Chef Vicky Ratnani popularly known for his cook show Vickypedia, is a gourmand, connoisseur, and in his own words,‘a chef who is celebrated for his good work’. Having worked with various cruise liners and restaurants abroad in the initial years of his professional career, Chef Ratnani shares with Steena Joy his insights on the food scene in India and why he feels Indian cuisine has moved up in fineness into a different zone
How has your journey been as a chef?
I think what people must realise that a chef's career is not a bed of roses. It's been very hard work and I am not complaining about it. The journey of any professional in the F&B industry can be as volatile as they want it to be like accepting challenges; working long hours; staying away from family; spending nights in the middle of the rough waters of the ocean; celebrating when everyone is sleeping and actually working throughout the year when people are celebrating. So it has been an amazing journey in which it has been like an all round management school whereas a chef you learn about punctuality, productivity, morale and motivation, cost efficiency, etc. So it is actually all of the management that one can think of has come into my life. It's working with 37 different nationalities, learning a lot from different people. And, when I returned to India, I have been fortunate enough to set up two world-class restaurants which are Aurus and Nido where we did a lot of modern cooking. The F&B industry has moved by leaps and bounds. There are restaurants which come in and go out every day. Television has been good to increase the reach of the people. I used to serve 200-300 people in a restaurant, but it's a great feeling when you influence over 20 million people every year! So it has been a good journey until now and I would just say that at the end of the day I don't like the word celebrity chef. I am a chef who is celebrated for his good work.
Who has been your inspiration?
I have followed chefs in America who were culinary students or head chefs in restaurants and then went on to create their own restaurants and businesses in different verticals and empires around it. Jean-Georges, Daniel Bello are few of the chefs who have created multi-vertical businesses and restaurants.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2019 من Express Food & Hospitality.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
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هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة May 2019 من Express Food & Hospitality.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Managing A Cost Efficient Kitchen In Times Of Price Volatility
The second day of the 39th edition of EF&H Expo saw executive chefs and F&B heads of leading hotels in Mumbai voice their views on the challenges and opportunities faced by them in running a cost efficient kitchen during times of volatility in pricing of staple ingredients.
Think About Where The Market Is Headed, Prepare For Tomorrow, And Move Fast
Chander Baljee, CMD, Royal Orchid & Regenta Hotels is a veteran hospitality thought leader and an expert on owned, leased, managed and franchised hotel models. His success story features in a book titled ‘Stay Hungry Stay Foolish’ which follows the professional journey of 25 IIM Ahmedabad entrepreneurs. In an exclusive interview with Steena Joy, he elucidates on the changing hospitality landscape, the demand for industry status and advises hoteliers to boldly venture into newer segments, try new niches and create new experiences.
TODAY'S CHEFS ARE RECOGNISED, NOT JUST AS ARTISANS OF FOOD, BUT ALSO FOR THEIR SKILLS AS CULINARY AMBASSADORS
Chef Davinder Kumar, president, Indian Culinary Forum and VP (F&B Production) & executive chef, Le Meridien New Delhi, started his career in 1972 with the Oberoi Group of hotels. The group later sponsored him to go to the Lychee Technique de Hotelier in Paris, to work with selected chefs specialised in French cuisine. He was also the sole Indian representative at the International Cooking Festival held in Tokyo in 1983 and was awarded a medal for his presentation of Indian cuisine. He speaks to Steena Joy on how the culinary scene has evolved in India and his vision for ICF.
Industry experts laud Centre's decision to boost infra and tourism sector in Union Budget for FY 2020-21
THE UNION BUDGET for FY2020-21 focused on three key themes - aspiring India, economic development and caring society.
The demand-supply gap in Indian hospitality industry
At the second GM's Conclave held at the 39th edition of EF&H Expo in Mumbai, our esteemed panelists from leading hotels in Mumbai and Pune discussed the room inventory status in the metros and why hotels need to change their market mix to open up new opportunities.
Go for the kill: Saving v/s vendor relationship
Organised in association with Hospitality Procurement Managers' Forum (HPMF), the second day of the three-day EF&H Mumbai Expo conducted the Power of Purchase, where the who's who of the hospitality procurement fraternity discussed ways to balance two aspects i.e cost saving and maintaining vendor relationship strategically.
Impact of automated revenue management system using Artificial Intelligence in hotels
It is time that concepts like Artificial Intelligence and machine learning also enter the field of marketing and pricing, and not just directly relating to enhancing superior guest experience, says Siddharth Goenka, founder, Aiosell Technologies.
Economic slowdown: Riding out the storm
The first GM's Conclave panel discussion at the 39th edition of Express Food & Hospitality Expo in Mumbai highlighted how the country's hospitality industry is strategising to face the slowdown.
Designing experiential spaces
Hotels and restaurants are reshaping the look, feel and appeal of their properties, using exterior and interior designs as one of the differentiating methods to create unique experiences. Hospitality spaces are moving from utilitarian functionality to contemporary aesthetics and experience driven developments engaging the senses.
INDIA IS ONE OF THE LARGEST POTENTIAL EXPORT MARKETS FOR JIANGXIAOBAI PURE
VBev, a dynamic company engaged in the import, marketing, sales and distribution of international wines, spirits and beers recently introduced first and only premium Baijiu - Jiangxiaobai Pure in the India market. In coversation with Akshay Nayak, Sumedh Singh Mandla, CEO, VBev India and Zoe Fu, director of International Business, Jiangxiaobai, spoke about the future roadmap of the premium white spirit in India market.
