Celebrity chef Vineet Bhatia on leaving a legacy, creating memorable experiences and whether Dubai is Michelin-ready.
When Vineet Bhatia looked at my business card and said he remembered my name, it was difficult not to react like a fan-girl.
I had first met this celebrity chef two-and-a-half years ago at a food festival in Dubai; I interviewed him and volunteered to be his cooking assistant for a live demo, where I whisked ingredients to help him create a chicken dish with kadi and pink upma (a semolina-based Indian breakfast item).
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While Bhatia recognised my name, he did not remember my actual triumph on stage, but attributed it to the number of people he meets on a regular basis on his travels.
Interacting with his guests and fans is an important part of his life, he says. The two-time Michelin starred chef can be found on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram — where he often replies to people who ‘tag’ him in posts.
When I ask whether he handles his social media himself, he confirms he does. “My Facebook page was first started by my staff in London, I was never into it. But now I don’t leave it to anyone to run my Twitter, Instagram or Facebook. I do it myself, and try and reply where I can.
“I think personal interaction is important; there is no point in posting on social media and then not replying. You have to interact with your guests and fans, especially if you are at a certain status where you are recognised. It’s nice to reply, it’s a basic courtesy in life. And whether it’s good or bad [comments], I will reply,” says Bhatia.
Personal Touch
It’s this one-to-one interaction Bhatia prefers in all spheres of life. He grins and admits to me his team doesn’t know he’s actually a shy person, who prefers intimate interactions as opposed to large groups. When it comes to work, however, Bhatia is a team player.
He says: “I’m very sensitive about our restaurants and our team. I try to look after both the guests and the team. But it comes down to hard work.”
Bhatia reveals his employees are constantly communicating to ensure his restaurants across the world are consistent. “We keep a strong tab on the team — phone, Skype or email — just to ensure they learn the right things and the guest gets the right product. If they both go back happy every day then I am very happy.”
One of the uglier sides of the F&B industry, Bhatia admits, is the practice of poaching, which he abhors. He asserts: “We do not poach anybody; we only train in-house and promote. Fortunately with 10 different restaurants we can do that. You will find all our chefs only come from our team.”
He says he receives a lot of CVs from chefs in other restaurants, but first asks if they are willing to start from scratch with his company. As expected, there are no takers.
“We will never pick somebody from X restaurant and put him as a head chef, it doesn’t work. They don’t know us and we don’t know them. The element of trust for me is very important. When I trust someone, I know in my absence the food is delivered to the standards which I need, or which I think the guests deserve to get.
“Lots of people poach, it is rampant in our industry unfortunately. But then you realise that people who leave are not really your core team members. Our core team members have stayed with us and grown with us. Eventually they will fly away and set up their own stuff and we will be very happy with that. But when they do it nicely, rather than backbiting, we will be happier.”
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