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Vikram Vij (born 1964)Vikram Vij of Vij's - Biography Vancouver, BC
starchefs, June 2011.
is an Indian-born Canadian chef, cookbook author, and television personality. He is co-owner, with his ex-wife Meeru Dhalwala, of the Indian cuisine restaurants Vij's Restaurant and Rangoli Restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia."The Cheat: The Greens Party"
'' New York Times'', November 3, 2010.
He also owns My Shanti, a restaurant in South Surrey, BC. In 2014, Vij was announced as a new "dragon" investor on the Canadian reality show '' Dragons' Den'' for its ninth season and departed at the end of the season. Vikram Vij grew up in India in
Amritsar Amritsar (), historically also known as Rāmdāspur and colloquially as ''Ambarsar'', is the second largest city in the Indian state of Punjab, after Ludhiana. It is a major cultural, transportation and economic centre, located in the Majha r ...
, Delhi and Bombay."Vancouver chef reinvents Indian food"
''
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'', September 3, 2009.
In 1983, he left India to study Hotel/Motel Management in Salzburg, Austria. While there he received his chef's training. Vij later became a certified sommelier.


Career

After working in Salzburg and Vienna for a few years, Vij moved to Canada in 1989, when he joined the Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada. From 1992 until 1994, Vij worked at Bishop's restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia, for prominent Canadian chef John Bishop. Eventually in 1994, at the age of 30 he opened a fine-dining restaurant, Vij's, in Vancouver, soon to be joined in business by his wife Meeru Dhalwala. In the early days his parents would make the curry at their home and deliver it by bus to the restaurant."Flavours of Vij's excellent adventure"
'' Vancouver Sun'', September 20, 2006.
By 2003,
Mark Bittman Mark Bittman (born February 17, 1950) is an American food journalist, author, and former columnist for ''The New York Times''. Currently, he is a fellow at the Union of Concerned Scientists. Bittman has promoted VB6 (Vegan Before 6:00), a flexit ...
of '' The New York Times'' was praising Vij's Restaurant as "easily among the finest Indian restaurants in the world". A decade later in 2004, Vij and Dhalwala opened a second restaurant and market, the casual-style Rangoli. Rangoli sells their line of pre-packaged gourmet curries named "Vij's Inspired Indian Cuisine". In 2011, Vij and Dhalwala completed and opened a food processing facility to better meet retailer interest in the product line. The product line is sold in grocery stores across Canada. Foods produced at the facility are also sold at food service sites such as Whistler Mountain, Loblaws City Markets and more. Vij and Dhalwala have collaborated on two cookbooks, with Dhalwala writing the text. They published ''Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine'' in 2006, which won several awards in 2007, including Cuisine Canada's Gold Award for Best Cookbook and Cordon d'Or Gold Ribbon International Cookbook Award. In 2010, the pair published ''Vij's at Home: Relax Honey'', which placed second in the Best Indian Cuisine Book in the World category at the 2010 Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. Vij has been an ongoing contributor to ''
The Globe and Mail ''The Globe and Mail'' is a Canadian newspaper printed in five cities in western and central Canada. With a weekly readership of approximately 2 million in 2015, it is Canada's most widely read newspaper on weekdays and Saturdays, although it ...
'' since November 28, 2007. In 2012, Vij's Railway Express was launched onto the streets of Vancouver. It is a mobile food truck serving Indian curries to people in downtown Vancouver for weekday lunch and at private catering events. Vij opened his first solo restaurant, My Shanti, based in South Surrey, in 2014. My Shanti means "my peace" and the menu is based on Vij's culinary travels, and includes flavours, ingredients and influences from all over the world. My Shanti won Vancouver Magazine's Best Indian Restaurant in 2016. The Rangoli location on South Granville closed in May 2020, and the menu was consolidated with Vij's on Cambie due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.


Culinary philosophy

Vij and Dhalwala's culinary philosophy has been described as "keeping spices and cooking techniques Indian, while using meats, seafood and produce that are locally available." Vij has asserted that their cuisine should not be labeled fusion cuisine as the techniques and spices used are traditional to India. Vij and Dhalwala advocate sustainability in their kitchen practices and ingredient selection. Two of their restaurants are known to have an all female kitchen staff.


Personal life

Vij married Dhalwala on December 24, 1994. Dhalwala was born in India but grew up in Washington, D.C. Vij and Dhalwala were introduced by their mothers who were old friends. They have two daughters, and live in Vancouver, British Columbia. Vij and Dhalwala are now divorced.


Notable career milestones

Vij's Restaurant was one of the twenty featured restaurants at the James Beard Annual Gala Awards 1998, in New York City, and was invited to prepare dinner at the James Beard House. In 2001, Vij was invited to be a member of the prestigious gastronomic society Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs. In April 2012, Vij participated in the second annual Varli Food Festival at the
Metropolitan Pavilion The Metropolitan Pavilion is an exhibition venue located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1992, the venue offers four loft event spaces in one location. The Metropolitan Pavilion is situated next door to the o ...
in Manhattan's Chelsea neighborhood, which was hosted by Top Chef's Padma Lakshmi and Indian celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor. More than 2,000 attended the festival to sample cuisine from the 60 high-profile Indian chefs including Vij. Vij and Dhalwala's restaurants have received numerous local awards including those from ''
Vancouver Magazine ''Vancouver Magazine'' is an English-language lifestyle magazine focused on Vancouver, British Columbia and the Lower Mainland. ''Vancouver Magazine'' describes its mission as informing, guiding and entertaining residents of a "dynamic, internati ...
'''s restaurant awards. In 1999, Vij's Restaurant was listed in the top five Vancouver restaurants in ''Gourmet'' magazine's annual restaurant awards, as well as receiving Chef of the Year from Vancouver Magazine in 2015. Vij himself received an Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award for the Pacific region in hospitality and tourism in 2011. Vij's Restaurant has been featured in a variety of North American television broadcasts and publications, including Food Network Canada, CNN, ''
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'', '' The New York Times'', '' The Washington Post'', ''
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'', ''
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'', ''
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'', ''Sunset'' magazine, and ''Art Culinaire''.
Omni Television Omni Television (stylized as OMNI Television) is a Canadian television system and specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media, a subsidiary of Rogers Communications. It currently consists of all six of Canada's conventional multicultural t ...
made a documentary titled ''A Day In The Life of… Vij's'', giving an intimate portrait of Vij and Dhalwala, and a behind the scene look at Vij's Restaurant. Vij was featured on ''At the Table With'', a Food Network Canada series, in 2008. The same year Vij's Rangoli was a subject of
Anthony Bourdain Anthony Michael Bourdain (; June 25, 1956 – June 8, 2018) was an American celebrity chef, author, and travel documentarian who starred in programs focusing on the exploration of international culture, cuisine, and the human condition. Bourdai ...
's '' No Reservations''. Vij made his famous lamb popsicles for Giada De Laurentiis when she visited Vij's Restaurant on her Food Network series ''
Giada's Weekend Getaways ''Giada's Weekend Getaways'' is a show on the US Food Network that ran from 2007 to 2008. The show follows chef Giada De Laurentiis around the US for "3 day weekend adventures." The show begins Friday afternoon, as Giada arrives at her destinatio ...
''. Vij was a guest judge on '' Top Chef Canada'' in 2011, and was invited back for the 2012 season. He was also the guest of honour in a 2013 Top Chef Canada episode dedicated to Indian cuisine. That episode also featured the Vij's At Home packaged foods, which were sampled by the contestants. He was also a judge on the first ever Chopped Canada show, which premiered on Food Network Canada in January 2014 and he appeared weekly on CBC's Recipe to Riches, which began in February 2014. In June 2011, the BC Food Processors Association honoured Vij with the Rising Star Award. Vij's Railway Express, based on the chef's travels by rail throughout India, was awarded the inaugural People's Choice Award from Air Canada's enRoute Magazine, as Canada's Best New Restaurant in 2013. In March 2013, Vij hosted the world's first ever live-streamed cook-along, Cook Live With Vikram Vij. As part of Vij's goal, to make Indian cuisine accessible to all, people were encouraged to join him live online and cook a family meal at the same time, taking instruction from an award-winning chef. They were able to Tweet questions and photos as the curry was being prepared. My Shanti was listed as number one in the Globe and Mail's Top 10 New Vancouver Restaurants of 2014 and one of the Vancouver Sun's Best New Restaurants for 2014. My Shanti also won Vancouver Magazine's Best Indian Restaurant in 2016. Within weeks of opening, My Shanti received a nomination from Air Canada's ''enRoute Magazine'' as one of Canada's Best New Restaurants. It is the second year in a row a Vij's establishment has been nominated, having won the People's Choice award in 2013 with Vij's Railway Express. In October 2014, Vij made his debut as a Dragon on CBC's '' Dragons' Den'' and departed at the end of the season. He took his place in the Den alongside entrepreneurs
Jim Treliving Walter James Treliving (born 12 May 1941) is a Canadian businessman and TV personality who co-owns Boston Pizza. From 2006 to 2021, Treliving was one of the investor "dragons" on the Canadian television show ''Dragons' Den''. Career Treliving ...
,
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, David Chilton and
Michael Wekerle Michael Wekerle (born December 17, 1963) is a Canadian merchant banker and television personality, best known for being an investor on the Canadian reality show ''Dragons' Den (Canadian TV series), Dragons' Den'' for three years first appearing in ...
. In 2015, Vij was one of the recipients of the
Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards The Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards is an annual campaign by ''Canadian Immigrant'' magazine that recognizes outstanding work by immigrants who "have come to Canada and have made a positive difference living in the country." Overview First ...
presented by Canadian Immigrant Magazine. In June 2015, Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala were both awarded honorary Doctorates of Law by Simon Fraser University and in May 2016 they were honoured to receive honorary Doctorates of Law from the University of British Columbia.


Advocacy and industry contribution

Vij is a passionate supporter of the
sustainable food A sustainable food system is a type of food system that provides healthy food to people and creates sustainable environmental, economic and social systems that surround food. Sustainable food systems start with the development of sustainable agr ...
industry. He has championed many causes such as the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Program. He has been involved with Farm Folk City Folk and was past president and active member of The Chef's Table Society of British Columbia. He is also part of the Green Table Society and is involved in UBC Farm fundraisers. Vij and Dhalwala's dedication to the work done at UBC resulted in the funding and opening of Vij's Kitchen, a state-of-the-art culinary learning facility at the University of British Columbia, dedicated to teaching the chefs and nutritionists of the future about ethnic food and cuisine. In 2010, Vij and fellow British Columbian chef, Robert Clark, spearheaded the 2nd Canadian Chefs' Congress on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with the theme of "Oceans for Tomorrow". Vij is active in the Vancouver, Indo-Canadian arts and cultural community. He was a special guest and host at the 2011 Indian Summer Festival. The festival was a celebration of the Indian community's cultural contributions, the 125th anniversary of Vancouver, and the federal government's declaration of 2011 as "The Year of India in Canada". At the event he partnered with percussionist
Ashwin Sood Ashwin Sood (born 25 September 1967) is an English–born Canadian musician and drummer. He is best known for his musical association with his ex-wife, Sarah McLachlan. Sood was born in the United Kingdom to Indian immigrant parents, and grew u ...
, blending the sounds and flavours of India. In 2012, Vij again was featured in the festival, this time leading a "culinary tour of India" at the opening gala. In addition, Vij supports the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society. He hosted the organization's "Storyteller's Gala", held at the
Museum of Vancouver The Museum of Vancouver (MOV) (formerly the Vancouver Museum and prior to that the Centennial Museum) is a civic history museum located in Vanier Park, Vancouver, British Columbia. The MOV is the largest civic museum in Canada and the oldest museum ...
in 2010. Vij has twice led small groups on educational food trips to India, which involved visiting homes of local cooks and chefs. He led the tour in northern India the first year, southern India the second.


Bibliography

* ''Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine'', with Meeru Dhalwala. Douglas & McIntyre, 2006. . *
Vij's at Home: Relax, Honey: The Warmth and Ease of Indian Cooking
', with Meeru Dhalwala. Douglas & McIntyre, 2011. . * ''Vij A Chef's One-way Ticket to Canada With Indian Spices in His Suitcase.'' Penguin Canada, 2017 .


References


Q&A with Vikram Vij: the celebrated Vancouver chef.
'' Toronto Life''


External links


Vij's website
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Vij, Vikram 1964 births Living people Businesspeople from Vancouver Canadian restaurateurs Canadian television chefs Chefs of Indian cuisine Cookbook writers Indian emigrants to Canada Participants in Canadian reality television series Writers from Vancouver Canadian venture capitalists Indian chefs Canadian male chefs Chefs from Vancouver