Top chef Regi Mathew (second from right) is credited with bringing Kerala’s cuisine under the national spotlight. He runs Kappa Chakka Kandhari, one of the best restaurants in Chennai and Bangalore, and has opened hundreds of others in his three-decade-long career. ‘I dedicate this award to my mother and not only my mother but all mothers,’ Mathew proudly said. For a former Taj chef to make a transition from hotel recipes to homestyle cooking must have been challenging but he has aced it. Chef has been brought up on the belief that happiness is homemade and every bite should bring back memories of your mother’s cooking. Chef Manish Mehrotra, the winner of Food Superstars 2022, presented Mathew with the award.

1. Himanshu has emerged as one of the world’s best regarded Indian chefs, proudly representing India as the only native-born chef at the helm of a two Michelin star restaurant — Tresind Studio in Dubai. Yet, Himanshu remains deeply connected to his roots, and at Tresind Mumbai, the food stands as a testament to his global stature. He started his culinary career in Delhi under the tutelage of chef Manish Mehrotra of Indian Accent.
2. After graduation, Hussain started his career with the Oberoi Group of Hotels as a senior kitchen executive at Frangipani in Mumbai. In 2014, he ventured to New York, where he worked at the renowned Eleven Madison Park restaurant. Even after his years abroad, Hussain always felt a strong pull to return to India. So in 2015, he joined The Bombay Canteen in Mumbai as sous chef. Two years later, he became the executive chef at O Pedro, and his latest triumph is Veronica’s, also in Mumbai.