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.
Hailing from the foothills of Darjeeling, Rooplekha is a travel enthusiast who loves documenting visual ..Read Morenotes from her everyday life. She has a postgraduate degree in Media & Communication Studies from Christ University, Bangalore. Beyond the written word, she loves humming songs and belting out tunes whenever the opportunity arises. She can be spotted in the kitchen expressing her love for food through culinary adventures. Read Less
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has issued a fresh directive for all food business operators (FBOs) across the country, including restaurants, cafs, dhabas, and street-side eateries, to visibly display their FSSAI licence or registration certificate along with a QR code that links to the Food Safety Connect App. This move, according to the authority, is aimed at empowering consumers and making it easier for them to file complaints about food safety, hygiene, and misleading product labels.
The QR code, which is now a mandatory part of the FSSAI licence, must be placed in areas easily visible to customers, such as entrances, billing counters, or dining sections. Customers can simply scan the QR code using their smartphones and be redirected to the app, where they can submit complaints or view key information about the outlet’s registration status.
Once a complaint is submitted through the app, it is automatically routed to the correct jurisdictional authority for faster resolution. This direct reparation mechanism is expected to save time, cut through bureaucratic delays, and improve accountability within the food sector.
In a statement, the FSSAI said that this initiative is part of a broader strategy to ensure that food safety remains a priority for businesses and consumers alike. “This measure is aimed at empowering consumers by providing them with a direct and user-friendly platform for grievance reparation,” the authority noted.
The app not only allows users to report hygiene and safety violations but also helps them check if a food outlet is officially registered or licensed. Users can also stay updated on FSSAI’s latest food safety alerts and initiatives.
Additionally, FSSAI has asked all FBOs to integrate the QR code across their digital platforms, including websites and food delivery apps, wherever applicable. This would allow consumers to verify details or report complaints even while ordering food online.
The new rule comes shortly after FSSAI issued warnings to e-commerce platforms to comply with food safety norms. These platforms are now also required to display their FSSAI licence or registration numbers clearly on all receipts, invoices, and cash memos issued to customers.
By making it mandatory to display QR codes at physical locations and online, FSSAI aims to build greater trust among consumers and promote a culture of safety, transparency, and accountability in India’s vast food and hospitality sector.
For celebrity Chef Ranveer Brar, success has never been linear. The suave Lucknow-born culinary personality, whose face is as familiar on Indian television as it is in gourmet kitchens, is unafraid to call out his failures. “My biggest failures have come from restaurants,” Brar admits. “None of my restaurants worked the way I wanted them to. Many of my restaurants in India didn’t do well. Soul of India in the US is not doing well.”
It’s a startlingly honest admission in a market that often celebrates chefs as infallible lifestyle brands. But Brar, 46, is cut from a different cloth. Even as he juggles television shows, acting roles, and a growing literary profile, he sees himself primarily as a learner. “I’m now understanding how to be better at managing and running restaurants — how to cook, how to translate the simplest of emotions into good food,” he says.
Shift towards intimacy
Brar’s career has evolved well beyond the kitchen. He has authored three cookbooks, judged MasterChef India, and hosted multiple food travelogues that blend storytelling with culinary insight. But 2023 marked a pivotal moment. He launched Kashkan, a contemporary Indian restaurant whose name fuses Kashmir and Kanyakumari and symbolises a pan-Indian culinary journey, in Dubai.
In 2023, Ranveer Brar launched Kashkan, a contemporary Indian restaurant whose name fuses Kashmir and Kanyakumari, in Dubai.
“We’re encouraged by its response to launch the second Kashkan there, which will open soon,” he shares. Unlike past ventures that felt either too stretched or too market-driven, Kashkan feels closer to Brar’s evolving philosophy. “In times to come, my eventual goal will be to be at just one small restaurant — a 20-25 seater — where people will be treated like they’re being invited to your living/dining room. This is where I’m heading.”
This shift toward intimacy — both in food and form — feels aligned with Brar’s larger arc. The public may know him as a celebrity chef, but in private, he’s also a poet, photographer, and publisher. “Not many people know that poetry has been my secret passion for years,” he shares. “Interestingly, I started writing poetry before I even started cooking. However, those were all secret poems. But lately, when I’ve started reading my poems out to people, they’ve appreciated it, which encouraged me to write this book.”
His first poetry book
Shikayatein (Complaints), his debut collection of poetry and his first foray into non-cookery writing, is set to be released through his own publishing house, Inkstain. “Photography and poetry — about people I’ve met on my travels — are my two biggest passions,” he adds. For Brar, storytelling isn’t just an artistic outlet. It’s an extension of how he experiences the world.
Shikayatein (Complaints), Ranveer Brar’s debut collection of poetry, is set to be released through his own publishing house, Inkstain, soon.
Much of that sensibility stems from Lucknow, the city that shaped him. “This interest in literature comes from my love for my city, Lucknow,” he says. “In fact, I’ve stood for Lucknow all my life — the city’s mushairas, kavi sammelans, and good literature. So poetry fits very well into my persona as a Lucknow boy.”
That cultural grounding also informs how he raises his son. “I’m constantly speaking to him about what he’s reading and where. I want him to read books — not online,” he says. This analog loyalty — to food, words, and human connection — is what keeps Brar relevant even as the media landscape changes around him.
Interestingly, his most surprising pivot has come not through food or writing, but acting. In 2022, Brar made his acting debut in Modern Love Mumbai, playing a character in a same-sex relationship — a bold move for someone long associated with traditional culinary programming. “I didn’t want to act. It happened,” he says. “But when I was offered my first role, I was hesitant because it was an LGBTQ role. “‘Log kya kahenge?’ (what will people say?) was playing on my mind.”
That hesitation, he says, echoed an earlier moment of self-doubt: “It took me back to the days when I was hesitant to be a professional chef also — again thinking ‘log kya kahenge.’” But Modern Love Mumbai was both a critical and personal breakthrough. “It emboldened me. It encouraged me that people are ready to accept me in a role that was very different to Chef Ranveer Brar,” he says.
His most valuable asset
That led to The Buckingham Murders (2024) opposite Kareena Kapoor Khan, and most recently, Maa Kasam, a family drama set to premiere on Amazon Prime later this year. “Acting gives me perspective. It gives me a greater listening capability that allows me to project myself better, encourages me to listen to others, which in turn makes me a better person,” he says.
To refine this new craft, Brar recently enrolled in a short course on camera art through Natyashastra at Auroville. “It helped me understand the nuances of performance better,” he notes, highlighting his hunger to learn and unlearn at every stage.
Despite his multifaceted career, Brar’s focus remains deeply human. Whether through a recipe, a line of verse, or a dramatic role, he’s ultimately trying to connect. “I want a space where people don’t just eat food, they feel it,” he says of his dream restaurant. “Where the act of dining is an exchange of emotions.”
That ethos is perhaps what sets Ranveer Brar apart from other celebrity chefs chasing scale and speed. He’s not just building a brand, but a legacy that’s rooted in emotion, guided by aesthetics, and tempered by honesty. In a culture of instant gratification, Brar’s slow-burning authenticity may just be his most valuable asset.
Governor Jishnu Dev Verma at the 55th convocation ceremony of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) in Hyderabad on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: SIDDHANT THAKUR
In a bid to achieve self-sufficiency in food, cultivation of rice and wheat have always gained prominence in our country. As a result, the local food systems were ignored, which not only impacted people’s health, but that of the climate, soil and water and biodiversity. This was one of the topics discussed at the 55th convocation ceremony of Professor Jayashankar Telangana Agricultural University (PJTAU) in the city on Saturday.
“To keep us healthy, we must bring back our local food systems,” said Secretary, Department of Agricultural Research and Education (DARE) and Director-General Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) Mangi Lal Jat.
While delivering his address, he called upon graduates to make a commitment to embrace agriculture not as a career choice, but as a mission to uplift farmers’ livelihoods, conserve agricultural heritage and secure India’s healthy local food systems.
He said that India, this year, has become the world’s largest producer of rice, besides horticulture, and is number two in wheat production. Doling out more numbers of annual grain production and achievements, Mr. Jat said that three factors contributed to the 11-year rapid growth: science, policy, and farmers.
“But the country’s goal must be to transform the agrifood systems from commodity-centric to systems-centric. From research prioritisation to data-driven systems and data inter-operability, to technology delivery system and institutional reforms, this can be achieved,” he said.
Gender and social inclusivity in agriculture research, system-focused research such as a combined approach of biophysical and socio-economic, and increased investment in agriculture research and development in the country, which is just 0.43% of the agri GDP now, must grow to at least 1%, compared to many countries with 2%, can make India a systems-centric agrifood system, he explained.
Digital agriculture
Governor and PJTAU Chancellor Jishnu Dev Varma said that the varsity, over the decades, has built a legacy of excellence through innovation, inclusivity and resilience, from rural argriculture experience programme conceived in 1979, which became a standard across the universities in the country, to the first in the country to establish a centre for digital agriculture, and Ag-Hub, an agri and food ecosystem and incubation centre now.
The university is in a transformative stage and is aspiring to secure a position in the top 10 agriculture universities in India, he added.
Vice-Chancellor Aldas Janaiah presented the report for 2021-22 convocation year, and said that 691 students did UG, and 153 got PG degrees and Ph.Ds.
The university currently has nine constituent colleges, 10 agri-polytechnic centres, 15 agri-research stations, 20 extension platforms and 29 ICAR network projects.
The report period is also a memorable one, Mr. Janaiah said, as the university facilitated the GI tag achievement for Tandur Redgram, besides producing 21 improved crop varieties and hybrids, 23 agro technologies, and two patents.
During the period, PJTAU signed 34 MoUs with technology and knowledge partners in India, and 19 MoUs with international universities, he said. 30 students got gold medals.
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