Celebrity chef Harsh Dixit opens up about ‘serving snakes’ to vegan Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma on their anniversary
For Virat and Anushka's anniversary dinner, Chef Harsh Dixit turned Vietnamese Pho into a vegan love story — complete with ‘snakes’
When it comes to love, Anushka Sharma and Virat Kohli set the bar high — not just on social media, but also at the dining table. Married since December 2017, with intimate celebrations in Tuscany and receptions in Delhi and Mumbai, the couple has been making couple-goals look effortless for eight years. And, as it turns out, eating well helps too.
Celebrity chef Harsh Dixit, who has served Bollywood stars like Ranbir Kapoor, Alia Bhatt, Janhvi Kapoor, Athiya Shetty, and sports personalities such as KL Rahul, recently revealed a fun twist he introduced to the couple’s anniversary menu.
“You have to keep things interesting,” says Chef Harsh in a chat with The Hollywood Reporter India. “For Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma's anniversary in December 2019, I made Pho, but with a twist.” Traditional Vietnamese Pho, of course, isn’t vegan — it usually features chicken or beef broth. “But they were eating gluten-free at the time, so we went with rice noodles, which are traditional in Pho and gluten-free.”
And then came the playful twist. Vietnamese cuisine often incorporates snake — in the form of snake wine or even meat. So Chef Harsh decided to bring a creative spin: “So, how about serving ‘snakes’ to vegans?”
The star ingredient became snake gourd, which he stuffed with peanuts, coconut, tofu, and a hint of coriander, then smoked to perfection. The dish was complemented with water chestnuts, enoki mushrooms, and chillies, all simmered in a lemongrass-ginger-coriander root broth, with a side of chilli oil for added heat.
“The idea was to have fun while staying within the dietary boundaries. That's what being a private chef is about,” Harsh explained. And Anushka and Virat, it wasn’t just about eating — it was about enjoying a playful, thoughtful, and delicious dining experience, proving that even vegan ‘snakes’ can be served with love.
