How Vikas Khanna Found His Power in the Kitchen

Food and Wine

Chef, author, filmmaker, and philanthropist Vikas Khanna (@vikaskhannagroup) grew up in a small town in India with the world stacked against him and childhood bullies that told him he’d never achieve anything. But his grandmother and sister always believed in him and when they brought him into the kitchen, he roared to life. An extraordinary life at that, where he makes movies, writes books, feeds millions of hungry people, and runs the most watched Indian restaurant on the planet @bungalowny. He joined #TinfoilSwans for a truly moving conversation about the power of people believing in you (even if it feels like a lie), why he wants to “unrestaurant” himself, and why he feels driven to feed the world. Listen at the link in bio, and make sure to like and subscribe to keep up with the season.

Transcript

00:00Service could be me giving you a dal bowl, a lentil bowl, and a spoon, and you guys figure out how to eat it with a fork.

00:07That's what was happening for so long in America.

00:10But now hospitality is that the bowl is served, and somebody gets these small golden bowls, mini bowls,

00:18and they put the dal in that, and they keep it in front of you, because that's how our grandmothers fed us.

00:23Two billion people's home was feeding dal like that, and suddenly our idea changed about Indian food,

00:33that no, no, no, you've got to eat it with a fork and on a plate, let this flow loose.

00:38Why? Why? Why are we dismissing the people who are the true custodians of the cuisine?

00:43That's hospitality for me.

00:45Hospitality means when you do not know, and before you can say it, we are not giving you service, we anticipate what you need.

00:52I make this pickle, and then I puree that, which goes on the side of every main course,

00:57because I know it is a part of our grandmothers' tables.

01:01There used to be small jars of pickles.

01:04Onions are necessary for Indian cuisine.

01:07There's a green chili on the table, there's a little piece of lime on the table,

01:10it has a little dressing of chaat masala, and you will feel that's hospitality,

01:15because I didn't even ask for it.

01:16Service means just serving the main course.

01:19When you have intuition attached to service, it's hospitality,

01:22that this is what will make them taste better, feel better with this food.

Category

Transcript

Comments

Recommended