Vijaya Kumar (also known as Vijay Kumar) is an Indian-American chef and restaurateur who gained international recognition for his authentic South Indian cuisine.
He is the co-owner and executive chef of Semma, a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City, and won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State in 2025.
Chef Vijaya Kumar Biography, Age, Wikipedia, Hometown, Family
| Full Name | Vijaya Kumar (Vijay Kumar) |
| Profession | Chef, Restaurateur |
| Nationality | Indian-American |
| Born | Natham, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India |
| Current Restaurant | Semma (Co-owner & Executive Chef) |
| Restaurant Location | New York City, USA |
| Cuisine Specialty | Authentic South Indian Cuisine |
| Notable Achievement | James Beard Award Winner 2025 – Best Chef: New York State |
| Restaurant Recognition | Semma – Michelin Star |
| Previous Experience | Rasa (Burlingame, CA) – Michelin Star (2016) Dosa (San Francisco, CA) |
| Years in California | 12 years |
| Move to NYC | 2021 |
| Business Partners | Roni Mazumdar, Chef Chintan Pandya (Unapologetic Foods) |
| Culinary Philosophy | Authentic South Indian cuisine without Western modifications |
| Signature Dish | Nathai Pirattal (Spicy Snail Preparation) |
| Inspiration | Childhood memories, Mother and Grandmother’s cooking |
| Current Residence | New York City, USA |
Table of Contents
Early Life and Background
Kumar was born and raised in Natham, Dindigul, Tamil Nadu, India, in a farming family surrounded by lush green paddy fields and coconut trees. He would visit his grandparents during holidays in the village of Arasampatti near Madurai, where he spent time farming and learning traditional cooking methods.
As a child, Kumar foraged snails with his grandparents in the fields, and his grandmother would cook them in a mud pot with ginger, tamarind, coconut, and local spices.
Originally aspiring to study engineering, Kumar chose to attend catering college when his family could not afford engineering education.
The menu at his restaurant Semma is largely inspired by the food Kumar ate as a child and showcases the dishes he used to help his mother and grandmother prepare while growing up in Tamil Nadu.
Career
Early career in the United States
Kumar moved to the United States and began his culinary career in California, where he first worked at Dosa in San Francisco and later at Rasa in Burlingame, spending 12 years in California.
During his tenure at Rasa, the restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2016 and subsequently retained it. At Rasa, Kumar served elevated Indian cuisine with a modern interpretation of traditional dishes, adapted to suit Californian palates.
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Semma and New York
In 2021, Kumar relocated from San Francisco to New York City to work with restaurateurs Roni Mazumdar and Chef Chintan Pandya, whose Unapologetic Foods group is known for presenting Indian food honestly and authentically. Kumar became the co-owner and executive chef of Semma, which earned a Michelin star.
Unlike other Indian chefs who modify their dishes to align with Western sensibilities, Kumar maintained the authenticity of his cuisine, with dishes like kudal varuval (goat intestine fry) and valiya chemmeen moilee (lobster curry) standing out for their intensity, complexity and refusal to bend to the Western palate. One of his signature dishes is nathai pirattal, a spicy snail preparation inspired by his childhood experiences.
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Awards and Recognition
Kumar won the James Beard Award for Best Chef: New York State in 2025. The James Beard Awards are widely regarded as the pinnacle of American cuisine and recognize outstanding skills and accomplishments in the food industry, hospitality, journalism, and related fields.
Kumar follows in the footsteps of his Unapologetic Foods colleague, Chintan Pandya, who won the same award in 2022 for his work at Dhamaka.
The recognition came after Semma earned a Michelin star, establishing Kumar as one of the leading voices in authentic South Indian cuisine in the United States.
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Culinary Philosophy
Kumar’s culinary philosophy is deeply rooted in his childhood memories, stating “The whole entire menu is based on my childhood memories. I grew up helping mom and grandma.
They were my first inspiration.” His perspective on elevating traditional Indian ingredients was shaped during culinary school when he realized that dishes like snails, considered humble farmer’s food in his village near Madurai, were celebrated as French delicacies (escargot) internationally.
Kumar is known for his commitment to presenting South Indian cuisine in its authentic form without compromising traditional flavors and techniques to suit Western palates, a philosophy that has distinguished him in the competitive New York culinary scene.
