James Beard Awards, popularly known as the Oscars of the food world, announced an Indian restaurant – Semma – as winner, for the first time ever.

Vijay Kumar of Semma was named Best Chef: New York State. The Greenwich Village hotspot, Semma, has earned fame for its unapologetic rural cooking. As a part of the Unapologetic Foods group, started in 2021, supported by Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar, Semma is the only Indian restaurant in NYC holding a Michelin star for three consecutive years.

While accepting the award, Kumar said that when he started cooking, he never thought a kid like him from Tamil Nadu could make it to a room like that. “…the food I grew up with — food made with care and fire, with soul — is now taking the main stage. There’s no such thing as poor people’s food or rich people’s food. If it’s true, it’s powerful. The real luxury is to be able to connect with each other around a table.”

Hailing from Arasampatti, a farming village in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, Kumar, 44, is set to turn the definition of global cuisine around. For someone who never planned to become a chef, this sudden lift to fame is just the beginning of a bright road ahead. – editor@nrifocus.com