Not just a James Beard winner, he's a flag-bearer of Tamil pride. Meet Chef Vijay Kumar

India Today

4 days ago

A crunch of a curry leaf, a strong aroma of smoked chilli, and a dash of gunpowder add to the vibrancy of the walls of Semma restaurant in New York. Here, curries are not just hot, they're deeply personal.In a crisp white-buttoned jacket and wide grin, Chef Vijay Kumar plays the perfect South Indian host to his customers. Today, he is not just another talented chef but the recipient of the James Beard Award for Best Chef in New York! It is a coveted title that is considered the 'Oscars' in the world of gastronomy.advertisementFor Chef Kumar, this restaurant is not just where you serve food, but a culture. 'It's a restaurant that serves the story of my life. The story of a South Indian's life. A food culture,' Kumar shares in an exclusive conversation with India Today.
Chef Vijay Kumar outside Semma in New York
India is known for its diversity, rich heritage-culture, and even richer cuisine. In the West, for too long, Indian food has been relegated to being spicy and all about gravy - typically butter chicken, naan, or biryani. South Indian food? Menus mostly stop with idlis, dosas and sambar. That is the notion Chef Vijay Kumar wants to challenge and how.advertisementAt Semma, a Michelin-star restaurant, he is unapologetically serving bold Tamilian flavours in their most authentic form possible.Tamil Nadu to New YorkChef Vijay Kumar hails from Natham in Tamil Nadu's Dindigul district. Engineering was once a dream, but turns out, fate was armed with spices and gunpowder for him. He completed his culinary schooling in India, worked for a few years, and, in his words, for a 'better opportunity, just like the rest of the immigrants,' he moved to the USA.Some things are not always pre-planned, but that's the beauty of spontaneity. For Kumar, it was a chance conversation with his friends at Unapologetic Foods, about how there aren't enough South Indian restaurants in New York that led to the birth of Semma. Unapolgetic Food is a US-based restaurant group founded by Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya.
Chef Vijay Kumar wins James Beard Award (Photo: Jeff Schear)
Semma opened its doors to customers in 2021 and earned the 13th spot on The New York Times' 'Top 100' list. In 2024, it climbed to the first spot.Unapologetic taste of South IndiaWhen Kumar landed in the USA, he was surprised to see how Indian food was defined by butter chicken and naan. The menu was so limited that it didn't do justice to the breadth of Indian cuisines. Kumar was disappointed. But ironically, he himself worked with contemporary cuisine.He admits, 'I was young and just came to the country. I just came to survive back then and couldn't do anything about it because you don't want to jeopardise everything by speaking too loudly.'Cut to a decade later, he now owns a restaurant where he serves South Indian cuisine without reducing its spicy flavours or essence.
Nathai Pirattal (Photo: Paul McDonough)
Not just the flavours, but the chef takes great pride in his culture too. His menu reflects that. He has retained the original names of his dishes. 'It was a risk, but we did not wish to commercialise it or simply make money out of it. We didn't want to please the Westerners or fit into someone else's shoes. We just want to be who we are. We just wanted to let them know who we are,' he adds.advertisementIt's unapologetically bold and savoury.Building a community through foodKumar didn't just build a restaurant serving food from his homeland; he built a space that stirred nostalgia for Indians living in the US.
Dindigul Biryani (Photo: Paul McDonough)
'A few days ago, there was a woman sitting alone at the bar. She was eating, and she got so emotional. I got worried if she found it too spicy. When I asked her if I could get something to cool down her palette, she refused and said, 'These are happy tears. I haven't had home food in such a long time. You know, the music, the food, everything literally took me back to my memories back home,'' Kumar narrates.Food to politics: Challenges of a ChefSetting up a culture on foreign soil is not easy. It was definitely not easy a decade ago, compared to now. A chef puts their heart and soul into cooking every dish, and every ingredient is like a holy grail. For Kumar, the challenge began with finding the right curry leaves - and now, Alphonso mangoes.advertisementKumar says, 'It was hard to get curry leaves in the US like 10 years ago. It's impossible to get all the ingredients at all times as easily as it is in India because of all these USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) regulations. However, it has become way easier now.'But he still struggles to find the right kind of Alphonso mangoes. 'I have to make several calls, find the right vendor, because not many people understand how Alphonso is meant to taste."Political turmoil in the USAThe struggle and stress are not just limited to food. Being an immigrant in the USA currently is not without its anxieties. With rising political tensions in the country, a feeling of uncertainty looms large. But Kumar believes in taking life as it comes.'It's a matter of time. It'll go away. Life is all about ups and downs, right? I think we will just go through it. For me, just focus on what you do. You cannot control anything that's happening around you. One thing I want to do is -keep doing what you're doing.'
Valiya Chemmeen Moilee (Photo: Paul McDonough)
advertisementWhat's cooking next?Semma is a representation of one part of the Tamilian food heritage. Now, he wants to bring the street food of Chennai onto the menu. 'Who doesn't like street food? It's the tastiest! It's just funny that it hasn't taken centre stage yet,' he chuckles.He changes his menu in about three to four months so that as many customers are able to taste the cuisine. Now, he is planning to bring that street style on a platter.When asked if he has any plans to return to India, Kumar says he doesn't, at least for now. While he hopes to create something interesting there in the future, it won't be a replica of Semma.The only thing diners seem to grumble about? 'It's so hard to get a reservation,' Kumar says with a grin.But when your food sparks nostalgia, curiosity, and headlines — who really expects an empty table on a Monday?- EndsTrending Reel