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Vikas Khanna Biography: Age, Career, Family and More

F4U Editorial Desk • Updated September 14, 2026 • 6 min read

Quick Info

Date of birth14 November 1971

Age53 Years

BirthplaceAmritsar, Punjab, India

ProfessionChef

NationalityIndian

Marital statusUnmarried

FamilyFather - Late Davinder Khanna; Mother - Bindu Khanna; Brother - Nishant Khanna; Sister - Radhika Khanna (died 28 February 2022)

Vikas Khanna Biography

Vikas Khanna is an Indian-born chef, restaurateur and author who built a prominent culinary career in New York. Born in Amritsar in 1971, he overcame early

Early life and background

Vikas Khanna was born on 14 November 1971 in Amritsar, Punjab, India. He grew up in a household where cooking was part of daily life, and time spent in the family kitchen left a lasting impression on him. Khanna was born with a club foot and did not walk until his early teens; that limitation contributed to long hours near the stove and a strong early interest in food.

Education and formative years

Khanna pursued hospitality training after school. His studies included time at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration and later programs in the United States at Cornell University and New York University. In his late teens he experimented with entrepreneurship, opening a small banquet business called Lawrence Gardens to cater local events while still in India.

Career

After gaining experience in India, Khanna moved to the United States to continue his education and advance in the culinary world. Early in his U.S. career he worked in service roles while seeking kitchen opportunities. A chance moment—preparing a Gujarati dish called dhokla for a restaurant that needed large-format appetizers—led to an offer to become executive chef at Salaam Bombay in New York.

Khanna’s profile rose over the following years. He appeared on a U.S. television culinary program hosted by Gordon Ramsay in 2006 and went on to open his own Manhattan restaurant, Junoon, in December 2009. Junoon earned a Michelin star and retained that recognition for several consecutive years beginning in 2010.

Alongside his restaurant work, Khanna has been involved in television and publishing. He co-hosted three consecutive seasons of MasterChef India and has written multiple books about Indian cuisine, including titles that explore regional spices, modern approaches to Indian cooking and celebratory dishes.

Public profile

Khanna has participated in high-profile culinary events, including cooking at a fundraiser in New York in 2012. He has also received public recognition in lifestyle and food media; one U.S. magazine included him on a “Sexiest Man Alive” list, and a New York food blog named him among the city’s most attractive chefs in 2011.

Philanthropy and initiatives

Khanna has founded and supported organizations that combine food and social causes. He launched initiatives such as Cooking for Life and SAKIV to host gastronomic events that raise awareness and funds for relief efforts. He also serves as a goodwill ambassador for the Smile Foundation, an organization focused on addressing malnutrition.

Personal life

Khanna’s family includes his late father Davinder Khanna, his mother Bindu Khanna, an elder brother Nishant Khanna and a younger sister Radhika Khanna, who died in February 2022. He is unmarried. His interests outside the kitchen include yoga and listening to music. He has spoken about influences and favorites that include certain international restaurants and chefs.

Notable details and choices

Early in his career Khanna declined an acting offer from a Bollywood filmmaker to keep his focus on the culinary profession. He has also been involved in at least one public controversy related to a signed cloth presented in the presence of the Indian prime minister; official statements that followed clarified the circumstances around that incident.

Latest updates

Junoon’s Michelin recognition, Khanna’s ongoing publishing and media contributions, and his charitable initiatives remain key elements of his public profile. He continues to be active in culinary and philanthropic spheres, combining restaurant work, television appearances and books with fundraising and awareness campaigns.
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Recent Work

Junoon (restaurant)

Opened a restaurant in Manhattan's Flatiron District in December 2009; the restaurant earned a Michelin star beginning in 2010 and maintained it for multiple consecutive years.

2009
MasterChef India (co-host)

Co-hosted three consecutive seasons of the television series (seasons 2 through 4).

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Career Highlights

  1. Executive chef position at Salaam Bombay Restaurant, New York
  2. Opened Junoon in Manhattan in 2009; Junoon received a Michelin star starting in 2010 and retained it for several years
  3. Appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s U.S. television series in 2006
  4. Co-hosted three seasons of MasterChef India
  5. Authored multiple books on Indian cuisine
  6. Founder of Cooking for Life and SAKIV; goodwill ambassador for the Smile Foundation
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Frequently Asked Questions

When was Vikas Khanna born?

14 November 1971

What is Vikas Khanna known for?

Chef

What is Vikas Khanna’s marital status?

Unmarried