Ali Khan is a natural born glutton whose passion for food began as soon as he was tall enough to ditch his high chair and commence eating out at fine dining establishments. Being the child of South Asian immigrants, he learned early on that exotic food to some is comfort food to others and has been “eating fearlessly” since day one, embracing new cuisines and cultures along the way.

It was inevitable that this passion for food would shape his professional career, and for those who knew him well, it came as no surprise that he would be named the Senior Editor of BlackBook Magazine’s Los Angeles Dining and Nightlife Guide at age 26. With online media taking center stage, Ali lent his writing skills to lifestyle sites such as Urban Daddy and LA TACO, and became a regular contributor to You Gotta Eat This. In that time he launched two successful series: Sandwich Spotting Los Angeles and Bang for your Burger Buck. In 2015, Bang for your Burger Buck launched as a standalone blog covering burgers nationwide.

In addition to food writing, Ali is a natural born performer trained in the Theatrical Arts at Carnegie Mellon University and the University of Southern California where he earned his B.A. in Theater Studies. His passion for performance and all things epicurean eventually led him to Food Network, where his earliest appearances include Grill It with Bobby Flay and the Best Thing I Ever Made. Producer credits include Food Network’s $24 in 24, Thanksgiving Live and he helped develop projects for Jeff Mauro, Alton Brown and Simon Majumdar.

In 2015, Ali premiered his very own show, Cheap Eats, on Cooking Channel. As the host of Cheap Eats, Ali is right at home taking audiences on a culinary tour of America, on a budget almost anyone can afford. Cheap Eats is currently airing its 4th season with a 5th season in post production. In 2018 Ali joined Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship as the host for the 4th season. Ali has also appeared as a guest judge on Chopped and Chopped Junior, appeared in several episodes of Best Thing I Ever Ate, and has also worked with Tastemade, where he shot, edited and hosted his own food series under the handle “blackbookali.” When not cruising the country for Cheap Eats, Ali resides with his wife and son (who he weaned off the bottle and onto prosciutto and sashimi) in literally the hottest food city in the world: Austin, Texas.

 Check out Ali looking legit over at Cooking Channel’s site