Vineet Bhatia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vineet Bhatia

Bhatia at his Dubai restaurant
Born	9 December 1967 (1967-12-09) (age 57) Mumbai, India
Cooking style	Modern Indian
Education	The Oberoi School of Hotel Management
Spouse	Rashima Bhatia

Vineet Bhatia (born 9 December 1967) is a famous Indian chef, restaurant owner, author, and TV personality. He made history by becoming the first Indian chef to earn a Michelin star. This is a very special award for restaurants with amazing food.

He opened his first Rasoi restaurant in Chelsea, London in 2004. Later, he opened another Rasoi in Geneva, Switzerland, in 2008. Both restaurants earned Michelin stars, making him the first and only chef of Indian background to get two Michelin stars!

Today, Vineet Bhatia runs eleven restaurants. One of his most famous is "KAMA by Vineet" inside the dining hall at Harrods in London. You might also know him from TV, as he has been a judge on the Netflix show The Final Table and a judge-host on MasterChef India. He has also written two cookbooks, Rasoi: New Indian Kitchen and My Sweet Kitchen.

In 2021, Vineet became a special food ambassador for the United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland campaign. In early 2023, he received an award called the MBE for his work.

Early Life and Dreams

Vineet Bhatia was born in 1967 and grew up in Mumbai, India. When he was young, he dreamed of becoming a pilot. He lived near Juhu Airport and heard planes flying every day.

At 17, he passed an exam to join the Air Force. However, he couldn't pass the physical test. After this, he decided to try cooking. His mother loved to cook, and she inspired him.

Becoming a Chef

In 1988, Vineet Bhatia joined the Oberoi School of Hotel Management in New Delhi. He trained there until 1990. After his training, he worked as a head chef at The Oberoi hotel from 1990 to 1993.

Moving to London

In 1993, he moved to London. He became the head chef at a restaurant called Star of India in South Kensington. A food critic named Fay Maschler wrote that Bhatia had made the Indian food much better. She said he proved that Indian cooking could change and grow.

In 1998, he helped open a restaurant called Cinnamon Club. The next year, he led the kitchen at "Vineet Bhatia" in Hammersmith. Another critic, AA Gill, said that if Bhatia cooked French or Italian food, he would be called a "superchef."

Earning Michelin Stars

Vineet Bhatia opened his own restaurant, Zaika, in 1999. In 2001, he made history. He became the first chef of Indian origin to win a Michelin Star in London. He worked at Zaika for three more years.

In 2004, he opened his own restaurant, Rasoi, in Chelsea. People expected it to get a Michelin star quickly. In 2006, it did! This was Bhatia's second Michelin Star. Soon after, he opened Rasoi by Vineet in Geneva, Switzerland. In 2009, this restaurant also earned a Michelin Star. This made Vineet Bhatia the only chef of Indian origin with two Michelin stars. He was also one of the few British chefs with Michelin stars in different countries.

TV Shows and New Restaurants

In 2011, he hosted a TV show called Twist of Taste with Vineet Bhatia on Fox Traveller. In this show, he traveled across India. He gave traditional Indian dishes a new, modern twist.

He opened Saffron Lounge in Doha, Qatar, in 2012. He also had his restaurant Indego in Dubai. In the same year, Qatar Airways asked him to create new meals for their flights. In 2015, he opened his first restaurant in Saudi Arabia, "Maharaja by Vineet." Two years later, it was named the best Indian restaurant at the Food & Travel Arabia awards.

In 2016, Bhatia changed his original Rasoi restaurant in Chelsea. He renamed it Vineet Bhatia London, or VBL. At VBL, he offered a special multi-course tasting menu. In October 2017, it also received a Michelin Star. However, due to disagreements, Bhatia closed VBL to focus on other projects.

In 2019, KAMA by Vineet opened in the famous Harrods department store in London. This made him the only Michelin-starred chef there. In the same year, it was announced that he would join MasterChef India as a judge-host.

In 2021, Vineet Bhatia became a culinary ambassador for the GREAT Britain & Northern Ireland campaign. In 2023, he was awarded the Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This award was for his great work in hospitality and international trade.

Helping Others

Vineet Bhatia also cares about helping people and the planet. He works to make cooking more sustainable. This means using methods that are good for the environment. As a GREAT ambassador, he encourages sustainable cooking. He even filmed a show at Expo 2020 Dubai. He visited different country exhibits to get ideas for sustainable dishes.

Bhatia also loves to inspire young people. He showed students from Gems schools how he prepared for a special event with Prince William. He also helped host a "bake-off" competition at Jumeirah College. This event was for student development and in memory of Queen Elizabeth II.

Restaurants Around the World

Special Events

Vineet Bhatia has cooked at many interesting events around the world.

Cookbooks

Vineet Bhatia has written two cookbooks to share his recipes:

• Rasoi : New Indian Kitchen, 2009, ISBN: 978-1906650193
• My Sweet Kitchen, 2016, ISBN: 978-0995543102