Yangdup Lama, Mixologist
“I moved to Delhi for my then-girlfriend. Don’t do that!”
Where were you career-wise?
I had just moved to Delhi from Kolkata in 1995 and started my bartending career at Polo Lounge at the Hyatt Regency.
What was the money situation?
I had 3,000 and lived with friends for two months in a barsati in
Safdarjung Enclave.
Any romance in life?
I had a girlfriend in Delhi, who had written a letter saying that if I don’t move to Delhi, our relationship didn’t have a future. So, I packed up my suitcase and left. Three days after I reached, I found out she was seeing someone else.
Was your family supportive?
They were in Darjeeling and for three years they thought I was the manager at a hotel but I was a server at the bar. They were happy I was financially stable. I went back after working for a year with 90k and I bought a small piece of land, which I built upon every year.
What did you do for fitness?
Playing football on the IIT grounds and Siri Fort.
What was your sense of fashion like?
I was always fascinated with sports which reflected in my wardrobe. I loved wearing sneakers and jackets and jerseys of football teams.
Your most prized possession?
My suitcase, which I bought in 1992 and still have though the handle is broken,
Your biggest dream then?
To be the hotel’s general manager. I thought they had the best life.
One thing you’d change yourself then?
I wish I had tried more cocktails. I didn’t drink alcohol the first two years. Later, it took time to establish myself as a mixologist.
The biggest life lesson you learnt:
Don’t shift cities due to your girl/ boyfriend. Think from your head, not your heart.
“MY FAMILY THOUGHT I WAS THE MANAGER AT A HOTEL, BUT I WAS A SERVER AT THE BAR”
Any vices then?
Not really. I was just an introvert. It took me three years to find friends in Delhi!