Born and raised in India, Arvinder Vilkhu has been passionate about hospitality since childhood. Since the early 1990s, he and his wife Pardeep have helmed Saffron in New Orleans—which began as a caterer, later evolved into a weekly pop-up, and opened its doors in 2017 as a modern Indian restaurant on Magazine Street. Saffron was recognized by the James Beard Foundation Awards as a “Best New Restaurant” semifinalist (2018); in 2024, Arvinder was a “Best Chef: South” finalist, and in 2025, he and his son Ashwin were co-nominated for the same honor.
Arvinder graduated in 1977 from the Institute of Hotel Management in New Delhi, becoming the first in his family after three generations of engineers to pursue a different path. Afterward, he trained under chefs of various nationalities at prestigious hotels including the Maurya Hotel and the Taj Group.
In 1984, the Vilkhus moved to the United States with their baby son Ashwin so that Arvinder could take a job leading the food and beverage program at New Orleans’ InterContinental Hotel. Arvinder later became General Manager of the Pickwick Club, a private social club, where he remained for 31 years. It was there that he honed his fine dining expertise while cooking on the side for close friends—planting the seeds for what would become Saffron’s celebrated cuisine blending Indian heritage with worldly influences.
