Chef Vikas Khanna’s onerous paintings conquered all of the demanding situations on his method. Ranging from his grandmother’s kitchen, he took his love for cooking to New York, in the long run incomes a Michelin Famous person and opening one of the most town’s favorite Indian eating places.
When Vikas Khanna used to be born in Amritsar in 1971, medical doctors advised his mom, Bindu Khanna, that his ft had been deformed and that he wouldn’t be capable of stroll or run. Bindu wouldn’t listen a phrase of it and took him to Delhi for additional remedy. She mentioned, “My son isn’t born to stroll, he’s born to fly.”
Certain sufficient, Vikas proved his mom proper. As of late, at 52, he’s an award-winning Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, creator, filmmaker, and a pass judgement on on MasterChef India. Past his culinary achievements, he’s additionally deeply dedicated to giving again. Right through the pandemic, he championed reduction efforts thru his Feed India initiative, serving over 50 million foods around the nation.
His tale is considered one of overcoming each adversity possible and not letting others carry him down.
As Vikas had clubfoot, he needed to put on leg braces and later, picket sneakers. This made him a goal for relentless bullying in school. “I used to be teased at school. Boys would name me ‘polio wala ladka’ (the boy with polio), and mentioned that I used to be cursed because of my braces,” he shared in a TED communicate.
Whilst he didn’t in finding acceptance in school, he discovered solace and a way of belonging in his grandmother’s kitchen. After college, he spent his time there, studying to prepare dinner from each his grandmother and mom. He additionally discovered convenience on the Golden Temple’s langar (group kitchen) in Amritsar, the place he assisted within the kitchen.
“My grandmother advised me that you’re supposed to be other,” he added in the similar communicate.
Through the age of 13, he had realized the ropes of cooking and began serving to his mom promote chole bhature to varsities. He used to be the sous chef in his mom’s industry, ‘Lawrence Lawn’, a dinner party corridor.
Tragedy struck a decade later, when the banquets had been overwhelmed through native government, shattering their goals. Heartbroken, Vikas moved to New York to start out a brand new lifestyles.
In New York, he took on just about 31 bizarre jobs, together with washing dishes, cleansing and cooking in houses, operating in delis, cafes, and eating places. He even taken care of canine and cats. He additionally labored in different eating places, opened a cooking college, and ran catering corporations.
Whilst operating in a cafe in Paris, the chef advised him, “Black palms don’t prepare dinner, they simply blank.” Khanna hand over the following minute and vowed to turn the chef what black palms can do! “I can succeed in one thing sooner or later,” he promised.
In 2010, he returned to New York and opened a cafe known as Junoon, incomes a Michelin Famous person the following 12 months.
Since then, Vikas has no longer regarded again, taking Indian meals and tradition to the sector. In 2024, he opened a cafe ‘Bungalow’ in New York, which he calls his ‘final innings’ within the hospitality trade. Bungalow’s reservations had been offered out in simply 11 seconds!
“Folks can take the whole lot from you, however no longer your satisfaction and happiness,” he says.
Edited through Khushi Arora