Tamil Nadu's Vijay Kumar Wins James Beard Award For Best Chef In New York (image:x.com/OMRcat)
Tamil Nadu’s culinary heritage is officially marking its presence on the coveted food plates of New York with a chef’s win. Vijay Kumar of Semma won the prestigious James Beard Awards, 2025, for the Best Chef in the New York State. Touted as Oscars of the food world, it is one of the highest honours of the culinary world.
Receiving the award, in an emotional acceptance speech, Vijay said: “When I started cooking, I never thought a dark-skinned boy from Tamil Nadu would make it to a room like this. But the food I grew up on food made with care, with fire, with soul, is now taking the main stage.”
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He then emphasised the connection between food and culture and the connection it makes. “There is no such thing as a poor person’s food, or a rich person’s food. It’s food. It’s powerful. And the real luxury is to be able to connect with each other around the dinner table,” he added.
Congratulations to Chef Vijay Kumar on winning the prestigious James Beard Award for Best Chef, New York. This recognition not only brings spotlight on his exceptional culinary skills but also brings much-deserved attention to Tamil Nadu’s rich culinary heritage on the global… pic.twitter.com/2rWnNTNpZK
— Supriya Sahu IAS (@supriyasahuias) June 17, 2025
Hailing from Madurai’s Natham, Vijay launched Semma, a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in New York in 2021. Focusing on authentic South Indian cuisine, the city fervently enjoys signature dishes like nathai pirattal (snails cooked in fiery gravy), eral thokku (spicy prawns), and foxtail millet khichdi from Vijay’s place.
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To a cheering crowd at the James Beard stage, Vijay said, “Tonight, Indian cuisine stands tall. Tamil food stands tall. My own food and my heritage stand tall, and it all matters. I stand here for everyone who never thought their story belongs on a stage like this.”
Vijay’s restaurant is part of the Unapologetic Foods group headed by Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar.
