A Celebrity Chef

Aurus is better known for its miniskirt traffic-jams than its food, but this is an injustice. This very stylish venue, laced with open-air seating, fancy cutlery and a great wine choice is also the place for some of the city’s best western food - helmed by Vicky Ratnani.

Like most people, I had sampled Aurus food in bits and pieces between conversations or hanging onto drinks at parties and nights out. The food was good - demanding enough attention to get your eyes of the nearest celebrity leg for a few minutes – but we’d never actually had a meal there till recently. And this, as I’ve mentioned before, was a definite injustice.

Sunanda’s birthday seemed the appropriate occasion for a fancy, al-fresco-by-the-sea dining spectacular – a chef’s menu with everything (including some soft-shell crab that Vicky excitedly announced he’d laid his hands on that day). And it was quite a spectacular meal – unending courses, food, presentation and the infectious, child-like enthusiasm Vicky brings (quite literally) to the table when explaining his dishes. Expensive, but certainly not off the charts for this level of meal.

Now I hear Vicky is getting his hands dirty on television again. There was this dessert show last year with Maria Goretti, now in Gourmet Central (NDTV Good Times Mon-Fri noon, 3pm, 7pm) – he’s all on his own.

Location: Aurus, Juhu Tara Rd, Juhu, Mumbai

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