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Vikas Khanna
Michelin star Indian celebrity chef and restaurateur From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Vikas Khanna (born 1971) is an Indian-American[1] Michelin star celebrity chef, restaurateur, cookbook writer, and filmmaker. He is one of the judges of MasterChef India since its beginning.
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Early life and education
Khanna was born in Amritsar, India in a Punjabi family.[2] He did his schooling at St. Francis School, Amritsar.[3] He was born with a leg deformity (club foot) and wasn't able to run until he was 13 years old. He graduated from Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1991 where he studied hotel management.[4] He then studied at Culinary Institute of America and New York University.[citation needed]
He received an honorary doctorate at GD Goenka University.[5]
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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.[6][3]
In 2019, he opened a restaurant called Kinara in Dubai.[7] In 2020, he opened a restaurant called Ellora in Dubai.[8] In 2024, he opened a restaurant, Bungalow in the East Village neighborhood of New York City.[citation needed] Khanna has authored more than 40 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.[9]
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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.[10] 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.[11]
Film production
His documentary Kitchens of Gratitude was featured at Marche du Film at the 69th Cannes Film Festival.[12]
His directorial debut The Last Color is a film about the daily struggles for survival on the streets of Banaras, India.[13]
Recognition
- Top 10 Chefs in the world by Deutsche Welle News and Gazette Review.[14][15]
- Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris causa) Degree by the G D Goenka University.[16]
- Doctorate in literature (Honoris causa) by D Y Patil University.[17]
- James Beard Foundation Award nomination for his book Return to the Rivers in 2014.[18]
- "Rising Star" Chef Award by Star Chefs for his role in shaping the future of American Cuisine(2011).[19]
- GQ India Man of the year 2012 by GQ Magazine.[20]
- The Shining Star Award from "Just One Break, Inc."[21]
- Featured on the cover of Men's Health India Magazine in 2012.[22]
- He was voted "New York's Hottest Chef" in a poll conducted by the New York Eater blog.[23]
- His New York based restaurant “Bungalow” won Michelin 2024 Bib Gourmand award.[24]
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See also
References
External links
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