Award-winning Vancouver-based chef Vikram Vij and his wife Meeru Dhalwala are proud to announce their involvement in a brand new venture with the University of British Columbia’s Faculty of Land and Food Systems. Vij’s Kitchen is a facility that provides state-of-the-art learning space for UBC students studying food, nutrition and health, dietetics, community health and multicultural exchange.

Vij and Dhalwala have contributed $250,000 towards the project, which along with other supporters, alumni and friends, has resulted in the complete makeover of an existing lab, originally built in 1982. Vij’s Kitchen comprises six work stations, as well as a demonstration kitchen and it will be officially named at an opening next week at UBC’s Food, Nutrition and Health Building on East Mall.

“I am absolutely passionate about the education of young people, particularly when it comes to cooking and culinary training,” says Vij. “This educational kitchen facility will be something the chefs of the future can learn in. I am extremely proud to be a part of it.”

Professor Gwen Chapman, Associate Dean says: “In addition to the basic skills, the goal is to provide dietetics and home economics students the opportunity to explore diverse cuisines. Students familiar with Asian traditions will learn Western cooking techniques and vice versa.”

Vikram Vij and Meeru Dhalwala have participated in culinary events at UBC before, in particular Meeru co-founded the popular “Joy of Feeding” – an annual celebration of ethnic home cooking which takes place in June at UBC Farm.

Vij’s Kitchen marks the start of a landmark year for Vij, who has recently expanded sales of his own-name frozen food line into the Ontario market and launched his extremely popular food truck, Vij’s Railway Express in downtown Vancouver. 2013 will be the year Vij makes a huge contribution into the education of up-and-coming chefs, as well as spearheading a campaign to encourage families to spend more time eating together.

ABOUT VIKRAM VIJ
Vikram Vij and his wife Meeru Dhalwala are the co-owners of the award-winning restaurants Vij’s and Rangoli in Vancouver, British Columbia. He was born in India and grew up in Amritsar and Bombay.

His most vivid childhood memories revolve around food and family and he pursued this further when he moved to Europe and later when he came to live in Canada. He opened the first 14-seat Vij’s Restaurant in Vancouver in 1994 and, later that same year, married Meeru, who would later take over managing the kitchens of both Vij’s and Rangoli restaurants.

Vij has published two award-winning cookbooks – Vij’s: Elegant and Inspired Indian Cuisine and Vij’s at Home: Relax, Honey.