Vikas Khanna is a Michelin-starred Indian chef and restaurateur residing in New York City. Vikas Khanna is also a cookbook author who has appeared on TV shows such as MasterChef India and Australia, Twist of Taste, and Kitchen Nightmares, among others.
Table of Contents
Wiki, Bio, Age, Family, Siblings, Childhood & Education
Vikas Khanna was born on November 14, 1971, and is 48 years old. He was born in Amritsar, Punjab, India, but now lives in New York, USA. Davinder and Bindu Khanna are his parents. Khanna was born with mismatched feet and couldn’t run till he was 13 years old. His tutor, Sagar Rajani, who loved to cook, was an inspiration to him. Sagar’s cooking experience served as part of his foundational training.
Furthermore, Khanna began making recipes at a young age and opened Lawrence Gardens Banquets to cater weddings and family occasions at the age of 17 years. He also has two siblings, Radhika Khanna and Nishant Khanna.
In terms of his educational background, Vikas graduated from the Manipal Academy of Higher Education in 1991. He also attended Cornell University, the Culinary Institute of America, and New York University. He also holds degrees from the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Manipal, India, and Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
Later, he was awarded an honorary degree by GD Goenka University in recognition of his great contributions to culinary art, generosity, benevolence, and humanitarianism. It was also for his international clout as a chef.
Vikas Khanna’s Height, Weight & Body Measurement
When it comes to the chef’s physique measurements, Vikas stands tall at 1.84 meters or 6 feet, although his exact weight is unclear. Similarly, his chest-waist-biceps measurements are 40-32-12 inches. Aside from them, there is no information on the chef’s clothing and shoe sizes. Similarly, he has dark brown hair and dark brown eyes.
Vikas Khanna’s Profession & Career
Chef Vikas Khanna is a Michelin-starred restaurateur and cookbook author. He is also a humanitarian and a filmmaker. In addition, he is a judge on the Star Plus series MasterChef India, which is situated in New York City. He worked with the Taj Hotels, Oberoi Group, Welcome Group, and Leela Group of Hotels while in India. Before joining Junoon, he worked at Salaam Bombay and The Café at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York.
It is an elegant Indian restaurant in Manhattan’s Flatiron area. In its first year, it received a nice review from Sam Sifton in The New York Times, and it has also been granted a Michelin star by the Michelin Guide for six consecutive years since 2011.
His comprehensive multi-continent and multi-institutional experience, as well as a profound passion for the power of food, come together at New York City’s Junoon, where Khanna prepares soulful, sophisticated Indian cuisine. His cooking elevates the dining experience to a new degree of enjoyment.
He has also collaborated with some of the world’s most prominent and award-winning chefs. Among them are Gordon Ramsay, Eric Ripert, Bobby Flay, and Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
Television Programs
Khanna has appeared on and hosted a number of television programs. MasterChef India season 2 was one of the programs he hosted in 2011. It is a spin-off of the original British version. Since Khanna has hosted every season of the show. Later, he was invited to be a guest judge on one of MasterChef Australia’s Season 6 episodes. In addition, he hosted four seasons of Fox Life’s Twist of Taste.
Khanna has appeared as a consultant chef on Gordon Ramsay’s TV show Kitchen Nightmares. He also participated as a judge and an Indian-cuisine expert in Hell’s Kitchen’s two-part season finale. Similarly, he appeared on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay. They appeared on The Martha Stewart Show as judges and as a guest chef.
Production of Films
He has developed a documentary series called Holy Kitchens, in addition to participating on TV shows. This series investigates the relationship between faith and food, and it has been shown at Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Oxford Universities and Film Festivals. Similarly, his documentary Kitchens of Gratitude was screened at the 69th Cannes Film Festival’s Marche du Film.
In addition, The Last Color is his directorial debut. It is a documentary depicting the daily struggles for survival on the streets of Banaras, India’s historic city. The teaser for this film, starring renowned Indian actress Neena Gupta, was released at the 71st Cannes Film Festival. This film was also nominated for Best Film at the 2019 Academy Awards.
Philanthropy
Furthermore, the Michelin-starred chef established the South Asian Kid’s Infinite Vision Foundation (SAKIV). He did it to draw attention to global situations that require immediate response, such as tsunami relief, hurricanes on the Gulf Coast, and Haiti. SAKIV has sponsored several events around the world, from the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt to the Taj Mahal in India, in conjunction with philanthropic organizations such as Save the Children.
In addition, in 2018, he established India’s first Culinary Museum at his alma school, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal. In addition, in 2001, he established Cooking for Life in New York. Along with the world’s greatest chefs, this benefits a variety of social causes. Similarly, his award-winning workshop is Vision of Palate. He created it to teach those with visual impairments about the senses of taste, flavor, and scent.
Then, on May 14, 2012, he prepared for President Obama’s fundraiser at the Rubin Museum of Art in New York City. He also serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Smile Foundation and promotes the cause of malnutrition in India. He has vowed to raise $1 million USD for the same purpose.
Books
Khanna is also a well-known cookbook author, having authored a number of extraordinary recipes that the world has ever seen. Among all of his works, a couple that has earned international acclaim are Savor Mumbai, Modern Indian Cooking; Shaken & Stirred – A Non-Alcoholic Drinks Book; and World Feast – My Favorite Kitchen.
He gained prominence after publishing a 1200-page cookbook named “UTSAV- A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals.” The cookbook is regarded as one of the most expensive books ever produced, with a single copy costing over INR 8 lakhs. The book weighs around 16kg and was written in gold ink.
Awards and Commendations
Vikas Khanna is a world-renowned chef, and as such, he has garnered numerous honors and acclaim both in his native country and worldwide. Junoon, his previous employer, got a Michelin star for six years in a row. It is provided by the Michelin Guide. Similarly, he was named one of the “Top 10 Chefs in the World” by Deutsche Welle News and Gazette Review.
He received a Doctor of Philosophy (Honoris causa) degree from GD Goenka University and a Doctorate in Literature from DY Patil University (Honoris causa). Similarly, in 2014, he was nominated for a James Beard Foundation Award for his book Return to the Rivers.
He has got the Rising Star Chef Award from Star Chefs in 2011 for his role in molding the future of American cuisine, the “GQ India Man of the Year” award from GQ Magazine in 2012, the “Access to Freedom Award” from SATH in 2005, and the Shining Star Award from Just One Break, Inc.
He has also appeared in a number of magazines. In November 2011, People magazine named him the “Sexiest Man Alive.” In 2012, he was featured on the cover of Men’s Health India Magazine. In addition, he was named “New York’s Hottest Chef” in a survey conducted by the New York Eater blog, and he earned a proclamation from the New York City Council for his remarkable contribution to the city, as well as being named “New Yorker of the Week” by NY1.
Vikas Khanna’s Wife, Marriage & Relationship
Vikas Khanna is most likely single right now. He has not published any details about his romantic engagements on social media. Also, Khanna may be more focused on his vocation as a chef and his charity efforts right now than on affairs, rumors, scandals, and controversies.
He has, however, been involved in rumors and scandals in the past. There were reports that he was dating Shipra Khanna, the season 2 champion of MasterChef India. However, he was quick to dismiss the rumor. Similarly, a few years back, there was a report that he had an affair with the author, actress, and model Padma Lakshmi. However, he also disputed this rumor.
Scandals
On Salman Khan’s show Big Boss, the Michelin-starred chef entered the home to assess a cooking challenge and present the winners with exquisite delicacies created by him. Fans accused him of favoritism when he appeared on the show in January 2020.
Vikas Khanna took to Instagram to post a photo of Asim Riaz feeding him while he was inside the house. Along with the photo, the chef made a lengthy article describing his time at the house and the vicious comments he received subsequently. He posted a picture of Asim feeding him on his Instagram story after visiting the Bigg Boss house. He also captioned the photo, saying Asim’s act humbled him.
After being accused of favoring Asim and experiencing a lot of backlash for the post, he explained why he was moved in a series of tweets. He penned:
“It moved me that Asim fed me first when housemates were living in Bigg Boss for months without luxury and when given a Michelin Star supper.” I’m not a member of any squad, but we must remember the humble moments in our lives. “It is our thankfulness that distinguishes us as humans.”
Vikas Khanna’s Income & Net Worth
Moving forward, Vikas Khanna’s net worth is estimated to be about one million dollars as of January 2020. This indicates Khanna has a net worth of more than 7 crores. This is calculated using Khanna’s various assets.
Vikas Khanna’s Social Media(Facebook, Twitter, Instagram)
The Michelin-starred chef maintains a personal presence on a number of social media channels. He began using Twitter in November 2009 and currently has 2.2 million followers. Similarly, he has 1.4 million followers on his Facebook page, and as of August 2020, the chef has published 1,651 posts to his 1 million Instagram followers under the account @vikaskhannagroup.
Quicks Facts
Full Name | Vikas Khanna |
---|---|
Born Date | 14 Nov 1971 |
Age | 50 years old |
Horoscope | Scorpio |
Lucky Number | 7 |
Lucky Stone | Garnet |
Lucky Color | Purple |
Best Match for Marriage | Capricorn, Cancer, Pisces |
Gender | Male |
Profession | Michelin star Chef, Restaurateur, and Cookbook writer |
Country | India |
Height | 6 feet 0 inches (1.83m) |
Weight | N/A |
Marital Status | single |
Net Worth | $1 million (₹7 crores) |
Eye Color | Dark Brown |
Hair Color | Dark Brown |
Body Size | chest 40 in; waist 32 in; biceps 12 in |
Birth Place | Amritsar, Punjab |
Nationality | Indian |
Ethnicity | Asian/Indian |
Education | Cornell University, Culinary Institute of America, New York University, Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Le Cordon Bleu |
Father | Davinder Khanna |
Mother | Bindu Khanna |
Siblings | Two (Radhika Khanna and Nishant Khanna) |
Vikas Khanna Twitter | |
Vikas Khanna Instagram | |
Personal Web | Vikas Khanna Personal Web |
IMDB | Vikas Khanna IMDB |
Wiki | Vikas Khanna Wiki |
Brands | N/A |
Hobbies | N/A |