Born in Amritsar, India to Davinder and Bindu Khanna, Vikas Khanna began his culinary experience as a helper in his grandmother's kitchen, and learned the art of cooking and the use of spices from her. At the age of 12, he was supplying kitchenware to Amritsar Club.
He began developing recipes at a very young age and opened Lawrence Gardens Banquets to host weddings and family functions when he was 16. He graduated from the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in 1994, and established SAANCH, a cultural festival gala, to bring together various foods and traditions from different parts of India. This festival has been an important event in the college's calendar. He also learnt the art of sculpting stone and wood in Jaipur, Mysore, Udipi, and Sagar (Karnataka). He has worked for the Taj, Oberoi, Welcomgroup, and Leela Group of Hotels, with some of the most influential chefs of India.
Khanna moved to New York in December, 2000. He worked his way up and soon became the Executive Chef of Salaam Bombay Restaurant in New York. He is a consultant to many restaurants in the United States, and has his own line of packaged foods, Gourmetgurus.
He has studied at Cornell University, Culinary Institute of America, and New York University. He frequently lectures at many universities around the country. He resides across the United Nations in Manhattan.
Vikas Khanna launched the small company SAKIV (South Asian Kid's Infinite Vision) to reach out to eye foundations around the world in an effort to create awareness about vision disorders in children.
Vision of Palate is his award winning workshop developed to educate people with visual disbilities about the sense of taste, flavor and aromas.
Vikas Khanna's Holy Kitchens film series explores the food sharing traditions in a spiritual context. The first film in the series True Business, is based on the Sikh community kitchens, known as Langars, with introduction by Deepak Chopra. The film will premiere at the Sikh International Film Festival in October 2010. Other films in the Holy Kitchens series are based upon the food traditions of Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Christianity, Zoroastrianism and Judaism.
Vikas was featured in the Top Sexy and Successful list of Anokhi Magazine in their 5th Anniversary Issue.
Khanna has received acclaim for his cooking style from the James Beard Foundation, and received several awards, including the "Access to Freedom Award", in 2005 from SATH, previously awarded to George W. Bush and HRH Prince Charles, and The Shining Star Award from Just One Break, Inc. previously received by Christopher Reeve and Ray Charles.
He has also received a proclamation from the Council of the City of New York for his outstanding contribution to the city, and was chosen New Yorker of the Week by NY1.
In September 2007, Vikas Khanna was featured as the consultant chef on the Gordon Ramsay TV show Kitchen Nightmares on Fox. On October 13, 2009, Khanna appeared as a judge and Indian-cuisine specialist on the two-part season finale of Hell's Kitchen. On June 23, 2010, Khanna appeared on Throwdown! with Bobby Flay as a judge.
