Semma

Semma Heritage Southern Indian Cuisine by Chef Vijay Kumar

We’re honored to be featured on , a global guide celebrating exceptional restaurants around the world.Thank you to Chef ...
07/20/2026

We’re honored to be featured on , a global guide celebrating exceptional restaurants around the world.

Thank you to Chef Vijay Kumar, our entire team, and every guest who’s joined us in celebrating the depth, diversity, and boldness of South Indian cuisine - this recognition belongs to all of you. ❤️

We’ll keep telling our story the way we always have: one plate at a time.

From rural Tamil Nadu to Wall Street.⁠⁠Chef Vijay Kumar’s journey has always been about honoring where he came from whil...
07/14/2026

From rural Tamil Nadu to Wall Street.⁠
⁠
Chef Vijay Kumar’s journey has always been about honoring where he came from while showing the world what’s possible for Tamil cuisine. His latest essay for The Hindu reflects on that journey, what this moment meant to him, and why it’s so much bigger than one person.⁠
⁠
It’s about family. It’s about perseverance. It’s about carrying Tamil cuisine onto the global stage without ever losing sight of where it began.⁠
⁠
A piece worth reading - you can find the whole story at thehindu.com. ❤️

From rural Tamil Nadu to Wall Street.⁠..⁠Chef Vijay Kumar’s journey has always been about honoring where he came from wh...
07/13/2026

From rural Tamil Nadu to Wall Street.⁠..
⁠
Chef Vijay Kumar’s journey has always been about honoring where he came from while showing the world what’s possible for Tamil cuisine. His latest essay for The Hindu reflects on that journey, what this moment meant to him, and why it’s so much bigger than one person.⁠
⁠
It’s about family. It’s about perseverance. It’s about carrying Tamil cuisine onto the global stage without ever losing sight of where it began.⁠
⁠
A piece worth reading… find the story at thehindu.com. ❤️

07/02/2026

Semma’s menu is a beautiful series of dishes from Chef Vijay’s childhood - whether they were eaten every day, only on special occasions, or somewhere in the middle when seasonal produce allowed.⁠
⁠
Mulaikattiya Thaniyam fell into that first category - a common after school snack his mom would put together from ingredients found in their garden. As he says - its light, crunchy, refreshing, nutritious, and best of all - beyond delicious.

06/01/2026

To be named No. 41 on North America’s 50 Best Restaurants is such an incredible honor.

Thank you to World’s 50 Best Restaurants for this recognition, and congratulations to every restaurant, chef, and team on this year’s list. To stand alongside so many restaurants that have shaped the way people think about food, hospitality, and culture is both humbling and inspiring.

This award and recognition is not possible without the cooks on the line, the dishwashers, servers, runners, bartenders, managers, farmers, producers, and every member of the Semma and team who show up every day with care, consistency, and pride in their work.

Thank you to our guests, peers, friends, and supporters who continue to believe in what we do.

Moments like this remind us that restaurants can be more than places to eat. They can tell stories, preserve traditions, create opportunities, and bring people together around a table. Thank you for allowing us to be part of the conversation.

Being named to Top 10 U.S. Restaurants is such an honor.These are dishes shaped in Tamil homes, recipes carried by memo...
04/09/2026

Being named to Top 10 U.S. Restaurants is such an honor.

These are dishes shaped in Tamil homes, recipes carried by memory, adjusted by hand, and protected. For a long time, they weren’t the ones that made it onto lists like this.

So this isn’t just a “thank you.” It’s a marker that this food, specific, regional, and deeply personal, can take up space exactly as it is. ❤️

We’re honored to receive our plaque for retaining our Michelin Star for 2025 ⭐️To our team, who grinds, tempers, roasts...
02/21/2026

We’re honored to receive our plaque for retaining our Michelin Star for 2025 ⭐️

To our team, who grinds, tempers, roasts, and plates with relentless precision.

To our guests, who trust us.

To our partners and producers, who show up.

We are so grateful. ❤️

Love stories live here. Over the years, these walls have witnessed first dates, quiet proposals, anniversaries and Valen...
02/15/2026

Love stories live here.

Over the years, these walls have witnessed first dates, quiet proposals, anniversaries and Valentine’s Day traditions shared over a dosa. Moments that begin with curiosity and return as tradition. We don’t take that lightly.

The only way we know how to love you back is through the food; the hands, the heat, the patience, the memory in every dish.

Happy Valentine’s Day ❤️

On February 15, join .vijayakumar at India Conference (ICH) at the Harvard Business School!ICH is a 48 hour look into th...
01/29/2026

On February 15, join .vijayakumar at India Conference (ICH) at the Harvard Business School!

ICH is a 48 hour look into the complexities and opportunities of India. This year, ICH has been organized as a deep dive for anyone who wants to learn more about India’s emergence in the global stage. ICH will feature dozens of speakers, including CEOs, experts, politicians, founders, and cultural ambassadors.

Ticket link for ICH ($5 discount with code ICHHARVARD) in bio!

01/22/2026

Grateful to and The Dish for taking the time to sit with the work and the why behind it.

At Semma, Chef Vijay Kumar cooks from memory, place, and lived experience. Food shaped by childhood, grounded in Southern Indian traditions, and presented with intention.

Thank you for creating space for a thoughtful, impactful conversation. Watch the full video at the link in bio. ♥️

Bisi Bela Bath a statement of regional identity from Karnataka, is a deeply comforting dish that brings together rice an...
01/16/2026

Bisi Bela Bath a statement of regional identity from Karnataka, is a deeply comforting dish that brings together rice and lentils cooked until they move as one, layered with tamarind’s sharp tang, warming spice, and the quiet sweetness of tendered vegetables. It’s not meant to be flashy, it’s meant to heal you.

At Semma, our Bisi Bela Bath arrives with urulai kizhangu varuval, potatoes pan-fried until crisp, alongside appalam, pickle for punch, and raita for a cool contrast. Each element exists to sharpen or soften the next and nothing is accidental.

Spicy, tangy, deeply savory, and quietly complex, it’s a complete meal, nourishing and practical, that’s also emotionally grounding. Now on special. 💫

Chef Vijay doesn’t do victory laps. But this past year was BIG, and asked for a pause, a moment to look around and take ...
12/31/2025

Chef Vijay doesn’t do victory laps. But this past year was BIG, and asked for a pause, a moment to look around and take it all in.

Somewhere along the way, Semma became part of a much bigger dialogue, about South Indian Food, about representation, about what happens when you REFUSE to comply.

Swipe through for a few of the moments that shaped the year: some of the stories we were proud to be part of, and reminders that this work lives far beyond the pass.

Thank you everyone who showed up, who told our story, who helped us celebrate every milestone, we are so grateful.

We’re not even close to done. We can’t wait to see you all in 2026! Happy New Year 🎆

This past year was BIG, but it also asked for a pause, a moment to look around and take it all in. Somewhere along the w...
12/31/2025

This past year was BIG, but it also asked for a pause, a moment to look around and take it all in.

Somewhere along the way, Semma became part of a much bigger dialogue, about South Indian Food, about representation, about what happens when you REFUSE to comply.

Swipe through for a few of the moments that shaped the year: some of the stories we were proud to be part of, and reminders that this work lives far beyond the pass.

We’re not even close to done. We can’t wait to see you all in 2026! 🎆

Odiyal Kool; scallop, squid, prawn · tamarindOdiyal Kool comes from the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, places...
12/29/2025

Odiyal Kool; scallop, squid, prawn · tamarind

Odiyal Kool comes from the coastal belt of Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka, places where heat, humidity, and the sea shape how people cook and eat. At first glance, a deeply spiced, steaming seafood soup might seem counterintuitive in a tropical climate, but historically, dishes like this exist because of the heat, not in spite of it.

On cold New York nights, Odiyal Kool lands differently, but just as powerfully. The warmth is immediate, with tamarind brightening each sip. What once soothed bodies in tropical heat now feels instinctively right in frigid winter air.

This is not a “soup course.” It’s a document of coastal South Indian cooking that is practical, intelligent, and deeply soulful. ❤️

Address

60 Greenwich Avenue
New York, NY
10011

Opening Hours

Tuesday 5pm - 10pm
Wednesday 5pm - 10pm
Thursday 5pm - 10pm
Friday 5pm - 10pm
Saturday 5pm - 10pm
Sunday 5pm - 10pm

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+1 212-373-8900

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