executive chef & partner, Semma (West Village) · 8 picks
Vijay Kumar is the executive chef and partner at Semma, the South Indian restaurant on Greenwich Avenue in the West Village that has held a MICHELIN star since 2022. He grew up in Tamil Nadu and built its menu out of what he cooked with his mother and grandmother; in 2025 he won the James Beard award for Best Chef: New York State, the same year the New York Times' critics placed Semma first on their list of the city's best restaurants. Asked by the MICHELIN Guide where he eats on his own time, he answered with taquerias, chai shops and late-night falafel as readily as with Frenchette.
Bluestone Lane, which is right across the street from Semma, or Kolkata Chai Company for a taste of home.
Said on Michelin Guide · read
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Published 2026-09-06