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This shot of the couple outside the restaurant was taken from the back of a moving car. Like the way the couple is framed by the edge of the restaurant and the glint of the lights caught in the passerby's golden hair and the windshield of the other car.
A late evening shot of the Grand Canyon. Shot with Nikon D750, AF-S Nikkor 35mm/f1.4 at f3.5; 1/125; ISO 400
Gail Stephan and I photographed an event at one of world famous chef Vikram Vij's restaurants yesterday. (It was the launch of Jim Doyle's new TV show called Money Matters.) Vikram Vij was there and I shot this while he was watching Jim's show projected onto a large screen. I thought it made him look like he was reflecting on something profound. He's a humanitarian, that does much to promote equality and peace, so he probably often looks like this even when he's not watching TV. (He gave me permission to post the photo.)
VIJ 4021 (ex E310 UUB)
Volvo B10M/Plaxton Paramount 3500 III C50FT
Souls Coaches, Olney
Olney, 15 January 2005
New to Wallace Arnold
At first glance this looks like a bog-standard Paramount body but on closer inspection that front grille isn't quite right and appears to be a home-made replacement. Although normally based at the former Johnsons depot in Rushden, it was photographed at Olney.
This is where Mick Jagger always eat when he is in Vancouver
You can see Chef Vikram Vij wearing a scarf talking to customers as he usually does
Viva started operating winter charters to Mexico a few weeks ago but this A320NEO is the first debut aircraft from the fleet to make it.
Recently I had the pleasure of interviewing a really lovely man and excellent chef/cook. Chef Vij's food has been the benchmark for great modern Indian cuisine - great when I can visit, but also terrible because he's only open in Vancouver. In a recent conversation with Chef David Kinch, we both agreed that Vij's is the best Indian either of us have had. Needless to say, it was completely my pleasure to meet the man who first taught me how delicious chai can be, (which left me lusting for more. G can attest to the fact that I actually asked if we could get more of the complimentary beverage. There is no real shame when it comes to great food... and Vij's great hospitality). It was that good.
Chef Vij and I had the chance to continue our conversation in person at All the Best Fine Foods where the chef was lauching his new prepared-foods line and also present for ATBFF's re-opening celebration. Thanks to Danika from The Siren Group for setting us up.
Below, the interview.
RS: Since you first opened Vij 14 years ago, it’s become a destination restaurant. How does the success make you feel and why do you think it happened?
VV: As far as success, I’ll be honest, I haven’t actually stepped back and said oh I’m successful. The mindset that I have is I’m going to do what I can to bring awareness to my cuisine, the culture and the country I came from to the world. I want to show people that Indian food isn’t just chicken tikka masala or butter chicken. So that’s the goal and I haven’t ventured away from it.
As for everything else, I’ll humbly accept it. I say thank you very much that you enjoy my food, my passion.
RS: What do you feel differentiates you from other restaurants, Indian or otherwise?
VV: When I opened the restaurant, rather than cutting corners, we added corners. Instead of using pre-made sauces, we chopped our own onions, garlic and roasted our own spices. Instead of doing things faster, we did it slower, the way it was done in old world India and the way the French make their own stocks. It’s done in small batches. That’s the reason why the Indian food at Vij’s is slightly different and a little bit more flavourful.
The restaurant has always been run as my passion – an extension of my culture, of who I am. It’s part of my personality that if you’re eating here, I’ll put more food on your plate. I’m the kind of person that will force feed you, you know? (RS: Which isn’t always a bad thing!) It’s not a bad thing, it’s part of the culture. In North America you may ask “do you want chicken?” and if the answer’s no, then it’s ok; in the Indian culture it’s “you don’t want chicken? Oh come on have some chicken. Please have some chicken.” You’re forced to have that chicken. The bottom line is that’s how I run the restaurant.
RS: Do you think it’s your non-standard approach to running your restaurant – the hospitality you show to your patrons, the extension of your personality into your business, your all female kitchen crew - that’s the key to your success?
VV: Here’s an absolutely brilliant question.
Growing up in India, my mother and grandmother played a huge role in my life. So all the food I did at the restaurant was a kind of homage to them. It’s like you’re a filmmaker and you grew up with a strong dad or mom, and all your life you want to acknowledge them to say the reason why I am who I am is because of your delicious foods. [Pause] I get a little nostalgic about this, I apologize.
All the stuff that I’ve done in the restaurant has never been a calculated way to help me make money. At the end of the day I’m worried if it’s flavourful? Is the love there? I will say, yes. That’s how my grandparents work; that’s how my mother and father are. I grew up with a very loving family.
So all the stuff I’ve done in the restaurant was never concepts; they were elements of my upbringing. When someone asks, “oh my god, how did you come up with this concept?” I say, “There was no concept.” I just wanted to serve delicious food. It just evolved. Someone was waiting, I gave them chai, and they acknowledged it and I said, “Oh, I’ll keep giving chai.” If it’s cold outside and you show a symbol of sympathy to somebody, it’ll come back. That’s exactly my kind of restaurant. I gave away lots of love and passion. Technically if you sat down and did that concept, you will say “can’t give away free tea. Can’t give away free appetizers.” You can’t do this or that. But if I just said, “I’m going to do it whether you like it or not...” I haven’t looked back.
RS: In that case, would you consider yourself a restaurateur or a chef?
VV: I’d be a chef. I’d always call myself a chef because a chef can always feed themselves. When I was going through tough times in Austria (studying Hotel Management) with hardly any money, the fact that I could use kidney beans, spice them up and make basmati rice – inexpensive – and feed myself for a week was the reason why as a chef I was able to survive... I won’t even say I’m a chef, I’m a cook first. I’m a home cook – a food lover, and I happen to be successful with what I’m doing.
Restaurateur... I became a business because my father said, “Do your own thing now. I’ll give you $25,000, go out and open a restaurant.” I took that money and kind of ran with it. Vancouver was a young city and I knew that if I worked hard in that city, then probably I’ll be happy. Toronto was a bigger fish and I probably would not have had the same success as I had in Vancouver.
RS: Your parents must be so proud.
VV: I think my father is proud, and I’m sure he feels it, but he’s the type of guy that will come and taste my food and go “It needs a little extra salt; just add a little more spice to it.” He’s never come out to say, “You know son, I’m so happy about what you’ve done.” My mom’s a little more liberal, “Oh this is good.” My dad would actually pick at it. He’ll say “Good, but I think this can be done better.”
RS: I think that’s very stereotypical of Asian parents.
VV: It’s so true. That’s exactly what it is.
RS: Do you have plans to expand your empire elsewhere i.e. Toronto?
VV: Well I’ve always loved Toronto. If there was any other city that I could open up a restaurant it probably would be Toronto because I enjoy Toronto a lot. I love the hustle and bustle; it reminds me a little about back home, growing up in India where it’s crowded and packed, multicultural, you know people from all walks of life. So it’s a great feeling there.
The reason why I haven’t tried to open a Toronto-based restaurant is because I am a bit focused and have to be able to keep control. If I was to be in Vancouver and somebody was cooking my food here, I probably would not be a happy camper. So I would have a really hard time because I like control and to say “I have cooked it that way, and that’s the way it has to be cooked.” There’s nothing wrong with it. People can have like five restaurants and do a really good job with it, but personally I’m not interested in that right now.
I believe and hope that there will be an Indian chef – young woman or man or anyone else – who will come and do a great job. I don’t worry about competition. I think it’s great and they should open up.
Having said that, I don’t have plans right now to come to Toronto, but I love the city.
RS: What's your impression of the Indian food community in Toronto and why there isn’t something like Vij’s already in place?
VV: Well Amaya has been doing a good job. Dinesh Butola’s been working really hard at trying to create his own niche.
RS: You have two cookbooks, two restaurants, and now launching a ready-made line. What's next?
VV: The second cookbook (Vij’s at Home) is written by my wife [Meeru Dhalwala]. It’s all her. I don’t want to take the credit where it’s not due. The first cookbook we wrote together.
The next six months will be concentrated on the ready-made bags. It is Vij’s food, Vij’s flavours, Vij’s passion behind it, in a bag. I really believe that these ready-made dishes are delicious, healthy, flavourful and, because we live in such a multicultural society, you can cook Indian regularly.
Vij’s is moving location to Cambie Street (Vancouver), Rangoli will stay where it is, and the old Vij’s space will be a brand new concept. So that’s the next 4-5 years. I have a vision and a plan. I’m not going to go crazy over there.
RS: So you can remain focused and in control?
VV: That’s exactly what I want.
Abridged version at:
www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/aprons-icons/2011/03...
Annonaceae (custard apple, sugar apple, or soursop family) » Annona squamosa
uh-NO-nuh -- Latinized form of the American Indian taino, vernacular name for cherimoya
skwa-MO-suh -- scaly
commonly known as: custard apple (in India), sugar apple, sweetsop • Assamese: আতলচ-কঁঠাল aatloch kothal • Bengali: আতা ata, শরিকা shorifa • Gujarati: સીતાફળ sitaphal • Hindi: आत, आता or अता ata, बहुवीज bahu-vij, मुक्ताफल muktaphal, सीताफल sitaphal • Kannada: ಸೀತಾಫಲ seetaphala • Konkani: सीताफल siitaaphala • Malayalam: ശീടാഫലം seethapazham • Manipuri: সীতাফল sitaphal • Marathi: आत ata, मुक्ताफल muktaphala, शिताफळ or सिताफळ sitaphala • Nepali: आँट् aunt • Oriya: sitaphalo • Persian: شريفه sharifa • Punjabi: ਸ਼ਰੀਫਾ sharifa, ਸੀਤਾ ਫਲ sita phal • Sanskrit: आतृप्यम् atrupyum, बहुबीजम् bahubijam, मुक्ताफलम् muktaphalam, सीताफलम् sitaphalam • Tamil: ஆத்தா atta, சீத்தா citta • Telugu: సీతాఫలము sita-phalamu • Urdu: آتا ata, شريفه sharifa
Distribution: widely cultivated in tropics; probable origin West Indies
References: Flowers of India • Wikipedia • Purdue University • NPGS / GRIN • DDSA
The bar scene at Vij's in Vancouver. Vij's serves Indian fusion cuisine, dishes I recommend like Dungeness crab spoons with coconut, cilantro, and lemon and wine-marinated lamb popsicles in fenugreek cream curry on spinach potatoes. You'll wait at the bar, as Vij's doesn't accept reservations and there's at least an hour wait on weekends. However, hostesses serve amuse bouches at regular intervals to sustain your appetite.