Chef Vijay Kumar’s Semma made history after it was crowned the No. 1 restaurant in New York City for 2025 by The New York Times. For the first time, an Indian restaurant has topped New York City’s culinary scene, winning praise for its boldly authentic menu rooted in traditional Tamil Nadu cuisine. The restaurant is also the only Indian restaurant in New York to hold a Michelin star for three consecutive years!
Chef Vijay Kumar’s Semma Named The No.1 Restaurant In New York
Leaping from its 2024 seventh-place ranking to claim the top spot as the best restaurant in New York in 2025, Chef Vijay’s Semma has come a long way! With its crisp, ghee‑kissed dosas, fiery prawn curries, and delicate village‑style snacks, the place has made a name for itself in the Big Apple’s diverse and evolving culinary landscape since it first opened its doors in 2021.
The restaurant claimed the top spot among 20,000 restaurants and it speaks volumes about its quality and food. Establishing Chef Vijay Kumar as a trailblazer in the world of fine dining, Semma is one of the hardest places to score a reservation!
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Chef Vijay Kumar has previously led Rasa in California to a Michelin star. For Semma, he focuses on creating a menu with lesser-known dishes that are rarely seen outside homes in Tamil Nadu. This gives him an edge over other Indian restaurant menus you usually see abroad.
Every dish on this menu is linked to the chef’s childhood in Natham near Madurai. Each dish has the essence of what he saw and grew up eating, adding a delicate touch of nostalgia that diners can’t help but appreciate.
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From Tamil Nadu To Changing NYC’s Culinary Scenes
Before Chef Vijay Kumar took New York by the storm of south Indian flavours, he enjoyed regular visits to his grandparents’ farm in Tamil Nadu. He would see and get inspired by his mother and grandmother cooking food in mud pots with fresh spices. This inspiration led him to enrol in the State Institute of Hotel Management in Tiruchirappalli and years of learning the art, precision, and efficiency required for cooking.
After a few years, Chef Vijay Kumar moved to the US. His first adventure began in California, where he worked first at Dosa in San Francisco and then at Rasa in Burlingame. He spent 12 years in California. During his time there, Rasa earned a Michelin star in 2016 and subsequently retained it. He was able to achieve this at Semma as well, and by the graph of his career, the man is only getting started!
Congratulations to Chef Vijay Kumar and the team of Semma for making history!
Cover Image Courtesy: Instagram/semmanyc
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