Here he worked as a sous chef in one of the five restaurants in the hotel supervising a staff of 18 and immediately raising the standards in the kitchen. In January 1994 Kochhar moved to the restaurant of chef Bernard Kunig. Kochhar continued his cooking career and in January 2001 at the age of 31, Kochhar was the first Indian chef to be awarded a Michelin star.
Kochhar worked as a sous chef in one of five hotel restaurants, supervising 18 staff members and improving kitchen standards. In January 1994, he moved to Bernard Kunig's restaurant. At age 31 in January 2001, Kochhar became the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star.