Ali Khan loves food.
In fact, the popular food blogger and host of Cooking Channel’s “Cheap Eats” loves food so much that he uprooted his wife and young son and moved to Austin… just for some delicious brisket.
“The [brisket] place I had gone to, it was literally the moment where I decided I was going to move to Austin,” he recalls. “It’s like that good.”
Ali Khan’s Love of Food Leads to Stardom
Luckily, Khan’s loved of food has found an outlet in five seasons of a hit TV show. The show revolves around the type of food Khan loves most: cheap food that tastes delicious.
“Cheap Eats” has a simple premise: Ali Khan visits a new city each week and attempts to dine out for an entire day on just $35. Easy enough if he stuck to fast food, but Khan would rather seek out the hidden gems of each city’s culinary scene.
“It’s high time that people put the spotlight on cheap food,” Khan says. “There’s definitely some inspiration just with food writers who have been writing this kind of stuff over the years.”
Khan’s Philosophy: Food Needs Passion, Not Price Tags
Khan’s background fuels his desire to put the spotlight on cheap but inventive American cuisine. As the son of South Asian immigrants, Khan learned to embrace what he calls “exotic cuisine” at a young age.
After a time as the Senior Editor of Los Angeles Dining and Nightlife Guide, Khan started his own blog, Bang for Your Burger Buck. The blog chronicles Khan’s journey to find the perfect cheap burger.
Now, with his show, Khan is looking for more than just cheap burgers. He will try anything, so long as the food is made with passion – and made on the cheap.
“Find someone who’s had a great deal of training and for whatever reason they don’t want to work in fine dining,” he explains.
“When you find a chef who could cook at a crazy restaurant, but for whatever reason they’re happy cooking at a diner, and that’s an amazing thing. And when you meet someone like that who is so content in cooking something simple, you’re stoked. Because God is in the details.”
Success Hasn’t Changed Ali Khan
Khan maintains this appreciation for detail in his own career. Despite running a national TV show, he still updates his original blog, and takes time to connect with readers. In fact, he responds to nearly every question or comment from readers.
This desire to connect with fans comes back to Khan’s belief that there is more to a meal than just food.
“When I look back on my best meals, it wasn’t so much the moment of fork to lips,” Khan recalls. “It was what we discovered, like the fun time we had there.”
For Khan, that means a great food experience can come from anywhere. Even from places other food writers dismiss.
“I’m someone who believes that whether it be a steak seared with foie gras or a street taco, they’re both equal,” Khan notes. “And there are those who will appreciate both things.”
Finding delicious food in your budget can seem daunting, but as the Cooking Channel promo for “Cheap Eats” declares: “It Khan Be Done!”
