Vikas Khanna was once homeless, with just $3 in his pocket. However, it was after establishing Michelin-starred restaurant, he felt empty: ‘It broke my heart…’

Today, he is one of the most famous chefs and food influencers in the world and one of the chefs to put Indian food on the global map. However, Vikas Khanna was once homeless and had to stay at New York Rescue Mission. In an interview with DJ, street interviewer Isaac Hindin Miller, the celebrity chef opened up about when he was homeless in the year 2000. Khanna opened up on his experience struggling financially when he arrived in the US in the year 2000. He was working in a deli in Tribeca (a neighbourhood in Manhattan, New York), which was closed due to Christmas. He had just $3 in his pocket back then, and he decided to join the line standing outside the New York Rescue Mission when something miraculous happened.

An old lady came up to him and gave him a small, warm blanket. Khanna was touched by this gesture, stating he felt embraced. He went down to the basement and had a simple dish of salmon, steamed beans and mashed potatoes. The experience gave him a sense of déjà vu. “It was almost like going back to the Golden Temple and finding not just food, but also a sense of community..." he recalled. He eventually made friends and began to get small orders for catering. The Rescue Mission allowed him to use their facilities for the orders, but when he got a bigger order, he decided to rent a kitchen in Queens.

Difficult For A Brown Guy To Get Opportunities

Khanna revealed that getting opportunities as a brown guy was not a walk in the park, and he also ran food carts on the streets, selling chicken. He also held cooking classes at a small cooking school. He got a breakthrough when he appeared on celebrated chef Gordon Ramsay’s show, where the latter changed his perspective on Indian food. He then went on to launch the restaurant Junoon in NYC, and it received a Michelin Star within nine months of being launched, which he retained for eight years.

He Still Felt Empty

Despite the success, he still felt empty and unfulfilled. His mother, who came for a visit, was not impressed with the food. Reflecting on her lack of enthusiasm, he stated she must have felt it was too Westernised. “She did not understand the food and the service, and it broke my heart,” he said. He decided that a restaurant has to be an extension or representation of the people back home. In a foreign land, a restaurant is about inclusivity, about the comfort of a grandmother’s hug. That approach towards food was what eventually made him establish Bungalow in 2024. That very year, it was honoured with "Bib Gourmand" by the prestigious Michelin Guide.

According to Lifestyle Asia, Khanna was born in Amritsar, Punjab. He had a foot abnormality from birth and was unable to run until he was in his teens. However, he had discovered his vocation in the kitchen even as a young youngster. His mother and grandma inspired him to enjoy cooking and food. They were instrumental in helping him improve his culinary skills at a young age.

He relocated to the US to pursue additional education at establishments like the Culinary Institute of America in order to refine his talents after earning a degree in hotel management from Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

In 1990, Khanna began working as an assistant in the kitchen at Taj Intercontinental for barely Rs 450 per month, according to career360. Vikas Khanna earned Rs 3.75 crore in 2019, according to Forbes India.

As per Lifestyle Asia, his networth is a figure between Rs 84 crore and Rs 127 crore.