Chef Vineet — taking Indian cuisine to a whole new level

I was both at once, nervous and excited about getting the opportunity to meet Chef Vineet Bhatia personally on his visit to the Eastern Province where his restaurant “Maharaja by Vineet” is located in Movenpick Hotel. The multi-award winner was honored with the highest accolade in the food industry, the Michelin star in 2001; the first Indian chef-restaurateur in 102 years to be recognized as such and thus, it is no wonder his food is lauded by customers and the food critics alike. From London, Geneva, Mauritius and Dubai to Mumbai and Saudi Arabia, Chef Bhatia’s world class restaurants offer a culinary experience like no other and yet, as I sat down for tete-a-tete with the man himself, his humility is what I found most pronounced. Below is an excerpt from our conversation:

How did your journey begin?
My journey began all the way back in 1985. I actually wanted to become a pilot but I was too short to become one so they turned me down. Then I went into textile designing in Mumbai but that wasn’t my cup of Darjeeling at all. From there I had a call from the hotel management and I went for training as I wanted to become a bar man, however, they told me I was too short to go behind a bar counter and eventually put me in the kitchen and I loved it. I figured that was what I wanted to do and so I learned to cook.

So do you have formal training?
Yes, I went to hotel school for three years and then took up a further two year advanced course so I have five years of training.

When did you open your first restaurant then?
I opened my first restaurant way back in 1999. It was a poor partnership and didn’t last for more than a few months. Then finally opened up Rasoi with partners and that’s where we got the first Michelin. Ran that for five years and then finally threw the towel in and decided to go solo. My wife and I took the risk when we decided to run it alone and now it will be 10 years next month. We followed our gut feeling and went for it and it has paid off.

How did you end up in Alkhobar?
Oh that’s a funny story. About seven years back, Dr. Khaleej Omar who owns the place, came for dinner. After eating, he told the staff he wants to meet the chef. At the time, everyone there thought he was Punjabi as he was dressed casually in a blazer and not in traditional Arab attire. Anyway, I finally went to meet him and as soon as we started talking, I figured he was Arab. We had a chat and he told me they wanted to open a restaurant in Alkhobar and my first reaction to that was “Where is Alkhobar?” I had no idea and when he told me it’s in Saudi Arabia, I said no. I could not think of any reason for me to come down here but he managed to convince me to visit the place for myself and have a look. I finally came and I loved it. I loved the hotel and something about it said it will work. It was very majestic. So, we designed the interior to give it more of a house-feel with limited seating. We wanted it to be a boutique restaurant with really fine food and great ambiance.

Your food is usually described as fusion cuisine; can you tell us more about that?
Yes, that is our USP. You get fantastic food everywhere around the world so what makes your food different? Even just in London, you get the best of everything. So what sets our food apart is our approach to it. All the ingredients I use are very Indian but we try and make it different and easy for everyone to eat. The food is meant to be subtle so you can taste all the different flavors in it without the spices overpowering the senses. Also, visual presentation is very important and unfortunately that is more often an alien concept when it comes to ‘desi’ food. Initially our food was not accepted as people said it’s not ‘classic’ Indian food but over time people have begun to accept and appreciate it.

So what is next?
We’re opening a second Maharaja, this time in Riyadh by September officially. Rasoi is opening in Bahrain in August in Gulf Hotel. The Middle East has been very important for us in terms of growth and expansion. The market is really good as people are willing to spend on good food and they go out very often. If you constantly keep up your standard and provide consistently good service, you can attract customers.

So, how is it like to be back here in the Eastern Province?
It’s great! Alkhobar has changed so much over the past few years. When I came here the first time there were no buildings, no traffic but now in such a short time, so much has changed. I usually come around four times a year. This time that I’m here, we’re running the ‘Mango Moods’ festival and that has been really enjoyable at the restaurant.

What inspires you?
Everything inspires me. People, colors, food; there is no one single thing. I could even look at cutlery and be inspired so I take ideas from everything around me.

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