It’s not on daily basis {that a} South Indian restaurant tops The New York Occasions annual listing of New York Metropolis’s 100 finest eating places, beating the likes of Atomix and Le Bernardin. However Semma, a comfy Tamil restaurant in NYC’s Greenwich Village, has finished that. The brainchild of Madurai-born chef Vijay Kumar, Semma – a Tamil slang time period that means “unbelievable” – clinched the No. 1 spot in 2025, simply 4 years after its debut in 2021. Semma was on No. 7 on the identical listing final 12 months.
In a world the place Indian delicacies is lastly receiving its long-overdue world recognition, Semma’s rise feels private and symbolic. “It’s an unimaginable honour, particularly for a restaurant honouring meals from the villages of South India,” stated Vijay, 44, in an unique interview with indianexpress.com. “However it’s additionally validation that our delicacies, in its truest type, belongs on the world stage.”
Rising up on a farm close to Madurai, Vijay realized to prepare dinner by watching and serving to his mom and grandmother within the kitchen. After culinary faculty and stints at Indian inns and cruise ships, he moved to america, the place he led kitchens at Dosa and Rasa in California. In 2021, he relocated to New York to open Semma. His mission was clear: to serve regional, heritage dishes not often seen on restaurant menus. A few of these are eral thokku, nathai pirattal, and thinai khichdi. “The nathai pirattal is one thing you gained’t discover wherever else. It’s a real village dish, one I grew up consuming,” he stated.
Chef Vijay Kumar with Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Meals (Picture: Erin Lettera)
His New York transfer got here with a partnership with restaurateur Roni Mazumdar and chef Chintan Pandya of Unapologetic Meals. “They requested me one easy factor: to prepare dinner the meals that lives in your bones. That grew to become Semma, a spot to have a good time the daring, soulful dishes I grew up consuming, with out watering something down,” stated Vijay.
That philosophy paid off. Along with Semma’s latest high rating, he gained the distinguished 2025 James Beard Award for Greatest Chef: New York State, usually dubbed the “Oscars of the meals world”.
A champion of hyper-local and seasonal elements, Vijay stated he’s pushed by what’s deeply tied to the land and the folks. “I wish to discover extra native elements that haven’t had their second but, and discover methods to convey them to the worldwide desk,” he stated.
What’s making Indian cooks and restaurateurs succeed and take dangers on the world stage? In line with Chef Vijay, it’s the refusal to dilute or compromise: “Nothing is adjusted to ‘play it protected’. It’s daring, rooted, and deeply private.”
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Semma is positioned in NYC’s Greenwich Village (Picture: Will Ellis)
“For a very long time, Indian cooks felt stress to melt or simplify our meals to suit expectations,” he stated. “Now, we’re cooking loudly and with satisfaction. The innovation comes from trying inward, at our personal traditions, and presenting them unapologetically.”
What’s subsequent for Semma? Vijay is obvious: “To maintain digging deeper into regional recipes, forgotten strategies, and the tales behind them. And to maintain evolving with out shedding what makes Semma particular—trustworthy South Indian meals, cooked with coronary heart.”
