Gourmand, connoisseur and celebrity chef, Chef Vicky Ratnani is a huge name in the culinary world. From authoring a cookbook, being a chef on luxury ocean liners, hosting multiple winning food shows to even being the personal chef of Nelson Mandela and founding a gourmet burger brand, he is indeed one of India’s biggest celebrity chefs. Some of his ‘droolsome’ food shows including ‘Vickypedia’, ‘A Taste Down Under’ (shot in Australia), ‘Vicky Goes Desi’, ‘Vicky Goes Foreign’, ‘Gourmet Central’, ‘Vicky Goes Veg’, ‘Pressure Cooker’, ‘Sanjeev Kapoor ke Kitchen Khiladi’, and ‘Health Mange More’ have generated the highest ratings in the food world on TV.
He has also penned a book on global vegetarian food with an Indian twist called ‘Vicky Goes Veg’ which won a Gourmand Award for ‘Best Vegetarian Cookbook India’ in 2016. With a culinary lineage so rich, it’s no doubt that his restaurant in Mumbai – The Korner House by Chef Vicky is immensely popular and has even won the ‘Best Restaurant – European Cuisine’ at several prestigious food award shows.
If all this is not enough, Vicky has also been instrumental in conceptualising the cuisine for ‘Insignia’ by Inox Cinemas all over India. These are high-end multiplex food kiosks, with state-of-the-art technology, serving global vegetarian food from live, open kitchens designed by Vicky himself
Vicky’s travels and his knowledge of global trends have led him to develop a web series called ‘Vicky The Gastronaut’, which is streaming on his Facebook page. The series has crossed over 10 million views.
With a career spanning over three decades, he has earned a reputation for pushing the boundaries of flavour and creativity. He is the face of innovation in the industry and crafts dishes with the most attention to detail.
We caught up with him at a pop-up event #BitesBeyondBorders, he hosted at Mumbai’s Neuma. His eyes visibly light up when he tells us that he loves the concept of ‘taste travel’ and his curated menus often showcase his signature style of weaving flavours and ingredients from across the globe, highlighting his passion for using fresh, locally sourced ingredients and adding an Indian twist to it.
His Foodastic Journey!
But how did it all start? Chef Vicky Ratnani’s tryst with food started way back when he fell in love with… food! He says, “Food has always been a passion, more than cooking. I loved to eat. Food has been the centre point of my life. I got into Dadar Catering College in Mumbai but honestly, even then I wasn’t sure if I wanted to become a chef. But I loved everything about food, presentation, understanding cuisines.”
After his education, he went abroad and started working there. His love for travel made him visit many places on the globe and there, he started his tryst with global cuisine. He says, “I learned a lot about local cuisine, spices, ingredients etc from there. After coming back to India, I started with Aurus, Nido, did television and here I am.”
But ask him about his most thrilling experience and he says with pride, “I cooked for Mr Nelson Mandela on my journey from Durban to Cape Town while Mr Mandela was promoting my charitable venture. I was lucky enough to meet him – he hugged and blessed me.”
Taste Travel
He loves to craft new-age food stories with old-soul ways… “I have seen more of the world than India. I love travelling and so always want to learn and absorb culinary skills.”
So what does he think of the new international trend in food? He says, “Culinary tourism is huge these days! People love to travel and scout around for the best food places.” But Chef Vicky is true to his roots and proudly wears his Sindhi roots as a badge of honour…Says he, “As a chef, though it’s hard to pinpoint one kind of cuisine that I absolutely love, but if I have to pick – then it would be Sindhi food.”
Pop-up
So what is Chef Vicky’s pop-up #BitesBeyondBorders all about? “Well, it is all about fluidity, creating a gourmet explosion, whipping up a culinary storm with the right blend of ingredients, methods, and flavours. Mumbai’s food culture is vibrant and dynamic, and I’m excited to share my culinary vision with the city’s food enthusiasts. We have crafted a menu that reflects my love for innovative cooking techniques and bold flavours. As the name says #BitesBeyondBorders, it is a menu which shows the unification of the world. In terms of the flavours, it shows different flavours from different parts of the world, different techniques, different colours; so it’s a lot of fun happening.”
There are a lot of food pop-ups coming up these days. How do pop-ups in the food business work? Chef Vicky avers, “I think the pop-ups in the food business are working pretty well. It is all about the things they showcase, how different talents can come into a talent pool and create some amazing synergies in terms of food, motivation and morale. It also helps the restaurant’s guests to get a different kind of menu. It is a learning point and about cross-culture and cross-training. You also learn to work in a different market. You get a chance to display your skills to the restaurant staff and the chefs as well.”
If there is one dish in #BitesBeyondBorders menu at Neuma that personifies Chef Vicky Ratnani, what would it be? Chef Vicky sums up, “I think the closest one to me is the Sindhi Lampshade and the Bugal Chawal. It is basically a mutton curry and rice recipe which is eaten in Sindhi households and bringing that dish to the table is the big nostalgia.”
