Chef Vijay Kumar, the culinary force behind New York’s Michelin-starred Semma, has carved out a space for rural Tamil Nadu on the global food map. Known for his unapologetically rooted approach, he’s brought dishes like nathai pirattal and eral thokku from the villages of South India to the fine-dining tables of Manhattan—without compromising their soul. Backed by the visionary team at Unapologetic Foods, Kumar’s bold flavours and storytelling plates have earned him a James Beard Award and a loyal global audience. In conversation with Travel+Leisure India & South Asia, he shares how tradition, conviction, and a whole lot of spice shaped his journey.

Excerpts From The Interview With Chef Vijay Kumar 

T+L India: From Natham to New York—what’s the one flavour from home that never left you?

Chef Vijay Kumar: Just one? Like most of us, I grew up with my mother and grandmother cooking every day. The aromas of spices and herbs that they would use in every dish stay with me daily, and I try to recreate them every night at Semma.

T+L India: Semma has done what no other Indian restaurant in NYC has—how does it feel to represent rural Tamil cooking on the world’s biggest culinary stage?

Chef Vijay Kumar: It feels amazing. I am humbled and honoured. Never did I feel that the food of my home would be accepted by people outside of Tamil, much less in New York City, and to be awarded for it by the largest culinary institute in the US still feels like a dream.

T+L India: What does this James Beard recognition mean to you—personally and professionally?

Chef Vijay Kumar: Again, personally, I am humbled, and I pinch myself every day. Professionally, I am honoured that others in my industry recognised my skills and the food I make, but this is only the beginning. Semma is one restaurant that serves the food of South India, and we have a long way to go.

T+L India: What dish on the Semma menu most mirrors your childhood—and what story does it carry?

Chef Vijay Kumar: Our nathai pirattal, snails cooked with spices and tamarind, is one I’m proud of. This is a dish from my village that you’d never expect to see in a New York restaurant. We kept it traditional but plated it with intention, and it surprised people. The balance of staying rooted while shifting the context is what innovation means to me.

T+L India: For a city obsessed with chicken tikka and butter naan, how did you convince New York to fall in love with nathai pirattal and eral thokku?

Chef Vijay Kumar: I didn’t have to convince them. I cooked the dishes honestly and authentically and without compromise. It’s amazing what can happen when you dare to do something unapologetically, which is the tagline of our restaurant group. Unapologetic Foods already had hits with Adda and Dhamaka by the time Semma opened, so the reputation of the group that Roni and Chintan started had been established. I just followed in their footsteps.

T+L India: What does “unapologetic cooking” mean to you—beyond the plate?

Chef Vijay Kumar: We didn’t chase trends or try to make the food bend to a certain palate; we just cooked it the way it’s meant to be. I really feel that the word spread because people felt that honesty. The team at Unapologetic Foods has always believed that if you tell a story with conviction and back it up with flavour, people will listen. It can take time, but it’s worth it to go one plate, one story, and one conversation at a time.

T+L India: Tamil cuisine is rich, layered, and deeply regional. What are some misconceptions about it that you find yourself constantly debunking?

Chef Vijay Kumar: Truthfully, there aren’t a lot of misconceptions because the majority of people in the United States have no association with Tamil cuisine; therefore, I feel that when most people eat at Semma, they are eating this food for the very first time. It feels great to be introducing them to many flavours they’ve never experienced before.

T+L India: If someone were visiting Tamil Nadu for the first time, which three food experiences would you insist they must try?

Chef Vijay Kumar: That’s a tough call. I love it when people from South India come to the restaurant, and they feel that the food takes them back home. Each person has their own memory of the food they grew up with, and I am creating new memories for them, so I hope they try a lot of the dishes and that I am making them proud.

T+L India: Who or what continues to inspire you in your culinary journey today?

Chef Vijay Kumar: Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya approached me to cook the food that lives in my bones, the fiery, loud, soulful food I grew up eating. The kind of food that rarely made it onto restaurant menus, let alone the pages of the New York Times or the James Beard stage. Their deep commitment to presenting Indian food the way we grew up eating it inspires me every day and pushes me to go deeper into the Indian cuisine playbook.

T+L India: You’re redefining luxury as soulful, fire-cooked food. What does luxury mean to you today?

Chef Vijay Kumar: As I said in my acceptance speech at the James Beard awards, there is no such thing as poor person’s food, or rich person’s food. It’s just food, and it is powerful. As far as what luxury means to me today, I have the luxury to do things my way. I feel I have been validated, but there is still a long way to go.

T+L India: What dish or recipe from your menu would you say is truly a “feast for the senses,” and why?

Chef Vijay Kumar: Interestingly, I think it’s the Gunpowder Dosa. Because most people are familiar with a dosa they order it, but when they see the triangular shape, they smell the spices, they taste the chutney’s and sambar that accompany it, and the server tells them to eat it with their hands and they feel the smoothness of the masala potatoes and hear the crunch of the dosa they are using all five senses when eating that dish.

T+L India: What do you see as the next evolution for Indian cuisine in fine dining globally?

Chef Vijay Kumar: It’s becoming more regional. There’s more focus on real stories and real flavours. Indian food is finally being seen in all its depth, and that shift is long overdue.

T+L India: Finally—what’s next? After a Michelin star and a James Beard, what keeps the fire burning in your kitchen?

Chef Vijay Kumar: We have to keep pushing. Michelin releases its guide once a year, and we have been fortunate to receive a star each year. Since winning these awards, we’ve seen many new faces at the restaurant, making every day a new experience. With each dish that leaves the kitchen, we are making people fall in love with Indian food. That responsibility drives me, and representing my country and village comes with a great deal of responsibility, which I do not take lightly. There’s no time to rest.

Related: Taste Of India In NYC — Your Guide To New York City’s Best Indian Restaurants

Note:
The information in this article is accurate as of the date of publication.

The views expressed in this interview are solely those of the interviewee and do not reflect the opinions of the publication.

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