Early Life in Mumbai – Roots of a Culinary Dream | Chef Vicky Ratnani biography |Celebrity chef Vicky Ratnani
The story of Vicky Ratnani begins in the vibrant lanes of Mumbai, a city where food is not just nourishment but an emotion woven into daily life. Born into a Sindhi family, Vicky’s childhood was filled with the aromas of home-cooked meals. His mother and aunts played a central role in shaping his early fascination with food. They were not professional chefs, but like many Indian women of their time, they cooked with intuition, creativity, and an almost spiritual connection to ingredients.
Vicky would often linger in the kitchen, curious about the way spices transformed ordinary vegetables into something magical. Watching his family cook was less about recipes and more about rhythm—the tossing of onions into hot oil, the careful sprinkling of masalas, the way stories were shared across the kitchen counter. This environment ignited in him not only a love for food but also a realization that food could be a medium of memory, culture, and creativity.
As a teenager, Vicky experimented in the kitchen, often to the amusement (and sometimes horror) of his family. But beneath the playful mistakes was a serious curiosity—an eagerness to break boundaries and explore new ways of cooking. His family encouraged him, and soon Vicky found his calling in the culinary arts.
The Foundation – Education at IHM Mumbai
In the early 1990s, Vicky enrolled at the Institute of Hotel Management (IHM) Mumbai, popularly known as Dadar Catering College. At a time when being a chef wasn’t considered glamorous in India, it was a bold choice. But Vicky saw beyond the stereotypes; he recognized that hospitality was an emerging industry where passion could be turned into a global career.
At IHM, he honed his technical skills—knife work, sauces, baking, butchery, and food science. He was not just a student; he was a dreamer who often went beyond the syllabus, diving into international cookbooks, experimenting with foreign ingredients, and imagining himself in kitchens far beyond India.
Graduating in 1992, Vicky was armed not only with a degree but with a burning desire to see the world through food.
The Voyage – Fourteen Years on the High Seas
After graduation, Vicky embarked on what would become one of the most defining chapters of his career—working aboard luxury cruise liners. His first posting was on the iconic QE2 (Queen Elizabeth 2), and soon he moved through the ranks aboard legendary ships like the Queen Mary 2 and the Queen Victoria.
Here, he achieved something remarkable: he became the first Indian Executive Chef in the prestigious history of the Cunard Line, a company synonymous with royal service and culinary excellence. This was not just a personal achievement but a moment of pride for Indian chefs globally.
Cooking for the World’s Icons
Life at sea exposed Vicky to guests from every corner of the globe. He cooked for some of the most influential figures of our time—Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, Antonio Banderas, Gloria Estefan, and even astronaut Buzz Aldrin. For each guest, he had to adapt his culinary style—sometimes refined European, sometimes hearty comfort food, sometimes avant-garde experimentation.
These moments were not just about celebrity encounters; they taught him the universality of food. Whether it was Mandela’s simplicity, Clinton’s sophistication, or Estefan’s warmth, Vicky realized that food had the power to connect across cultures, languages, and hierarchies.
A Global Classroom
Working on ships also meant working with chefs from dozens of nationalities. It was a melting pot of culinary traditions—French techniques blended with Italian flair, Asian spices fused with Mediterranean produce. Vicky soaked it all in.
His time living in Genoa, Italy, further refined his understanding of European cuisine. Italy gave him an appreciation for simplicity: fresh produce, seasonal cooking, and respect for ingredients. This philosophy would later become central to his identity as a chef.
Coming Home – Building a Brand in India
After fourteen years abroad, Vicky returned to India with a wealth of experience and a vision to redefine Indian culinary storytelling. Unlike many chefs who aimed to replicate international fine dining, Vicky wanted to blend global with local—to make international flavors accessible while staying true to Indian roots.
His early years back in India were filled with experimentation. He worked in restaurants, consulted for culinary projects, and began to shape his public identity as a chef with personality.
The Media Star – From Kitchens to Television
Vicky Ratnani’s breakthrough into popular culture came through television. His charismatic personality, witty humor, and ability to simplify gourmet techniques made him a natural TV star.
Hit TV Shows
He became a household name through shows like:
- Vicky Goes Veg – A celebration of vegetarian cuisine with gourmet twists.
- Vickypedia – A creative, educational food show that blended fun with facts.
- Vicky Goes Desi and Vicky Goes Foreign – Showcasing the beauty of fusion cooking.
- Gourmet Central and A Taste Down Under – Further highlighting his global culinary adventures.
These shows weren’t just about cooking; they were about inspiring everyday Indians to embrace gourmet at home. Through his shows, he introduced ingredients like broccoli, cherry tomatoes, zucchini, and olives into Indian kitchens, demystifying them for middle-class families who had previously considered them “foreign.”
Author and Award-Winner
His book, Vicky Goes Veg, published by HarperCollins, was a game-changer. It won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Vegetarian Cookbook in India. For Vicky, this was validation that his mission to blend accessibility with sophistication was working.
The Entrepreneur – Speak Burgers and Omny Kitchen
Vicky Ratnani was never content to stop at TV fame. He wanted to build culinary businesses that reflected his philosophy.
Speak Burgers
In 2021, he launched Speak Burgers by Vicky Ratnani, a gourmet cloud kitchen brand that redefined the burger for Indian palates. His burgers combined global flavors with Indian DNA—an example being a burger with tandoori-spiced patties layered with artisanal buns.
Speak Burgers represented his belief that gourmet doesn’t have to mean expensive fine dining; it can be accessible comfort food with flair.
Omny Kitchen
More recently, Vicky opened Omny Kitchen in Gurugram, a restaurant dedicated to reimagining Sindhi cuisine. For him, this was a deeply personal project. Sindhi food, despite its richness, has often been underrepresented in India’s culinary scene.
At Omny, he gave classics like sai bhaji and dal pakwan a contemporary twist, presenting them with fine-dining plating while keeping their soul intact. His approach—what he calls “ugly delicious”—proved that tradition and innovation can coexist beautifully.
Culinary Ethos – A Liberal, Progressive Chef
Vicky’s style is hard to box into one category. He is progressive and liberal, driven by produce, seasonality, and storytelling. His food is about creating experiences that connect people to cultures and ideas.
He sees himself as a gastronaut—a traveler of flavors, constantly exploring, learning, and bringing back stories to share with audiences.
His ethos also emphasizes integrity. For him, being a chef is not about glamour but about passion, dedication, and discipline. He often warns young chefs against entering the field just for TV fame, urging them to embrace the sweat and sacrifice of kitchen life.
Awards and Recognition
Over the years, Vicky Ratnani has been showered with accolades that reflect his versatility:
- Indian Restaurant Awards – Chef of the Year (2015)
- Gourmet Guru of the Year (2011)
- Best European Restaurant (Aurus, Times Food Awards)
- Most Stylish Chef (Food Food Awards, 2018)
- Culinarian of the Year (Delhiites Food Awards, 2023)
These awards affirm not only his culinary skill but also his ability to connect with audiences across platforms.
Philosophy and Legacy
At the heart of Vicky Ratnani’s legacy is his Sindhi heritage. He believes that Indian cuisine is a powerful form of soft power, capable of telling stories about culture, migration, and resilience. Through his work, he champions diversity in Indian food and seeks to put lesser-known cuisines on the global map.
His daily life is as disciplined as his kitchen. With rituals of music, meditation, fitness, and cooking with his daughter, Vicky keeps himself grounded, creative, and connected to the things that matter most.
His philosophy is simple yet profound: food is about joy, connection, and discovery. Whether cooking for Mandela or teaching a teenager how to make pasta, his goal is the same—to inspire curiosity and respect for food.
The Legacy of a Gastronaut
Chef Vicky Ratnani’s journey is not just a career story; it is a narrative of passion meeting perseverance, of tradition meeting innovation, and of India meeting the world. From Mumbai kitchens to European luxury ships, from television studios to modern cloud kitchens, he has worn many hats—but always with authenticity.
For aspiring chefs, his story is a reminder that the path to success is not linear. It requires courage to take risks, humility to learn, and creativity to build a unique identity.
As Vicky himself often says, food is not just about feeding the stomach—it is about feeding the soul. And through his work, he continues to inspire millions to see food as more than a meal—it is a journey, an adventure, a story.
Chef Vicky Ratnani – A Journey of Flavor and Discovery
Born and raised in Mumbai, Vicky Ratnani grew up in a Sindhi household where food was at the heart of family life. Inspired by his mother and aunts’ cooking, he developed a fascination for flavors early on. Determined to turn this passion into a career, he joined the Institute of Hotel Management, Mumbai (Dadar Catering College), graduating in 1992 with dreams that reached far beyond Indian kitchens.
His career took flight on the seas, where he spent 14 years working aboard luxury cruise liners like the QE2, Queen Mary 2, and Queen Victoria. Rising through the ranks, he made history as the first Indian Executive Chef on Cunard Line. Onboard, he cooked for global icons including Nelson Mandela, Hillary Clinton, Antonio Banderas, Gloria Estefan, and Buzz Aldrin. Exposure to diverse ingredients and colleagues from around the world shaped his progressive, global outlook on food.
Returning to India, Vicky blended his international experience with Indian sensibilities, becoming a celebrity chef, author, and media personality. His shows like Vicky Goes Veg, Vickypedia, and Vicky Goes Desi brought gourmet techniques into Indian homes, while his book Vicky Goes Veg won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award.
As an entrepreneur, he launched Speak Burgers, reimagining comfort food with gourmet flair, and Omny Kitchen, a restaurant reviving and modernizing Sindhi cuisine. Through these ventures, he has championed both innovation and tradition.
Known as a “gastronaut”, Vicky continues to inspire with his liberal, produce-driven cooking style. His journey reflects discipline, creativity, and a deep belief in food as soft power—a way to connect people, celebrate culture, and tell stories that go far beyond the plate.