Zaika, Rasoi and a Michelin Star: Vineet Bhatia

The first Michelin-starred Indian chef, Vineet Bhatia has represented India and its culinary history to the rest of the world in the most authentic way. In a desperate attempt to finish his studies, he ended up in a hotel management course to discover his passion for cooking. Chef Vineet Bhatia has indeed come a long way.

Chef Vineet Bhatia, Source: Facebook

A world-renowned Indian-British chef, Michelin-star restaurateur, and author, Chef Vineet Bhatia has presented Indian cuisine to the world in the most authentic way. Recently, he received the honoured MBE (Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) award from King Charles III for his contribution to UK cuisine, hospitality, and international trade. He is the only chef of Indian origin to have received two Michelin stars. However, not many know that Chef Vineet Bhatia's dream was to fly and join the Indian Air Force, and never in his wildest dreams did he imagine becoming a chef.

Vineet Bhatia Received the MBE Award, Source: The Global Indian

Hailing from Bombay, Chef Vineet Bhatia was a very picky eater in his childhood. He comes from a Punjabi family, and everyone in his family was either a doctor or an engineer. His mother was a lawyer. Chef Vineet was not selected for the Air Force as he could not meet the minimum required criteria of height to qualify for the same. However, he was offered a place in the Navy and the Army, which he politely declined as he had always wanted to fly. Moving forward, he applied to the Oberoi School of Hotel Management. His career started at a very young age, as he also interned at the Oberois. Even at the Oberois, he wanted to become a barman, but due to his height, he was told that short men couldn't stand behind a bar and that he should be in the kitchen where no one would see him.

During those days, everyone wanted to do French cuisine as it was a shortcut to becoming an executive chef and was also considered haute cuisine. However, Chef Vineet was determined to do Indian cuisine as it is known for its rich culture, and he was passionate about it. After spending five years at Oberois, Chef Vineet moved to the UK in 1993. He joined as an executive chef at a restaurant named Star of India. He was given the freedom to experiment with his food, and he made sure to put his best foot forward in bringing Indian culture to the UK.

After a few years, he partnered with an Italian businessman and opened a restaurant named Zaika. With more popularity came more customers, but in just a few years, he realised that his Italian partner was not sharing the money. So, he had to call it quits and start afresh. His wife Rashima has been his backbone since the beginning of his journey. They collectively applied for a loan with their house as collateral. They opened a small restaurant in Chelsea called Rasoi by Vineet. It became an instant hit as his dishes were more progressive and unheard of. Within just one and a half years, he earned his first Michelin star. In 2008, he opened another Rasoi restaurant in Geneva, and within another fifteen months, he received another Michelin star.

Chef Vineet in MasterChef India, Source: Facebook

With just seven pounds in his pocket, he went to the UK with the sole passion of following his calling to bring Indian cuisine to the world. His food may look Western and progressive, but if one tasted the food with their eyes closed, it would be all Indian on their palate. Chef Vineet became a household name in India when he became a judge on MasterChef India. Today, Chef Vineet Bhatia is a pioneer of Indian cuisine, and time and again he has proved that if life gives you a lemon, make a Michelin star out of it.