Vikas Khanna facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Vikas Khanna
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Khanna in 2012
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| Born | 1971/1972 (age 53–54) |
| Nationality | Indian |
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| Style | Indian cuisine |
| Relatives | Radhika Khanna (sister) |
Vikas Khanna is a famous chef from India and America. He has a special award called a Michelin star. He also owns restaurants, writes cookbooks, and makes movies. Many people know him as a judge on the TV show MasterChef India.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Vikas Khanna was born in 1971 in Amritsar, India. His family was Punjabi. When he was a child, he had a problem with his leg. This meant he could not run until he was 13 years old. He went to St. Francis School in Amritsar.
He studied hotel management at Manipal Academy of Higher Education. He finished there in 1991. Later, he also studied at the Culinary Institute of America and New York University. He received a special honorary degree from GD Goenka University.
Chef's Journey
In India, Vikas Khanna worked at several big hotels. These included the Taj Hotels and the Oberoi group. When he moved to New York, he worked at restaurants like Salaam Bombay. He then joined Junoon, a fancy Indian restaurant in Manhattan.
In 2019, he opened a restaurant called Kinara in Dubai. The next year, in 2020, he opened another restaurant there called Ellora. In 2024, he opened a new restaurant in New York City called Bungalow.
Vikas Khanna has written more than 40 books. One of his books, called Utsav, was sold for a very high price. It became known as the world's most expensive cookbook. He also helps people in India get good food. He is a special helper for the Smile Foundation.
TV Shows and Appearances
Since 2011, Vikas Khanna has been a judge on MasterChef India. This show is based on a British TV series. He has judged many seasons of the show.
He was also a guest judge on MasterChef Australia in Season 6. He appeared on the TV show Kitchen Nightmares with Gordon Ramsay. He helped an Indian restaurant that was having trouble. Vikas Khanna also appeared as a judge on Hell's Kitchen. He was there to help with Indian food.
Making Movies
Vikas Khanna has also made films. His documentary, Kitchens of Gratitude, was shown at the Cannes Film Festival.
He also directed a movie called The Last Color. This film shows the daily challenges people face in Banaras, India.
Awards and Honors
Vikas Khanna has received many awards and special mentions:
- He was named one of the Top 10 Chefs in the world by Deutsche Welle News.
- He received special doctorate degrees from G D Goenka University and D Y Patil University.
- His book Return to the Rivers was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award in 2014.
- He won the "Rising Star" Chef Award from Star Chefs in 2011. This was for his work in American cooking.
- GQ India magazine named him Man of the Year in 2012.
- He received The Shining Star Award from "Just One Break, Inc."
- He was on the cover of Men's Health India Magazine in 2012.
- A poll by the New York Eater blog voted him "New York's Hottest Chef."
- His New York restaurant, Bungalow, won the Michelin 2024 Bib Gourmand award.
See also
- Indians in the New York City metropolitan area
