A top culinary prize was recently given to an Indian restaurant in the United States. The top honours at America’s most prestigious culinary awards, which recognise remarkable talent in the food industry, went to a recognised Indian-origin chef and an Indian restaurant in North Carolina providing “creative and inexpensive” street cuisine.
We’re all aware of Indian cuisine’s variety. You’ll find at least one Indian restaurant wherever you go, featuring classic dishes like dal makhani, butter chicken, paneer, and more. Indian cuisine has created a reputation for itself around the world, and we can’t get enough of it.
Chintan Pandya won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef
Chintan Pandya of the renowned New York City restaurant Dhamaka won the James Beard Award for “Best Chef: New York State.” For the uninitiated, the James Beard Awards recognise outstanding achievement in the culinary and food media industries, as well as a demonstrated commitment to racial and gender equity, community, sustainability, and a culture that allows everyone to thrive.
Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation, said the awards “recognise outstanding food and beverage professionals” as well as “honour our entire industry-and the incredible resilience, fortitude, talent, and leadership so many have shown over the past two years” in the face of the COVID19 pandemic.
Always came up with ideas which were very idiotic and stupid
Accompanied by his business partner Roni Mazumdar on stage, Pandya, referring to Mazumdar, said: “The reason he’s over here is that I always came up with ideas which were very idiotic and stupid. And over the 22 years that I’ve been cooking, nobody believed in it.
“I met this guy five years back. And after a few years, I realised that he’s a bigger idiot and stupid than me because he believes in my ideas. And because he believed in my idiocracy and stupidity that I’m standing here, so big thanks to him.”
Dhamaka’s website states that “Dhamaka is Explosive. This is the other side of India, the forgotten side of India.” Describing itself as “Unapologetic Indian,” Dhamaka, chef and partner Pandya and restaurateur Mazumdar, serves “provincial Indian cuisine to the new Essex Market.” This restaurant started last year in February and was featured on the number one spot in the New York Times’ list of New York’s Top 10
New Restaurants of 2021.
Another James Beard award given to Chai-Pani for “outstanding restaurant”
While this award was given for the best chef, another James Beard award was given to an Indian restaurant called Chai-Pani for “outstanding restaurant.” The snack corner beat Brennan’s in New Orleans to bag the top title. You can read more about it here.
