Generally, the celebrities simply align. That was the case for my spouse Lindsey and me on a current journey to New York Metropolis. We had been there for one night time — one shot to eat someplace memorable — and someway landed a reservation at Semma, the Southern Indian restaurant from the crew at Unapologetic Meals. And immediately? It simply bought named the No. 1 restaurant in New York by The New York Occasions. Not a foul coincidence.
Right here’s how critic Priya Krishna describes it:
New York is teeming with Indian eating places. But earlier than Semma, a deeply private tribute to the chef Vijay Kumar’s upbringing within the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu, the town’s diners had by no means seen Indian meals like this. Punctuated with chiles, coconut and earthy curry leaves, Semma’s flavors are lingering and loud, but restrained. Its dosa is the very best within the metropolis: a crisp specimen that’s heady with fermentation and slicked with ghee and fiery gunpowder spice. Semma altered the course of Indian eating right here, and 4 years on, Mr. Kumar’s meals continues to really feel contemporary.
We had been already buzzing simply strolling in. The place had that feeling — you recognize the one. That electrical hum that solely exists when the whole lot’s in sync. It’s not one thing you possibly can manufacture or purchase — it both exists or it doesn’t. And at Semma, it was there in full power. That heat, that soul. Like a worn-in blanket you attain for on a cool night time.
The menu reads like a love letter to the area. Small, shareable bites to begin. Larger plates for the center. After which the mains, rounded out with rice and breads. Chef Vijay got here out to say hello — his face lit up with pleasure — and requested if there was something we needed to attempt. We simply mentioned, “We’re in your arms.”
The trip started with Paniyaram — crispy rice and lentil dumplings kissed with asafoetida and served with Paatti’s chutney. Then got here probably the most surprising hits of the night time: Mulaikattiya Thaniyam — sprouted mung beans with coconut and chili. Mild, spicy, refreshing. These two dishes set the tone: this wasn’t going to be a traditional dinner. This was a taste journey.
Subsequent got here the dish you’ve in all probability seen all around the web: the Gunpowder Dosa. A lacy, crisp crepe made with rice and lentil flour, full of potato masala and served with three sauces. Straight-up scrumptious. It landed subsequent to a salad of snow and snap peas with coconut and crimson onion — clear, cool, and crunchy. Then got here tender items of braised quick rib, wealthy with black cardamom and Tellicherry pepper. Increase.
We paired all of it with a bottle of Matthiasson Chardonnay from the Linda Vista Winery in Napa. Steve and Jill Matthiasson are a few of my favourite individuals in wine — sensible, considerate, and making wines that talk to the land. In the event you haven’t had certainly one of their bottles but, go get one. Critically.
Someplace in there, there was an amaro break (as a result of why not?), after which the mains began rolling in.
The lobster tail — served over a creamy, coconut milk broth with mustard seed and turmeric — was simply as silky and splendid because it sounds. The roasted lamb chops hit with excellent texture and spice. And the goat biryani? A becoming exclamation level to a meal already filled with fireworks. At this level, our tastebuds had been in full sensory overload — in one of the simplest ways.
And simply after we thought we had been achieved, out got here dessert. One with excellent mango. The opposite with vivid ardour fruit. After all of the richness and spice, these had been precisely what we would have liked — gentle, clear, stunning.
So — is Semma deserving of the No. 1 spot? Yeah. It’s. However it’s extra than simply the meals, wine, or cocktails. What units it aside is coronary heart. It’s clear how a lot of themselves chef Vijay, Roni, and Chintan put into this restaurant. The fervour, the pleasure, the story — it’s all on the plate.
Thanks, chef. Thanks, Roni. Thanks, Chintan. For one unimaginable night time, you invited us into your world. And we’ll always remember it.
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Share your NYC suggestions with Chris through e mail at chris@chrisshepherd.is.
Chris Shepherd received a James Beard Award for Finest Chef: Southwest in 2014. The Southern Smoke Basis, a nonprofit he co-founded together with his spouse Lindsey Brown, has distributed greater than $11 million to hospitality staff in disaster by means of its Emergency Aid Fund. Catch his TV present, Eat Like a Native, each Saturday at 10 am on KPRC Channel 2 or on YouTube.
