A successful restaurateur in New York, whose restaurant is a Michelin star award winner, started his own catering business at age of 17. Chef Vikas talks CS about his struggle and his journey so far: <img alt="" src="/imagedata/2012/jul/Vikas.jpg" style="width: 500px; height: 593px; " /> Who: Chef Vikas Khanna What: On his foodie journey so far Where: In a office at Andheri Finding strength I was born with clubbed feet and hence couldn&rsquo;t walk properly. I would hide from everyone in the family because of my disability. While other kids in the family were busy playing, I would hide in the kitchen and watch my grandmother cook. It was while hiding there that I discovered that this was my temple. My first venture in catering business was a small banquet hall in my backyard. It was a small party place for the women in the vicinity to come and have their get-togethers. But that didn&rsquo;t work out. Then I tried a lot of other ventures. One thing I knew is that everything in our life is planned by the cosmos and one has to wait. Nothing comes easily. My mommy strongest My success wouldn&rsquo;t be with me if not for my family, especially my mother. She has always stood by my side. I remember one banquet hall party, when it suddenly started raining. I switched the generator on, which was on my terrace. But it would stop working again and again. After a while, it was all fine. When I went up to check, I saw my mother holding the switch for me in the pouring rain without an umbrella. And all she said was I cannot let my son fail. Be humble and nothing will go wrong is the lesson she gave me. And since then I haven&rsquo;t failed. Phulka power Humility is what I add to whatever I cook. I believe in being true to my roots. When I interview people for jobs, all I ask them to make is a perfect &lsquo;phulka&rsquo;. It is a perfect combination of three Ts &ndash; timing, technique, and temperature. It is simple for Indian women but difficult for most chefs to master. Customer first I have an open kitchen at Junoon in New York. I have had a lot of customers who come here for what I serve &ndash; simplicity. But a memorable incident that really makes me proud is the experience I had with an 80 year old lady. Her grandsons brought her to my restaurant on her 80th birthday. All she ordered was aloo wadi. After a while, she was in tears. All she did was cry and ask for me. I went upto her table to apologise. That&rsquo;s when the old woman raised her hands to bless me. All she said was that the aloo wadi reminded her of her grandmother&rsquo;s aloo wadi. That was the best award ever &mdash; to bring a 80-year-old memory to life. u00a0

Despite being a masterchef, it is only dal-chawal that tickles Vikas Khanna's fancy. A student of the Culinary Institute of America, the chef began his cooking lessons in his grandma's kitchen in Amritsar

Vikas Khanna on his journey from Amritsar to America

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Home / Entertainment / Television News / Article / Vikas Khanna on his journey from Amritsar to America

Vikas Khanna on his journey from Amritsar to America

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