At the Table with Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru Executive Chef Vivek Kalia
At Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, Executive Chef Vivek Kalia believes food must stay authentic, rooted in good ingredients and honest recipes. From sourcing honey, coffee, and cocoa locally to reimagining dishes like ghee roast egg benedict and sprout parathas, his vision is about flavour with integrity. For him, innovation lies not in fusion, but in crafting experiences that connect instantly with people.
“I’m a preferred vegetarian,” says Chef Vivek Kalia as we talk over plates being passed around. The banter sets the mood, but very quickly, food takes center stage.
Chef Kalia leads the kitchens at Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, bringing with him years of experience across continents, yet what strikes you most is how grounded his approach is. “I come from Himachal Pradesh,” he says. “That’s where I belong, the hills of North India. My last property was in Jeddah with the Luxury Collection. Before that, Marriott for almost 20 years—in and out of India, Middle East, Thailand. It’s been a long journey.”
When asked about curating menus for a diverse set of guests, his answer is clear. “It’s not generic anymore. Every person has a different liking. I may be from North India, but I may love South Indian. Certain dishes, if made authentically, they just work. I am not a fusion guy. I don’t like that at all. It can be progressive, it can be inspired, but fusion? No.”
He smiles as he describes how he reimagines classics. “Take my egg benedict—that was inspired from a local ghee roast recipe. It’s small, progressive, but rooted. Or even better, a ragi dosa or a sprout paratha. That paratha is my mother’s recipe. I was a very difficult child, and she used to smuggle everything into parathas and sandwiches. That’s how those recipes become part of you.”
At the hotel, the guiding principle is authenticity and respect for produce. “I am a firm believer of good ingredients,” Chef explains. “If the ingredients are not good, you cannot make a good dish. And you should have good recipes, learned from the right chefs. Be as authentic as possible—that’s the only way it works.”
This ties back to his commitment to sourcing. “I prefer local things as much as possible. It’s also a social responsibility. Honey from Coorg, coffee from Coorg, seafood from the Karnataka coast—that’s local for me. Did you know 70% of India’s coffee is grown in Karnataka, and 80% of that is from Coorg? Cocoa also grows here, and a lot of the dark chocolate is made from it. These are the things I want to highlight. My idea is to set up a retail station at the hotel with local products—cold-pressed oils, coffee, honey—so that international guests take something authentic back, not Tuscan olive oils or Sicilian bottles. It has to be Indian.”
The same philosophy guides Far & East, the hotel’s Pan Asian fare. “Far & East is a mix from across Asia, but I keep it authentic. If I am doing Chinese, it’s Cantonese. My chef Sheong Wong is from the Canton region in Malaysia. His heritage is important. That’s how authenticity comes through.”
At Four Seasons Bengaluru, innovation shows up in experiences that go beyond the plate. “One of the largest brunches in the city is our Sunday brunch. Recently, we started an all-day breakfast on Saturdays. Why? Because on Saturday mornings, traffic is lighter, people want to unwind. We wanted to give them a lazy breakfast offering. It’s just two months old, still a baby, but we introduced things like Nihari with Bakarkhani, Doodh Jalebi with saffron milk. These connect instantly.”
The hotel also welcomes families, locals, and even pets. “We do kids’ menus, provide vegan options, and yes, pet menus too. There’s a regular guest who comes because his pet loves the dishes here. Oats with salmon, carrot-based dishes—we do that. It’s about everyone at the table.”
For Chef Kalia, the work is both practical and passionate. “What’s my job? To satisfy people’s palates. Be innovative, be a thinker, be a visionary. Whether it’s buffets, pop-ups, or a new dish, food is tangible. You put something in front of a guest, and they immediately know if they like it. That’s why authenticity, good ingredients, and thoughtfulness are everything. That’s how you make a difference,” he says.
And in his hands, that difference is evident—whether in a bowl of corn soup, a paneer tikki, or a ghee roast egg benedict. At Four Seasons Hotel Bengaluru, food is not just served; it’s told like a story—honest, rooted, and deeply personal.
