CMVan in BC Business
Kristen Hilderman from BC Business just wrote a heartwarming little article about us and our role in gathering creative professionals together.
“At CreativeMornings, a free monthly speaker series that attracts Vancouver’s ambitious creative types, the crowd is as integral to the experience as the speaker himself.”
Read the rest of the article here.
The Province covers CM/Van!
Big thanks goes out to The Province for covering CreativeMornings/Vancouver and the talk by Vikram Vij! Check out the whole story here.
Vikram Vij in WE
The The Westender gave us some more love in an article about Vikram Vij. Check it out here.
If you missed Vikram Vij’s talk at CMVan, you are in luck. The video of his talk is now up on Vimeo. Check it out!
If you appreciate the work the CreativeMornings/Vancouver volunteers are doing, please click the “Donate” button below to help ensure the continued success of these important creative community events.
Vikram Vij answers one more question!
Following Vikram Vij’s incredible talk on October 5th, one more question came in for Vikram to answer.
Q: We really liked how your talk focused on the why over the what or how. Did you have the vision why you wanted to be a chef and open a restaurant before you did it, or did the why become more transparent over time?
A: I had a vision to be a chef due the fact that I loved to cook but starting a restaurant was a dream come true and my parents had a lot to do with it. My father insisted that I open up a restaurant as working for somebody else was never an option for him.
The feeling and the goal to improve on Indian food’s image was a mission of mine that became stronger as I realized that people needed to know more about the cuisine and the culture.
Profile and Q&A: Vikram Vij
Vikram Vij was born in India in December 1964 and lived in New Delhi and Bombay until 1984. He studied, work and lived in Austria until 1989, during which time he received his chef certificate from the Salzburg Hotel Management School. Vikram moved to Canada in 1989 to work at the Banff Springs Hotel in Alberta. In September 1994, Vikram opened Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver, BC. In early 1995, his wife, Meeru Dhalwala, joined him and the two began collaborating on the menu. Vikram became a certified sommelier from the International Sommelier Guild in 2000, and is passionate about pairing wines with his cuisine. In 2004, Vikram and Meeru opened up a second restaurant and market called Vij’s Rangoli. The market sells Vij’s Inspired Indian Cuisine, a line of prepackaged gourmet curries, which are based on popular recipes from Vij’s Restaurant. In order to keep up with the growing demand for the packaged meals in BC, and to expand the availability of the products across Canada, a purpose-built food production facility in Surrey, BC, was constructed by Vij’s in early 2011.
Vikram is past president and active member of the Chef’s Table Society of British Columbia, which is dedicated to supporting innovative and sustainable food programs involving chefs, producers and others working in the local food industry. With the help of many members of the Chef’s Table Society, Vikram and fellow BC chef Robert Clark spearheaded the 2nd Canadian Chefs’ Congress on Vancouver Island, BC. The 2010 focus was “Oceans for Tomorrow”. Additionally, Vikram has been involved with Farm Folk City Folk Organization, Ocean Wise Sustainable Seafood, UBC Farm fundraisers and the Green Table Society. His work as president of the Cambie Village Business Association and contributing chef to the Vancouver Food Vendor Pilot Project has helped support the growth of local business in Vancouver. Vikram is a passionate supporter of the arts in the Indo-Canadian community, and lends his support to related events and organizations such the Vancouver International Bhangra Celebration Society.
Vikram was a guest judge on Top Chef Canada in 2011, and has been invited back for the 2012 season. In June 2011, the BC Food Processors Association honoured Vikram with the Rising Star Award. In October 2011, he was awarded The Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for the Pacific Region’s Hospitality and Tourism category. With Meeru, Vikram has penned two cookbooks: Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine, which won the Cordon d’Or Gold Ribbon International Cookbook Award, and Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey. Vikram and Meeru live in Vancouver with their two daughters.
CMV: How do you define creativity and apply it in your career?
VV: Creativity is a whimsical way of being, I cook with a little bit of this and a little bit of that.
CMV: Where do you find your best creative inspiration?
VV: When I am traveling through the bazars of India and taking in the smells and colours of my vibrant country.
CMV: What’s the one creative advice or tip you wish you’d known as a young person?
VV: If you follow your passion, you end up being consumed by it.
CMV: Who would you like to hear speak at CreativeMornings/Vancouver?
VV: Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, Bill Clinton, and off course Vikram Vij.
CMV: If you could have any view from your back porch what would it be?
VV: A beautiful stream of water flowing from the mountains and nature at its best and in harmony.
CMV: What fact about you would surprise people?
VV: That money does not motivate me, but the accolade to be the best motivates me.
