Southern comforts

Is modern South Indian food finally getting its due? From Goa to New York, chefs are putting their heritage on a plate

- VIR SANGHVI

It is possible that I am overstating the case, but I think that South Indian food is having a moment. In Goa, the excellent Hosa is the restaurant of the moment. In New York, Semma has a Michelin star, has wowed the critics, and is packed out so solidly that it is a big deal to score a table. In Kolkata, the most difficult reservation is Avartana, the second avatar of the modern South Indian restaurant from Chennai. A third Avartana will open shortly in Mumbai. On the West Coast of the US, Srijith Gopinathan, who walked away from his Michelin stars at Campton Place, is the hottest Indian chef and continues to open restaurants that celebrate his unique Malayali-California cooking. In Singapore, Mano Thevar has two Michelin stars at his eponymous restaurant, which serves the food of Malaysia's Tamil community. And back home in India, Regi Mathew, who runs Kerala restaurants in Chennai and Bangalore, was recently crowned India's number CARE SMIAN 7123 one chef.

South Indian food is now upmarket. The credit for this must go mainly to the Taj group, which opened The Raintree in Chennai, focusing on the food of the Chettiar community; and then Karavali in Bengaluru, which served home-style food from all over the South. When ITC responded by opening Dakshin in Chennai, the Taj opened its own version: Southern Spice.