‘Never thought a dark-skinned boy…': Tamil Nadu chef Vijay Kumar wins James Beard Award for Best Chef in New York, his acceptance speech goes viral
In an emotional acceptance speech – which is now winning hearts on social media – Kumar reflected on his journey. '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,' Kumar said.
He stressed on the connection between food and culture. 'There's no such thing as a poor person's food or 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. Tonight, Indian cuisine stands tall, Tamil food stands tall, my own food and heritage stand tall, and it all matters. I stand here for everyone who never thought their story belonged to be on a stage like this,' he said.
Sharing the video, IAS Supriya Sahu wrote, '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 stage.'
Watch here:
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
Several social media users hailed Kumar for his remarkable feat in the culinary world. 'Wow!! Amazing stuff this!! Many Congratulations to him and Wish many more follow him in taking Indian cuisine further!' a user wrote. 'Congratulations to chef Vijay Kumar on winning the prestigious James Beard award for the best chef,a great honour to Tamilnadus'rich culinary heritage,' another user commented.
Semma, a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant located in New York, is popular for its authentic South Indian cuisine. Other major winners at the 2025 James Beard Awards included Bucheron, a French-American restaurant in Minneapolis, which was awarded Best New Restaurant, and Jungsik Yim, chef at the acclaimed Korean restaurant Jungsik in New York, who received the Outstanding Chef award.
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