Vikram Vij

Vikram Vij (born 1964) is an Indian-born Canadian chef, cookbook author, and television personality. He is the owner, of the Indian cuisine restaurants Vij's and Rangoli Restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia. He also owns My Shanti, a restaurant in South Surrey, British Columbia, which he closed in 2024. In 2014, Vij was announced as a new "dragon" investor on the Canadian reality show Dragons' Den for its ninth season and departed at the end of the season.

Vikram Vij grew up in India in Amritsar, Delhi and Bombay. In 1983, he left India to study Hotel/Motel Management in Salzburg, Austria. While there he received his chef's training. Vij later became a certified sommelier.

Career After working in Salzburg and Vienna for a few years, Vij moved to Canada in 1989, when he joined the Banff Springs Hotel, Alberta, Canada. From 1992 until 1994, Vij worked at Bishop's restaurant in Vancouver, British Columbia, for prominent Canadian chef John Bishop.

Eventually in 1994, at the age of 30 he opened a fine-dining restaurant, Vij's, in Vancouver. By 2003, Mark Bittman of The New York Times was praising Vij's Restaurant as "easily among the finest Indian restaurants in the world".

A decade later in 2004, Vij opened a second restaurant and market, the casual-style Rangoli. Rangoli sells their line of pre-packaged gourmet curries named "Vij's Inspired Indian Cuisine". In 2011, Vij completed and opened a food processing facility to better meet retailer interest in the product line. The product line is sold in grocery stores across Canada. They published Vij's: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine in 2006, In 2010, he published Vij's at Home: Relax Honey, Vij has been an ongoing contributor to The Globe and Mail since November 28, 2007. Vikram Vij is working on a new Vijs Restaurant 2025 cookbook with his partner Jaan.

In 2012, Vij's Railway Express was launched onto the streets of Vancouver. It is a mobile food truck serving Indian curries to people in downtown Vancouver for weekday lunch and at private catering events.

Vij opened another restaurant, My Shanti, based in South Surrey, in 2014. My Shanti means "my peace" and the menu is based on Vij's culinary travels, and includes flavours, ingredients and influences from all over the world. My Shanti won Vancouver Magazine's Best Indian Restaurant in 2016. In November 2023, Vikram Vij and the management team announced the closure of My Shanti after nearly ten years of operations.

The Rangoli location on South Granville closed in May 2020, and the menu was consolidated with Vij's on Cambie due to the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Culinary philosophy Chef Vikram Vij's culinary philosophy has been described as "keeping spices and cooking techniques Indian, while using meats, seafood and produce that are locally available."

Notable career milestones Vij's Restaurant was one of the twenty featured restaurants at the James Beard Annual Gala Awards 1998, in New York City, and was invited to prepare dinner at the James Beard House. In 2001, Vij was invited to be a member of the prestigious gastronomic society Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs.

Vij's restaurants have received numerous local awards including those from Vancouver Magazine s restaurant awards. Vij was featured on At the Table With, a Food Network Canada series, in 2008. The same year Vij's Rangoli was a subject of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations. Vij made his famous lamb popsicles for Giada De Laurentiis when she visited Vij's Restaurant on her Food Network series Giada's Weekend Getaways. Vij was a guest judge on Top Chef Canada in 2011, and was invited back for the 2012 season. That episode also featured the Vij's At Home packaged foods, which were sampled by the contestants. He was also a judge on the first ever Chopped Canada show, which premiered on Food Network Canada in January 2014 and he appeared weekly on CBC's Recipe to Riches, which began in February 2014.

In June 2011, the BC Food Processors Association honoured Vij with the Rising Star Award. Vij's Railway Express, based on the chef's travels by rail throughout India, was awarded the inaugural People's Choice Award from Air Canada's enRoute Magazine, as Canada's Best New Restaurant in 2013.

In March 2013, Vij hosted the world's first ever live-streamed cook-along, Cook Live With Vikram Vij. As part of Vij's goal, to make Indian cuisine accessible to all, people were encouraged to join him live online and cook a family meal at the same time, taking instruction from an award-winning chef. They were able to Tweet questions and photos as the curry was being prepared.

My Shanti was listed as number one in the Globe and Mail's Top 10 New Vancouver Restaurants of 2014 and one of the Vancouver Sun's Best New Restaurants for 2014. My Shanti also won Vancouver Magazine's Best Indian Restaurant in 2016.

Within weeks of opening, My Shanti received a nomination from Air Canada's enRoute Magazine as one of Canada's Best New Restaurants. It is the second year in a row a Vij's establishment has been nominated, having won the People's Choice award in 2013 with Vij's Railway Express.

In 2015, Vij was one of the recipients of the Top 25 Canadian Immigrant Awards presented by Canadian Immigrant Magazine.

In June 2015, Vikram Vij was awarded honorary Doctorates of Law by Simon Fraser University and in May 2016 they were honoured to receive honorary Doctorates of Law from the University of British Columbia.

Advocacy and industry contribution Vij is a passionate supporter of the sustainable food industry. He has championed many causes such as the Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood Program. In 2010, Vij and fellow British Columbian chef, Robert Clark, spearheaded the 2nd Canadian Chefs' Congress on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, with the theme of "Oceans for Tomorrow". The festival was a celebration of the Indian community's cultural contributions, the 125th anniversary of Vancouver, and the federal government's declaration of 2011 as "The Year of India in Canada". At the event he partnered with percussionist Ashwin Sood, blending the sounds and flavours of India. In addition, Vij supports the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society. He hosted the organization's "Storyteller's Gala", held at the Museum of Vancouver in 2010. Vij has twice led small groups on educational food trips to India, which involved visiting homes of local cooks and chefs. He led the tour in northern India the first year, southern India the second.