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Indian restaurants, chefs among 2026 James Beard nominees
Winners will be announced at the James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony in Chicago on June 15.
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Malvika Choudhary - Tue, 31, Mar 2026
- 18:19 EDT
- 24
(Top L-R) Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar, (Bottom L-R)Molly Irani and Meherwan Irani / (Top L-R) eylanrestaurant.com, (Bottom L-R) LinkedIn
Indian restaurants and chefs were selected as the nominees for the 2026 James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards, one of the highest honors in the U.S. culinary industry.
Those in the running for National Outstanding Restaurateur are Srijith Gopinathan and Ayesha Thapar of Cal-India Collective, and Meherwan Irani and Molly Irani of the Chai Pani Restaurant Group.
Also Read: Indian restaurants, chefs among 2026 James Beard semifinalists
Gopinathan and Thapar were nominated for their work leading Cal-India Collective, the hospitality group behind Ettan, Copra, Eylan and Little Blue Door, with restaurants across Palo Alto, San Francisco, Menlo Park and Los Altos, California.
Gopinathan, a chef trained in luxury hospitality, is known for blending Indian flavors with California ingredients and contemporary plating, while Thapar has helped shape the group’s expansion and identity across multiple concepts.
Their nomination places one of California’s most closely watched Indian restaurant groups in contention for a national honor focused on leadership in restaurant entrepreneurship and operations.
The Iranis who operate the Chai Pani Restaurant Group, were recognized for their Asheville, North Carolina flagship full-service restaurant Chai Pani and counter-service Botiwalla also in Asheville and other locations.
Chai Pani Asheville won the James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurant in 2022 and serves Indian street food and chaat.
The company says chef and co-founder Meherwan Irani is working to change perceptions of Indian food in the United States, while Molly Irani, listed as co-founder and chief culture officer, has focused on workplace culture and restaurant management.
Also on this year’s nominee list is Tamba, which was named a finalist in the national Best New Restaurant category.
Located in Town Square Las Vegas, Tamba describes itself as a contemporary Indian restaurant that combines traditional Indian cooking with live-fire techniques, coastal dishes and modern presentation.
The restaurant was originally launched in 2004 on the Las Vegas Strip before being reintroduced in a new format, with the current concept led by Chef Anand Singh.
The restaurant’s business description says the menu uses techniques including the tandoor, Josper charcoal oven, mangal grill and Chinese wok, while its bar program is built around Indian-inspired cocktails.
The James Beard Foundation will announce winners on June 15 at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. The foundation said the Restaurant and Chef nominees “embody exceptional talent and leadership within the independent restaurant industry.”
The James Beard Awards, established in 1990 with the first awards presented in 1991, are often referred to as the "Oscars of the food world".
In addition to the Restaurant and Chef Awards, the foundation also announced honorees for the Impact Awards, Lifetime Achievement Award, and Humanitarian of the Year Award.
The Impact Awards, introduced in 2025, recognize individuals and organizations working toward a “more equitable, sustainable, and economically viable restaurant industry and food system,” according to the foundation. Those honorees will be recognized in Chicago on June 14, a day before the main ceremony.
Discover more at New India Abroad.
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