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Vikas Khanna Shares A Letter He Wrote To His Biji When He Was A Dishwasher In New York

byAkanksha Agarwal
22nd January 2020
2 minute read

Texting might be convenient but letters still hold a special charm for all of us. Whether it is a note to our younger self, handwritten correspondence between neighbours who’ve never met or an emotional message from a son missing his father, they encompass a myriad of feelings and emotions.

According to NDTV, 48-year-old Michelin-star chef, Vikas Khanna recently shared a letter he wrote to his grandmother almost 20 years ago. The food icon recalls that he’d penned the note down in New York when he was still a dishwasher way back in February 2001 but never mailed it to India.

For the uninitiated, the Amritsar-born chef took to cooking after watching his grandmother make traditional dishes in the kitchen as a kid. His career in the food industry began with his own catering business named Lawrence Garden Banquets.

After attending a culinary school in Manipal, he went to New York to fulfill his dreams. Today, he owns the restaurants Junoon in Manhattan and Kinara in Dubai.

View this post on Instagram

Found an old letter I had written to my grandma from my early days in New York, but never mailed it. I think it was Feb, 2001. My dearest Biji (Grandma), Bow to touch your feet. I hope your health is fine. I started a new job at a small café near WTC. Its American food, I find it very bland. But I work very hard to fit in. One dishwasher is from Mexico, he is very nice to me. Reminds me of home. New York is very big and very bright and I feel invisible and lost. Winters here hurt my bones. The rain does not have any fragrance. The sweater you knitted keeps me warm. Somedays I feel that I will never find my identity here but I will keep going to make you proud one day. Promise. I miss you and my Golden Temple and my city and my Lawrence Garden and whatever I left behind. Somedays I feel that your tired prince is a slave and would never be anyone or anything. Whatever remains of me is still hopeful because of you. Remember that you used to tell me a story of a heroic seed that broke through the wall and grew. I feel good then. I am far but very close to you. Your Prince Viku

A post shared by Vikas Khanna (@vikaskhannagroup) on

Here is the letter that throws light on his struggling days before he got a job at Salaam Bombay Restaurant.

My dearest Biji (Grandma),Bow to touch your feet. I hope your health is fine.
I started a new job at a small café near WTC. Its American food, I find it very bland. But I work very hard to fit in. One dishwasher is from Mexico, he is very nice to me. Reminds me of home.New York is very big and very bright and I feel invisible and lost. Winters here hurt my bones. The rain does not have any fragrance. The sweater you knitted keeps me warm.
Somedays I feel that I will never find my identity here but I will keep going to make you proud one day. Promise. I miss you and my Golden Temple and my city and my Lawrence Garden and whatever I left behind.Somedays I feel that your tired prince is a slave and would never be anyone or anything. Whatever remains of me is still hopeful because of you. Remember that you used to tell me a story of a heroic seed that broke through the wall and grew. I feel good then. I am far but very close to you.Your Prince
Viku

 

People were touched after reading the heart-rending letter and had this to say:

There really is strength in the blessings of the elders of our family and their faith is all we need to tackle obstacles, don’t you think?

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