will also create tantalizing dishes at the Asian Buffet Bar from countries including Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Ready-to-eat possibilities on any given day will be broad, and will include such favorites as Chicken Française, Salmon Primavera, Grilled Vegetables, Potato Pancakes, Crab Cakes, Meatloaf, and Fried Chicken, to name a few. From freshly made salads to sushi to homemade soups, all dishes are freshly made right in the store,

Chef Correia’s favorite culinary challenge is creating new “fusion” dishes. “One of the most interesting jobs I ever had was working on a cruise ship that journeyed up the coast of California to Mexico, the Caribbean and Alaska,” Correia says. “There were crew members from 32 different countries making their own food; tasting it all was like going to an enormous cooking school.

“When I look at a map of the world, I think of food. As executive chef at Wegmans, I oversee all the prepared food in the store and we have products from around the globe. My experiences from around the world have helped me learn how to get flavors right, so dishes taste just like they came from a particular country or region.”

Correia’s staff will deliver the excellent customer service that Wegmans is known for. What that means to him is “serving the freshest and best food we can to make for our customers happy. We want to serve them as we would like to be served, if we were guests in their home.”

Correia found his way to Wegmans after having traveled widely. Born in East Africa and raised in Bombay, Correia finished school in India with a degree in Hotel Management. He then apprenticed at the Sheraton International, and soon after, went to work for Premier Cruise Lines, on SS Majestic, SS Atlantic and The Stardancer.

He returned to school for additional culinary training, finishing a degree from the Culinary Institute of America at Hyde Park in 1993. He then spent a year in Bermuda with the Grotto Bay Beach Hotel, and then spent six years with food service management companies before joining Wegmans in 1999. He is a member of the Chaine de Rotisseurs, and was one of the team of Wegmans chefs that prepared a Sunday Brunch at the James Beard House last fall.

Correia is married to Trudy who is a Research Scientist and is also a good cook. They have a daughter, Lauren who was born in 1995 and who “loves to eat.” The Correia family, when dining at home, often keeps things deliciously simple: “We cook a lot on the grill,” he says. “Grilled marinated chicken, smoked sausage, and salmon infused with a blend of spices are some of our favorites.”

12 September 2003

Wegmans Food Market is planning what may be a first for supermarkets in Woodbridge, New Jersey, on November 9 -- a tandoori oven.

Executive chef Llowellyn Correia, who grew up in Mumbai, will be teaching his staff to cook a dazzling array of dishes that are baked at 550 to 750 degrees Fahrenheit. Spices ground lamb, shish kabab, malai kabab, boti kabab and chicken tikka masala, plus a variety of Indian flat breads will be on the menu.

The Asian Buffet bar at Woodbridge Wegmans will include cuisine from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines and the Mediterranean. Correia's culinary challenge is to create fusion dishes.

"One of the most interesting jobs I ever had was working on a cruise ship that journeyed up the coast of California to Mexico," he said.

Correia has been with Wegmans in Princeton for the last four years and has been treating customers to dishes like aloo mattar, mutton masala, chicken sagwala, vegetable jalfrezi and chilli chicken. But the Woodbridge market will have what Princeton does not, the tandoori oven.

From Princeton and Woodbridge, Correia plans to introduce Indian and Asian food gradually to the other locations of Wegmans, which now number 74 in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Correia found his way to Wegmans after having travelled widely. Born in East Africa and raised in Mumbai, he finished school with a degree in hotel management. He then apprenticed at the Sheraton International and, soon after, went to work for Premier Cruise Lines. He is married to cook Trudy and they have an eight-year-old daughter.

About fusion food, chef Correia told IANS: "For example, I use the curry paste used in Thai food to cook the dishes, but make them the Indian way. As a result, the food tastes neither like Thai nor Indian, but something unique and tasty."

About the favourite food he likes to eat at home, he said: "We cook a lot on the grill. Grilled marinated chicken, smoked sausage, and salmon infused with a blend of spices are some of our favourites."

On September 9, a Wegman team led by Correia took part in the Golden Spoon Awards, with 'A Touch of Asia' as the theme, at Hyatt Hotel in New Brunswick.

"There were about 52 establishments competing. Of the four categories of best appetiser, best entrée, best dessert and best overall, we won two, best overall and best appetiser."

Correia speaks a smattering of Spanish and Portuguese and is fluent in Hindi, Kiswahili, Konkani and, of course, English. "I've traveled the world and I understand people's ethnicity and how they react to things," Correia said as lunch-hour customers eyed his Ultimate Crab Cakes ($9.99 each) and chicken Francaise ($11.99 a pound).

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