Vikas Khanna (born 1971 or 1972) is an Indian-American[1] celebrity chef, restaurateur, cookbook writer, and filmmaker. He is one of the judges of MasterChef India since its beginning.

Early life and education

Khanna was born in Amritsar, India in a Punjabi family.[2][3] He did his schooling at St. Francis School, Amritsar.[4] He was born with a leg deformity (club foot) and wasn't able to run until he was 13 years old. He graduated Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1991 where he studied hotel management.[5] He then studied at Culinary Institute of America and New York University.[citation needed]

He received an honorary doctorate at GD Goenka University.[6]

Career

While in India, Khanna worked for the Taj Hotels, Oberoi group, Welcome group, and Leela Group of Hotels.[citation needed] Khanna worked at Salaam Bombay and The Café at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York before he joined Junoon, an upscale Indian restaurant in Flatiron district of Manhattan.[7][4]

In 2019, he opened a restaurant called Kinara in Dubai.[8] In 2020, he opened a restaurant called Ellora in Dubai.[9] In 2024, he opened a restaurant, Bungalow in the East Village neighborhood of New York City.[citation needed] Khanna has authored more than 25 books. One of his books Magnum opus - Utsav was auctioned as the world's most expensive cookbook. He also actively supports the cause of nutrition in India and is the goodwill ambassador of Smile Foundation.[10]

Television shows

From 2011, Khanna hosted seven seasons of MasterChef India (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8) a series based on the original British version. He has been hosting all the seasons of the show since then. Khanna was invited as a guest judge on MasterChef Australia in Season 6.[11] He appeared as a Consultant chef to help a failing Indian restaurant named Purnima on the Gordon Ramsay TV series Kitchen Nightmares. Khanna appeared as a judge and an Indian-cuisine specialist on the two-part season finale of Hell's Kitchen.[12]

Film production

His documentary Kitchens of Gratitude was featured at Marche du Film at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.[13]

His directorial debut The Last Color is a film about the daily struggles for survival on the streets of Banaras, India.[14]

Recognition

  • Top 10 Chefs in the world by Deutsche Welle News and Gazette Review.[15][16]
  • Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris causa) Degree by the G D Goenka University.[17]
  • Doctorate in literature (Honoris causa) by D Y Patil University.[18]
  • James Beard Foundation Award nomination for his book Return to the Rivers in 2014.[19]
  • "Rising Star" Chef Award by Star Chefs for his role in shaping the future of American Cuisine(2011).[20]
  • GQ India Man of the year 2012 by GQ Magazine.[21]
  • The Shining Star Award from "Just One Break, Inc."[22]
  • Featured on the cover of Men's Health India Magazine in 2012.[23]
  • He was voted "New York's Hottest Chef" in a poll conducted by the New York Eater blog.[24]
  • His New York based restaurant “Bungalow” won Michelin 2024 Bib Gourmand award.[25]

See also

References

  1. ^ Chandani, Priyanka (7 May 2023). "Michelin-star chef Vikas Khanna overcomes disability, talks about racism and elevating Indian food". Orato. Retrieved 18 February 2025.
  2. ^ "Amritsar-born chef Vikas Khanna ranked in global top 10 list by Gazette Review". Tribune. PTI. 1 June 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  3. ^ Ahuja, Aditi (27 October 2022). "Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna Returns To Amritsar, Cooks Delicious Kulcha". NDTV. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  4. ^ a b Sud, Vedika (12 October 2020). "Indian Michelin-star chef feeds millions from New York". CNN. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
  5. ^ Staff Correspondent (5 February 2012). "Vikas Khanna goes down memory lane". The Hindu. Retrieved 16 July 2018. {{cite news}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  6. ^ "Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna to be conferred honorary doctorate by G.D Goenka University". 6 February 2018.
  7. ^ Sifton, Sam (29 March 2011). "Crosstown Tour of India". Archived from the original on 15 July 2014 – via NYTimes.com.
  8. ^ "Kinara by Vikas Khanna". 2 October 2019.
  9. ^ "Ellora by Vikas Khanna". 18 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Vikas Khanna's Transformative Story". asiasociety.org. 12 February 2025. Retrieved 12 February 2025.
  11. ^ "MasterChef India Pressure Test". TenPlay - MasterChef India Pressure Test. Network Ten. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  12. ^ "'Hell's Kitchen' recap: The season finale". EW.com. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  13. ^ "Cannes 2016: Chef Vikas Khanna Screens Documentary on Food". News18. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  14. ^ "Four-in-a-row for celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna at Cannes.It has been also nominated for 'Best picture' by the Academy awards(Oscars)". Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  15. ^ "Jamie Oliver and 10 other iconic chefs". Deutsche Welle. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  16. ^ Deml, Jessica (22 April 2017). "Top 10 Chefs In The World - The Best in 2018 - Gazette Review". Gazette Review. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  17. ^ "Chef Vikas Khanna receives honorary doctorate from G.D Goenka University". 9 February 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
  18. ^ "12th Convocation Ceremony 2018 - D. Y. Patil University". D. Y. Patil University. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  19. ^ "The Complete 2014 JBF Award Nominees". www.jamesbeard.org. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  20. ^ "Chef Vikas Khanna of Junoon | StarChefs.com". www.starchefs.com. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  21. ^ "GQ Men of the Year 2012 : Part 2". GQ India. 29 October 2012. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  22. ^ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 September 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  23. ^ "Cut, chisel, sizzle... : Cover Stories - Menshealth". menshealth.intoday.in. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  24. ^ "Junoon's Vikas Khanna is New York's Hottest Chef". Eater NY. Retrieved 27 November 2018.
  25. ^ "Vikas Khanna's New York restaurant Bungalow wins Michelin 2024 Bib Gourmand award". India Today. 10 December 2024. Retrieved 10 December 2024.
Allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vikas_Khanna
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