I was inspired by books written by great chefs such as Paul Bocuse, Alain Ducasse, Alfred Portale and Anthony Bourdin as a teenager and I had made up my mind to travel while constantly learning. Then, an offer to travel the world and explore the culinary traditions of several continents led me to a position of Commis Chef on Cunard Lines Queen Elizabeth 2,” Chef Vicky Ratnani tells me as we catch up over a lazy Sunday brunch at Nido, his newest restaurant in Bandra.

Loch Duart Salmon

Ratnani is a household name, thanks to his restaurants and TV shows. But fame has come due to a lot of hard work (and several cooking lessons) he tells me. During his six world cruises, he cooked for the most celebrated clients including once being the personal chef to Nelson Mandela while he was promoting a charity on board the Queen Elizabeth 2. His dishes also won over rock legend Rod Stewart and Hollywood actor Gene Hackman.