Tête-à-tête with Vikas Khanna
Celebrity Chef Vikas Khanna can now add to his list of impressive accomplishments the honor of receiving a Michelin Star for his work at Junoon Restaurant in New York City.
Chef, restaurateur, food writer, filmmaker, humanitarian and the host of the TV Show MasterChef India, he is an entrepreneur with a vision. Hailing from Amritsar, India, Vikas took the inspiration derived from large family feasts and turned it into a brilliant career.
He has received extremely impressive reviews from a wide variety of media sources, his gastronomic peers, as well as recognition from the ever important James Beard Foundation.
1) How has being honored with a Michelin Star effected your professional life?
Receiving the Michelin Star was the greatest honor for our entire team at Junoon, who all worked extremely hard toward a common vision. Junoon has achieved a benchmark, and now the commitment is to do even better in the times to come.
2) What’s your next project?
I am a person who believes in a vision of togetherness and what we decide as a team along with our mentor Rajesh Bhardwaj, will be the direction. In the meantime, I am working on our film series Holy Kitchens. I just had the honor of spending time with His Holiness Dalai Lama in Bodhgaya. His Holiness will be speaking in the film on Buddhism and the interconnectedness of food and spirituality.
3) You are a writer, television personality, filmmaker and humanitarian. Which one of these delivers the highest level of satisfaction and why?
The highest level of satisfaction for me comes from the work that has over the years represented our country, cities and our family in the brightest light. I want my work as a whole – food, books, films and television to be helpful to the future generations.
4) After your great success hosting the TV show Master Chef India, have you been approached by any American television networks to have your own cooking show? Would you be interested?
I am always open to any kind of contribution to the food world, but I am also a believer of cosmic schedule – let’s wait and see what the universe has in store for the future.
5) How hard is it as a chef to maintain a healthy diet?
After a whole day of cooking and tasting, all I want at the end of the day is simple food; usually it’s a dish of lentils, or chickpeas and roti. I also believe, that with so many choices available to chefs – it’s always about choosing the right food and finding the right balance – healthy, nutritious and flavorful
6) Can you pinpoint your favorite recipe from your travels?
I recently traveled to Surat in Gujrat and tasted some great authentic Gujrati food. The dish that I enjoyed the most was the original Patra recipe – a great tasting savory snack of the region.
I have a long list of chefs in Paris, America and India who have all have contributed to my professional and personal growth. But the one chef that I admire the most is Julia Child – for a one-woman contribution to helping change the portrait of the world cuisine, and for building a bridge between French and American cuisine.
8) How did growing up and being educated in India give you an edge in competing in the U.S. market?
Our culture is steeped in tradition and it forms the foundation of our beliefs. No matter where we are, these values never leave us; they give us strength through all the challenges we face. The power of faith in our family can never be underestimated, it only gives you strength to move forward.
Interview published in Varli Magazine (2012). Click here to read complete magazine online.