India, June 18 -- Chefs and restaurants were honoured on Monday night with James Beard Awards, one of the US culinary community's highest accolades. And for the first time ever, an Indian restaurant has taken the top spot! Vijay Kumar of Semma, the Greenwich Village hotspot that serves unapologetic South Indian food, has been named Best Chef: New York State by the James Beard Foundation, often called the Oscars of the food world.

Semma is part of the Unapologetic Foods group helmed by Chintan Pandya and Roni Mazumdar. Since opening in 2021, it has redefined what Indian food looks like on fine dining menus. In addition to its No. 1 spot on The New York Times' 100 Best Restaurants list, Semma is also the only Indian restaurant in NYC curre...