Latest news with #JamesBeardAwards
Forbes
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Forbes
These Are The 12 Best Chefs In America For 2025 Honored With James Beard Awards
Prize winning Chefs selected in America getty When it comes to one of the highest honors in the culinary world, the James Beard Awards lead the pack and are among the most coveted awards a restaurant and chef can receive. This week, the James Beard Foundation announced its Best Chef Award winners for 2025 at its 35th annual celebration in Chicago. The James Beard Awards are among the nation's most prestigious honors in the culinary industry. They recognize exceptional talent as well as a commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture where all can thrive. According to Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, the Foundation is excited to celebrate outstanding achievement while continuing to build on its mission of "These outstanding professionals are the epitome of Good Food for Good®, elevating our industry's standards and redefining what's possible in American cuisine." This year's winning chefs set high standards in their culinary skills and leadership abilities and are making efforts to help create a sustainable work culture in their respective regions. Here are the Best Chef Winners for the 2025 James Beard Awards: Chef Jon Yao (C) and team at Kato Kato Restaurant Interior Kato Restaurant Kato Restaurant (One Michelin Star) Located in an industrial space in Downtown Los Angeles, Chef Jon Yao crafts contemporary cuisine rooted in the Taiwanese flavors of his childhood. At the heart of his kitchen is a wood-fired stove, where he choreographs a 12-course tasting menu over three hours. The high-end experience is complemented by a remarkable wine list featuring over 3,000 selections and a cocktail service that showcases signature drinks, including their own private-label Kavalan whisky. Chef Noah Sandoval in the kitchen of Oriole Oriole Interior Oriole Restaurant in Chicago Oriole (Two Michelin Stars) Located in a former warehouse, guests enter through a converted freight elevator, where Chef Noah Sandoval serves up a unique blend of French and Japanese cuisine. According to Michelin Guide, 'Chef Noah Sandoval and team execute a thoughtful tasting menu that blends French and Japanese elements. Begin with an aperitif and small bites in the impressive bar area, with the likes of a maitake mushroom and ricotta tartlet. Move to the dining room with a luscious canapé of foie gras mousse, then the meal begins in earnest. A composition of lightly cooked beets with sake lees, sea buckthorn, and puffed wild rice shows a delicate balance of flavors and textures, while a dish of skate wing and Dungeness crab with a toasted kombu butter is pure indulgence.' Chef Carlos Delgado at Causa Causa Interior Causa Restaurant Causa / Rey Lopez (One Michelin Star) Causa seats 20 people for a tasting menu that takes diners on a journey inspired by Peru. Michelin Guide says, "It all begins in Lima with coastal seafood, then progresses into the Andes and the Amazon. Chicha morada kombucha, made from purple corn, is a perfect partner for the Peruvian classic and namesake dish, causa, with its mashed potatoes hit with aji amarillo paste, then topped with cucumber, avocado and tuna tartare. Next, the humble bomba rice is given a luxe glow-up courtesy of uni, caviar, and a criolla sauce. Dessert doesn't disappoint, as in the passion fruit and mint gelato scoops piped with macambo mousse." Chef Karyn Tomlinson (c) and team at Myriel Restaurant Myriel Myriel is a unique, minimalist farm-to-table dining experience that highlights locally sourced ingredients. Swedish native Chef Tomlinson combines provincial French-inspired cuisine. There is a 12-course tasting menu option here, focusing on foraged ingredients and whole-animal butchery. Chef Salvador Alamilla at Amano Restaurant Radion Photography & Cinema Chef Alamilla was born and raised in Michoacan, Mexico. He was inspired by his mother's cooking and used to make the salsas and tortillas he enjoyed every day. With his mind set on opening a restaurant one day, he started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to Executive Chef within three years. He spent many months carefully crafting a menu for his place that takes into account his influences from SoCal, Michoacán, and Oaxacán-style Mexican food. Amano is a craft Mexican kitchen situated in a modern setting, where they source authentic Mexican ingredients, handcraft their tortillas, and provide meals that highlight locally sourced products. They also have an extensive, handcrafted cocktail menu featuring premium tequilas. Chef Vijay Kumar with Semma Restaurant Semma Interior Semma Restaurant Semma / Will Ellis (One Michelin star) Chef Vijay Kumar runs an authentic Indian dining experience. With the freedom to cook the food he knows best, he replicated his grandmother's recipes at Semma. Michelin Guide says, "This is authentic Indian cooking that doesn't pander to American expectations, and if some of the dishes are unfamiliar, lean on the staff who know their stuff and are eager to share. One bite in, and you'll quickly learn that this cooking is all heart. Dishes are spicy, but the heat is used as elegantly as it is liberally. Start with the mulaikattiya thaniyam, the chef's childhood snack that bursts with flavor. The gunpowder dosa, a classic rice and lentil crepe filled with potato masala, is on every table for a reason. Attu Kari sukkah is a falling-apart tender lamb in a dark brown curry redolent of warm spices." Chef Sky Haneul Kim of Gift Horse Eliesa Johnson Sky Haneul Kim was born and raised in Asan, South Korea, where her love for food and cooking was deeply rooted in family traditions and her country's vibrant culinary culture. Sky has worked in some of the finest restaurants in the country, blending the bold, dynamic flavors of her Korean heritage with fresh, locally sourced ingredients from her surroundings. At Gift Horse, she combines Korean flavors with locally sourced Rhode Island produce and seafood. At the famed valley winery, co-founded by wine-maker Maggie Harrison, Chef Timothy Wastell has launched new menus, both at Barrel Hall—the winery's main tasting room—and at Table in the Trees, a large concrete table that runs through the property's oak trees. There, guests can enjoy a tasting of five top-rated wines, along with a picnic in the woods. Michelin starred Chef Nando Chang from Itamae AO Restaurant Itamae AO (One Michelin Star) This 10-seat counter by Chef Nando Chang in Midtown looks to set a new standard for Nikkei cuisine in the region. Michelin Guide says, 'Those familiar with the chef's past work in the Design District will take heart in how classic Peruvian-Japanese flavors as well as signature dishes have been reworked, reimagined, and refined. Searing levels of acidity and spice figure prominently on this bold-tasting menu, often in the form of leche de tigre. From lobster bisque with sweet potato gnocchi to creamy rice with Hokkaido scallops and parmesan, the cooking possesses style and substance in spades. Sourcing is a priority, with whole fish flown in from Japan, later to be broken down and occasionally strung up in dry-aging fridges along the wall.' Chef Jake Howell of Peninsula Restaurant Eliesa Johnson Chef and owner Jake Howell hails from Idaho and once aspired to be an artist. Now, with many cooking awards to his name, he is purely focused on the kitchen, incorporating a menu of Spanish and Basque-inspired food cooked with French techniques within an intimate 35-seat restaurant featuring a 10-seat bar. Chef Yotaka Martin is a chef from Thailand who opened Lom Wong in Phoenix with her husband, Alex Martin Galdones Photography/JBF Yotaka grew up in the village of San Maket in Chiang Rai, Thailand, on a small family farm where they cultivated rice and raised animals. Her earliest memories are of being in the kitchen with her mother, aunts, uncles, and grandmother—cooking with what they harvested and passed down through generations. After moving to the United States, Yotaka set out to share the bold flavors of her childhood with dished loved in Thailand's rural villages and rarely found outside of the country. Chef Thomas Bille of Belly of the Beast Thuy An Photography Unafraid to mix and match the cuisines that inspire him, Chef Bille draws inspiration from global flavors while staying rooted in the traditions of Mexican cuisine. His menu is a mix of creativity, featuring dishes like Short Rib with Mole Negro, Potato Gnocchi with Scallops and Black Truffles, and Tandoori-spiced carrots. Born into a Mexican household as a first-generation American, Bille grew up with food at the center of his daily life. With a chef for a father and a mother known for her extraordinary home cooking, he discovered his passion early, often learning alongside them in the kitchen. After honing his craft at top restaurants in Los Angeles, Chef Bille relocated to Spring, Texas, where he turned a lifelong dream into reality by opening his restaurant. The Outstanding Chef award is presented to the chef who sets high culinary standards and serves as a positive example for other food professionals. The winner was Jungsik Yim from Jungsik Restaurant in New York. The Emerging Chef Award was presented to a chef who displays exceptional talent, character, and leadership ability and who is likely to make a significant impact in years to come. The award went to Phila Lorn from Mawn Restaurant in Philadelphia. The Outstanding Pastry Chef award honors exceptional skills, can be affiliated with any food business, and does not need a brick-and-mortar presence. The award went to Cat Cox with Country Bird Bakery in Tulsa, Oklahoma. best chefs in america
Eater
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Where James Beard Nominees Ate and Drank in Chicago
The top chefs, restaurateurs, bartenders, and sommeliers descended on Chicago last weekend for the 35th annual James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, and they came hungry. While some nominees arrived the night before or even the day of the gala on Monday, June 16, at Lyric Opera, leaving only time for a quick bite at their hotel or a fast-food run, most spent the weekend attending or working at the many James Beard Awards pop-ups and events and hitting up some of the best restaurants in Chicago. From tasting menus to carnitas picnics, here are the best dining and drinking experiences James Beard Award nominees had in the Windy City. 'I went to Kasama and was able to meet chef Timothy [Flores]. I was super blown away by the pork belly adobo and that breakfast sandwich.' — Emil Oliva, Leche de Tigre , San Antonio, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) 'There was this lemon mascarpone ice cream with caviar at Monteverde that was delicious: sweet, savory, and funky.' — Ryan Castelaz, Agency , Milwaukee, (2025 finalist, Best New Bar) 'We had ramen at High Five Ramen. We had two different ones, both broths were incredible. Love the basement ambiance of it all.' — Jay Blackinton, Houlme , Orcas Island, Washington, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific) 'We had dinner at Boka last night and it was absolutely an incredible experience from start to finish. [We ate] essentially the entire menu. There was maybe only one thing we didn't try, and everything was from top to bottom pretty much a hit.' — Joseph Harrison, Aria , Atlanta, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Hospitality) 'We had a beautiful omelet this morning at Lula Cafe that was just fluffy and delicious with a little bit of onion relish on top of it.' — Andrés Loaiza, Aria , Atlanta, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Hospitality) 'We went to another of our fellow nominee's bars, Kumiko, and had some phenomenal cocktails. I couldn't even pick just one. I feel really honored to be recognized in the same group because they're excellent.' — Max Overstrom-Coleman, Wolf Tree , White River Junction, Vermont, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Bar) 'We went to Uncle Mike's Place for breakfast and it really hit the spot. The lugaw on the table when you first walk in is like the most nourishing, delicious bite, and it's a really good way to start the day. [They have] excellent pork chops. It's absolutely fantastic.' — Silver Iocovozzi, Neng Jr.'s , Asheville, North Carolina, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southeast) 'Late night empanadas at Estereo.' — Ryan Roadhouse, Nodoguro , Portland, Oregon, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific) 'Carnitas Uruapan. We just had a picnic at the park right next to it. It's one of those places that I always say when you're in Chicago, go there for carnitas by the pound. It just hits all the spots.' — Johnny Curiel, Alma Fonda Fina , Denver, (2025 finalist, Best New Restaurant) 'We got the duck a la presse from the Alston. When you see that on the menu, you have to order it.' — Brandon Cunningham, The Social Haus , Greenough, Montana, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Mountain) 'We ate the shawarma chicken at Avec. It was absolutely delicious. We also were at Asador Bastian and had one of their steaks, which is also surreal.' — Ignacio 'Nacho' Jimenez, Superbueno , New York City, ( 2025 winner, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service ) 'We had dinner at Alinea. That was definitely a once in a lifetime experience that we were looking forward to the whole trip here. That was beautiful.' — Eleazar Villanueva, Restaurant de Joël Robuchon , Las Vegas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest) 'Monteverde is an amazing restaurant. We were just recapping again for the fourth time all the pastas, especially that eggplant that [chef Sarah Grueneberg] does. It's unreal.' — Stuart Brioza, Atomic Workshop , San Francisco, (2025 finalist, Outstanding Restaurateur) 'Every time I go to Chicago, going back all the way to 2005, I stop at Avec. I always have to stop at Avec. It's old, it's classic, but it reminds me of a long time ago. We did a really great dinner at HaiSous. We had a wonderful time. We did a wonderful event at Bar Sótano. It's Chicago. You always find good food.' — Zack Walters, Sedalia's Oyster & Seafood , Oklahoma City, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southwest) 'I'm a sucker for Avec. I love Avec so much. The vibe, especially the one in the West Loop, is so close and intimate you always end up sharing food with someone random next to you. The sight of the kitchen and all of the flavors are great.' — Noam Bilitzer, MeeshMeesh Mediterranean , Louisville, Kentucky, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Southeast) 'We went to an all-you-can-eat wagyu Japanese barbecue spot, Wagyu House, that was like from the future. I love seeing different forms of dining and that's something that I could just enjoy — just pure product on a plate. I haven't had a bad meal here. We did a sandwich crawl yesterday. I have a sandwich shop and we tried about nine to 10 different sandwiches. The [best was the] dip from Bari. I could have just had a gravy bread from there. It's too hot in West Texas for me to do that there, but there's nothing better than broth and bread.' — Michael Anthony Serva, Bordo , Marfa, Texas, (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) 'We had dim sum at MingHin and it was amazing. The shumai was incredible. Then we went to Loba for pastries and there was a mole strawberry croissant that was amazing.' — Jake Howell, Peninsula , Nashville, Tennessee, ( 2025 winner, Best Chef: Southeast ) Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025 . All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation. See More:
Eater
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Eater
Overheard at the 2025 James Beard Awards
A version of this post originally appeared on June 18, 2025, in Eater and Punch's newsletter Pre Shift , a biweekly newsletter for the industry pro that sources first-person accounts from the bar and restaurant world. Subscribe now for more stories like this. Along with the usual flood of tourists and locals enjoying the summer weather, downtown Chicago was packed this weekend due to both the 'No Kings' march that brought tens of thousands of people to protest the Trump administration, and the parties and pop-ups tied to the 35th annual James Beard Awards. The tension between resistance and revelry was felt throughout Monday's celebration at the Lyric Opera in Chicago. Finalists shared their thoughts with Eater, discussing what the awards mean to them, ways the honors can continue to evolve, the lingering impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on hospitality industry, and the biggest challenges they face when it comes to making the best food— from housing, to staffing, to protecting their teams from ICE raids. '[After being nominated] we were busier right away. The response has been incredible. It's such a good burst of business in January, at a time that's classically slow, that we are mostly grateful for. It's been amazing.' — Jeanie Janas Ritter, Bûcheron , Minneapolis (2025 winner, Best New Restaurant) 'We have so many people visiting Buffalo to just come hang out. Every Saturday, people fly in, eat barbecue, see [Niagara] Falls and fly back out. Our volume has increased probably like 45 times [since being nominated].' — Ryan Fernandez, Southern Junction Barbecue , Buffalo, New York (2025 finalist, Best Chef: New York State and 2024 finalist, Best Emerging Chef) 'I love that the [James Beard Awards] expanded and added these new categories for beverages. I think that it's so important to continue to see that the front of house and the back of house work together. Of course, the chef is the star of the show. People go to restaurants to eat, but you've got to have something to drink too. I think continuing to expand on the front-of-house recognition would be a great call.' — Cassandra Felix, Daniel , New York City (2025 finalist, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service) '[I'd love to see an award that] celebrates general managers. I just hired Daniel Harrington and he has shifted the dynamic in such a beautiful way. I'm a very hands-on owner. I'm either there way too much or I'm traveling somewhere and he's that anchor. He keeps me steady. He executes. No one really recognizes the GM. They make less money than everyone else and typically work way more hours, much like chefs. I think GMs could use a little bit of love.' — Julia Momosé, Kumiko , Chicago (2025 winner, Outstanding Bar) 'I love beverages and I'm a horrible cook. Like, I can't cook for shit. I would love to see a little bit more separation of spirits, nonalcoholic, beers, and wine [categories] so there's more representation of beverages just like we do the chefs.' — Felipe Riccio, March , Houston (2025 finalist, Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program) 'I wonder if coffee [could] be an additional [James Beard] category. Coming from Portland, we have so much coffee, and Chicago does, too.' — Tommy Klus, Scotch Lodge , Portland, Oregon (2025 finalist, Outstanding Bar) 'We live on a tiny island in the middle of nowhere, so every single thing makes it a little harder. Employee housing is really, really tough for where we are. It's kind of become an affluent area, and so finding places reasonably priced for our talented team to live is difficult.' — Jay Blackinton, Houlme , Orcas Island, Washington (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific) 'Where we are in the world, which is a pretty small community with 50,000 to 100,000 people, it's very difficult to retain really strong talent. That's always been the focus of our restaurant, to do exactly that, to retain and keep our people as long as possible. At first, our mission statement was to create well-paying, long-term hospitality jobs. After 2020, that has shifted to retaining [them]. We do care about quality of life with the way we operate the restaurants, with the way that the kitchens operate. We just try to make as pleasant an environment as possible.' — Josh Niernberg, Bin 707 , Grand Junction, Colorado (2025 finalist, Outstanding Chef) 'Post-pandemic, a lot of people left the industry just because they got so stressed out during that crazy time. Finding good people [is my biggest challenge, but] there's a lot of young folks that are coming up in the ranks that show a lot of initiative, so we're hopeful on that.' — Daniel Castillo, Heritage Barbecue , San Juan Capistrano, California (2025 finalist, Best Chef: California) 'The big challenge that my restaurant is facing right now is staying motivated as we continue this absolute roller-coaster ride. It's a good roller coaster, but keeping people focused is really hard. Keeping myself focused is really hard. The intellectual focus it requires to be a restaurant of our type is not something you wake up out of bed and have, so I think that's the hard part. We're supposed to be having more fun.' — Erling Wu-Bower, Maxwells Trading , Chicago (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Great Lakes) 'We're in Downtown LA and our restaurant has been completely surrounded with the protest — the peaceful protest — so it's been a little bit challenging for the last two weeks. We can't wait to get back open and welcome everyone in our community back to celebrate Los Angeles in general and hopefully a win for me at the James Beard Awards.' — Tobin Shea, Redbird , Los Angeles (2025 finalist, Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service) 'The general public is really strained at this point. That affects small businesses, especially the restaurant businesses with such tight margins. The geopolitical climate, the state of the world, the unrest, I think is exponential right now in terms of its impact across the globe. It's making everybody a little scared and I think that affects the way they spend their day, as it should. I think potentially [people are] afraid to spend because of all the uncertainty.' — Derek Wagner, Nicks on Broadway , Providence, Rhode Island (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Northeast) '[The biggest challenge facing us] is the current state of the state, for sure. Immigration, keeping the team alive and safe. [The award nomination] definitely gives us a platform to talk about uncomfortable subjects. It definitely gives us the courage to keep going.' — Emmanuel Chavez, Tatemó , Houston (2025 finalist, Best Chef: Texas) Disclosure: Some Vox Media staff members are part of the voting body for the James Beard Awards. Eater is partnering with the James Beard Foundation to livestream the awards in 2025. All editorial content is produced independently of the James Beard Foundation.
The Hindu
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Chef Vijay Kumar of Semma wins New York's best chef at the James Beard award
'When I started cooking, I never thought a dark-skinned boy from Tamil Nadu could make it to a room like this.' Chef Vijay Kumar's poignant speech on winning the James Beard Awards, 2025, for best chef in New York State, is especially powerful because it celebrates a huge change in attitude towards Indians and Indian food, and more specifically South Indians and South Indian food — a change that has been tirelessly fought for in Indian, and foreign kitchens for decades. Semma, set in New York City's trendy Greenwich, is bright and buzzy, with a menu that embraces the food Vijay grew up eating in Natham, near Madurai, where his parents still live. For a long time, Indian cooking abroad was dismissed as spicy, greasy and generic, with curry houses serving an amalgamation of vaguely Punjab-inspired food: vivid bowls of butter chicken, spicy vindaloo and 'naan bread.' Growing up in Natham, Vijay's cooking and palate was moulded by his grandmother, with whom he spent his summer holidays. 'My grandparents lived in Arasampatti, where there wasn't even a bus. We would go there on school holidays, and we were not such a rich family, so they kept us busy with fishing, hunting and searching for snails,' he told me, in an earlier interview, when Semma first opened. After a stint at the Taj Connemara in Chennai, Vijay had moved to the US where he worked as a sous chef in Virginia, cooked at the popular Dosa in San Francisco, and then worked with Rasa, a contemporary Indian restaurant in California with one Michelin star. Backed by Roni Mazumdar and Chintan Pandya, who run the popular restaurants Dhamaka and Adda in New York, Vijay was given the space to cook food that he really believed in, without making the once-mandatory adjustments for western palates. When Semma launched in 2021, his grandmother's nathai pirattal, snails spiked with ginger and tamarind, served with kal dosa helmed the menu — a dish that would be unfamiliar even in most mainstream Indian restaurants. New York loved it. The Indian community rallied around Vijay, and the restaurant, becoming its greatest flag bearers. Semma also became an inadvertent ambassador for South India in America. When I met him in New York, at Semma, where it is next to impossible to get a reservation now (the perks of hanging out with chefs!), the restaurant was buzzy with cheer, as Indians and Americans tucked into spicy gun powder dosas and slow cooked lamb curry with flavours deepened by black cardamom, mace and Telicherry pepper. In his acceptance speech at the James Beard Awards, Vijay said, 'The food I grew up on, the food made with care, with fire, with soul is now taking the mainstage. There is no such thing as a poor person's food, or a 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.' He walks the talk. At Semma, I watched him chat with diners, making genuine connections, between ducking into the kitchen to cook. When dinner ended, he joined us outside, chatting with newly made friends as they clambered into their cars, clutching takeaway bags of warm, fragrant Dindigul biryani. As the restaurant closed after yet another packed night, he looked tired, but happy. 'What I cook is unapologetically Indian,' he said, 'I won't tone down spice, I won't change anything.' It is a reassuring message for not just scores of Indians who have moved abroad and feel they need to change who they are, and what they eat to fit in, but really anyone who is fighting to be accepted. 'Tonight, Indian cuisine stands tall. Tamil food stands tall,' said Vijay, to a rousing round of applause and whistles, at the James Beard stage. He added, 'My own food and my heritage stand tall, and it all matters. I stand here for everyone who never thought their story belongs on a stage like this.'
Indian Express
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
‘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 a proud moment for India, Chef Vijay Kumar of Semma bagged the Best Chef Award in New York State at the prestigious James Beard Awards, one of the highest honours in the United States' culinary world. Originally from Tamil Nadu, this was Kumar's first nomination and win. 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… — 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.
