Vikas Khanna is the Indian-American chef, restaurateur, author, filmmaker and humanitarian behind Bungalow, the New York Indian restaurant that opened in East Village in 2024 and has been sold out every night since opening. Bungalow was named a Bib Gourmand restaurant in the 2025 Michelin Guide USA, and a 2025 Eater feature noted that the restaurant has operated at full capacity continuously since its opening. Born 14 November 1971 in Amritsar, Punjab, India, Khanna grew up in the Punjab region and moved to the United States in 2000 at age 29 after working at Indian hotel kitchens and opening his first restaurant Lawrence Gardens in Amritsar at 17.
Khanna is known globally for his work at Junoon, the Michelin-starred New York Indian fine-dining restaurant where he was executive chef from 2010 through its 2020 closure, and for hosting MasterChef India across multiple seasons on Star Plus. He is the author of more than 40 cookbooks including Utsav: A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals, a 12-kilogram book that set Guinness World Records, and the director of four films. In April 2020 at the start of the COVID pandemic he launched the Feed India initiative, which delivered more than 50 million meals across India during the pandemic. As of 2026, Bungalow continues at capacity in East Village, and his television and publishing work continues.
TL;DR
- Indian-American chef born 14 November 1971 in Amritsar, Punjab, India
- Born with misshapen feet; walked with leg braces as a child
- Opened first restaurant Lawrence Gardens in Amritsar at age 17
- Executive chef at Michelin-starred Junoon New York 2010-2020
- 2024: Opens Bungalow in East Village New York; Bib Gourmand in 2025 Michelin Guide USA
- Feed India delivered 50+ million meals during COVID pandemic from April 2020
Vikas Khanna key facts
| Born | 14 November 1971, Amritsar, Punjab, India |
| Nationality | Indian-American |
| Training | Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal; Taj Group hotels; Indian fine-dining kitchens |
| Flagship restaurant | Bungalow, East Village, New York (opened 2024; Bib Gourmand 2025) |
| Previous flagship | Junoon New York, executive chef 2010-2020 (Michelin star continuously 2011-2020) |
| Books | 40+ cookbooks including the 12-kg Utsav (Guinness World Records) |
| Television | MasterChef India (multiple seasons on Star Plus); Kitchens of India |
| Humanitarian work | Feed India initiative: 50+ million meals delivered during COVID from April 2020 |
Early life and training of Vikas Khanna
Khanna was born on 14 November 1971 in Amritsar, Punjab, into a Sikh family. He was born with misshapen feet and spent his early childhood walking with leg braces, an experience he has said in multiple interviews shaped his determination and his later humanitarian work. His grandmother Biji raised him through his early years in Amritsar, and the Punjabi cooking of her kitchen, built around langar (the communal free meals served at Sikh gurdwaras) and traditional Amritsari dishes, became his foundational culinary education.
At 17 Khanna opened his first restaurant, Lawrence Gardens in Amritsar, a catering and event venue that he ran while still in secondary school. He then enrolled at the Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration in Manipal, graduating in 1991. Through the 1990s he worked at Taj Group hotels across India, including the Taj Lands End in Mumbai and the Oberoi hotels, reaching senior chef positions while still in his twenties. In 2000 at age 29 he moved to the United States to expand his career internationally.
Khanna’s New York years began with a period at Salaam Bombay and other Indian restaurants. In 2003 he opened Purnima at the Benjamin Hotel and later worked at Cafe E, before taking the executive chef role at Junoon when it opened at 27 West 24th Street in Manhattan in 2010. Junoon was an immediate success: critical acclaim from the New York Times, a Michelin star in the 2011 Michelin Guide New York, and continuous retention of the star through the 2020 closure. Khanna left Junoon in 2020, and in 2024 he returned to the New York restaurant scene with Bungalow in East Village.
Vikas Khanna career timeline
- 14 November 1971: Born in Amritsar, Punjab, India
- Early 1980s: Walks with leg braces due to misshapen feet
- 1988: Opens Lawrence Gardens in Amritsar at age 17
- 1991: Graduates from Welcomgroup Graduate School of Hotel Administration, Manipal
- 1990s: Works at Taj Group hotels including Taj Lands End Mumbai and Oberoi hotels
- 2000: Moves to the United States
- 2003: Opens Purnima at the Benjamin Hotel in New York
- 2010: Joins Junoon as executive chef when the restaurant opens in Manhattan
- 2011: Junoon earns one Michelin star in the 2011 Michelin Guide New York (retained continuously through 2020)
- 2011: Hosts MasterChef India season 2 on Star Plus (continues on later seasons)
- 2013: Holy Kitchens documentary film released
- 2014: Publishes Utsav: A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals (12-kg book; Guinness World Records)
- 2015: MasterChef India continues on Star Plus
- April 2020: Launches Feed India initiative at start of COVID pandemic
- 2020: Junoon closes; Khanna leaves as executive chef
- 2021: Feed India reaches 50+ million meals delivered across India
- 2021: Directs feature film The Last Color starring Neena Gupta
- 2024: Opens Bungalow in East Village, New York
- 2025: Bungalow named Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Michelin Guide USA
- September 2025: FOX 5 New York interview on Bungalow’s success; sold out every night since opening
- 2026: Bungalow continues at capacity; television and publishing work continue
Vikas Khanna signature style: Punjabi heritage in New York
Khanna’s central argument, developed across the 2010-2020 Junoon years and refined at Bungalow since 2024, is that Punjabi and broader North Indian regional cooking, particularly the Amritsari tradition of his childhood, can anchor a serious New York fine-dining kitchen. The Junoon menu built on this argument for a decade: contemporary plating of traditional Amritsari and Delhi-style dishes, dal makhani and butter chicken prepared at Michelin-star level, tandoori technique used in dishes that were not traditionally tandoori. The 2011-2020 Michelin star run validated the approach.
The second defining element is the humanitarian work, particularly Feed India during the COVID pandemic. Launched in April 2020 at the start of the Indian lockdown, Feed India partnered with the Indian government, PM CARES Fund and regional agencies to deliver meals to people who had lost access to food during the pandemic. By 2021 the initiative had delivered more than 50 million meals across India, one of the largest chef-led humanitarian operations of the pandemic era. The project sits alongside Jose Andres‘s World Central Kitchen in scale and intent.
The third pillar is the publishing and television output. Khanna has written more than 40 cookbooks, including the 12-kg Utsav: A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals that set Guinness World Records, and has hosted MasterChef India across multiple seasons on Star Plus. He has also directed four films including The Last Color (2021) starring Neena Gupta. The multi-format public voice sits alongside peers including Sanjeev Kapoor (Khana Khazana, 150+ cookbooks) and Gaggan Anand as defining figures in contemporary Indian fine dining internationally.
Notable dishes at Bungalow and Junoon
Several Khanna dishes have become reference points in American Indian fine dining. The Bungalow spice-roasted pineapple, the yogurt kebab, the Amritsari fish tikka, and the Bungalow biryani have been the defining set pieces at the East Village restaurant since the 2024 opening. At Junoon (2010-2020) the lamb chops with green chutney, the dal bukhara cooked for 48 hours, and the black cod tikka were defining signatures. Khanna cookbooks include Flavors First (2011), Savour Mumbai (2014), Utsav (2014), Indian Harvest (2017), Sacred Foods of India (2019) and more than 30 others. The 2020-2021 Feed India work is extensively documented in his public statements and media coverage.
Vikas Khanna awards and recognition
- 1988: Opens Lawrence Gardens in Amritsar at age 17
- 2010: Joins Junoon New York as executive chef
- 2011: One Michelin star at Junoon New York (retained continuously through 2020)
- 2011: Hosts MasterChef India season 2 on Star Plus
- 2014: Publishes 12-kg Utsav: A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals (Guinness World Records)
- 2019: Sacred Foods of India published
- April 2020: Launches Feed India at start of COVID pandemic
- 2021: Feed India reaches 50+ million meals delivered across India
- 2021: Directs The Last Color feature film
- 2024: Opens Bungalow in East Village, New York
- 2025: Bungalow named Bib Gourmand in 2025 Michelin Guide USA
- September 2025: FOX 5 New York profile on Bungalow’s sold-out success
- 2026: Bungalow continues at capacity; television and publishing work continue
Vikas Khanna impact on Indian fine dining in America
Khanna’s most concrete contribution is the decade-long Michelin star run at Junoon from 2011 to 2020. During that period Junoon was one of only a handful of Michelin-starred Indian restaurants in the United States and the most continuously recognised Indian kitchen in New York. The 2024 return with Bungalow has re-established Khanna at the centre of the New York Indian fine-dining conversation, and the Bib Gourmand recognition in the 2025 Michelin Guide USA confirms the new project at Michelin-recognition level.
The second contribution is the Feed India humanitarian work. The April 2020 launch at the start of the Indian COVID lockdown and the subsequent 50+ million meals delivered made Feed India one of the largest chef-led humanitarian operations of the pandemic era, comparable in scale to Jose Andres‘s World Central Kitchen. The project positions Khanna as one of the most significant chef-humanitarians internationally, alongside Andres and a small number of others.
The third contribution is the cookbook, television and film output over more than two decades. The 40+ cookbooks, the multi-season MasterChef India hosting, the four directed films and the Guinness World Records 12-kg Utsav together place Khanna among the most multi-format Indian chef-personalities globally. Within the current Indian chef cohort he sits alongside Sanjeev Kapoor (Khana Khazana, 150+ cookbooks) and Gaggan Anand (Gaggan Bangkok) as defining figures in contemporary Indian fine dining internationally.
Vikas Khanna FAQ
Is Bungalow open?
Yes. Bungalow opened in East Village, New York, in 2024 and has been sold out every night since opening. The restaurant was named a Bib Gourmand restaurant in the 2025 Michelin Guide USA, and a September 2025 FOX 5 New York interview documented the sold-out success into autumn 2025 and 2026.
What happened to Junoon?
Junoon, where Khanna was executive chef from 2010, closed in 2020 at the end of the Michelin star run. The restaurant held one Michelin star continuously from 2011 to 2020 and was widely considered one of the defining American Indian fine-dining venues of the 2010s. Khanna left Junoon in 2020 and opened Bungalow in 2024 as his new flagship.
What is Feed India?
A humanitarian initiative Khanna launched in April 2020 at the start of the Indian COVID lockdown, partnering with the Indian government and PM CARES Fund to deliver meals to people who had lost access to food during the pandemic. By 2021 the initiative had delivered more than 50 million meals across India.
What is Utsav?
A 12-kilogram cookbook Khanna published in 2014, subtitled A Culinary Epic of Indian Festivals. The book set Guinness World Records and documents Indian festival foodways across regions and religions. It is one of the largest published cookbooks globally and is one of Khanna’s most-cited works.
Did Khanna host MasterChef India?
Yes. Khanna hosted MasterChef India from season 2 on Star Plus starting in 2011, and has returned across multiple later seasons. The programme is the Indian adaptation of the global MasterChef format and was one of the most-watched Indian cookery programmes of the 2010s.
What is next for Vikas Khanna
Bungalow continues at capacity in East Village through 2026, and Khanna’s television and publishing work continue. His public Instagram (@vikaskhannagroup) is the best source for current updates.
