Meet Vikram Vij, Amritsar-born chef with Rs 400 crore business empire, even Tom Cruise waited in line for his food
Such is the lure of celebrity Indian-born chef Vikram Vij that even the likes of Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have all had to wait in line to get their turn to feast in his restaurants.
Vikram Vij ranks among the richest chefs in the world and is the celebrated owner of multiple businesses and restaurants. Vij is also a renowned celebrity chef in the western part of the world and an author. Born in Amritsar and brought up in Mumbai and Delhi, Vij left home with a “one-way ticket” and a bunch of spices from his mother in his suitcase.
The story of Vij begins in Austria as a hotel management student. At times, he had to survive on free meals at the local Hare Krishna chapter. Vij worked with a luxury hotel chain located in the Alps when he got a big breakthrough. Impressed by one of his dishes, a top executive offered Vij a job in Canada’s Banff Springs Hotel.
Vij worked in several Vancouver restaurants before opening his first venture, a small fine dining joint, in 1994. He got married the same year to his future business partner Meeru Dhalwala. The couple built multiple businesses together, Vij’s on Cambie, Vij’s at Home curry factory, Rangoli and My Shanti. They parted ways in 2012.
The Indian-origin top chef in Canada is a staunch advocate of sustainable food. The likes of Hollywood star Tom Cruise, Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg and Canada Prime Minister Justin Trudeau have all had to wait in line to get their turn to feast on Vikram Vij’s delectable recipes, according to a Vancouver Sun report.
Vij is also an investor having put his money in the Canadian reality TV show Dragon’s Den. He has also co-written 2 award-winning cookbooks. As per several reports, Vikram Vij commands an estimated net worth of $50 million (over Rs 410 crore) in 2023.