New York City — In the East Village, Bungalow, celebrity chef Vikas Khanna’s latest venture, offers guests a nostalgic journey to India. Dedicated to his late sister, Radhika Khanna, who passed away in 2022, Chef Khanna says her presence can be felt in every corner of the restaurant, from a photo in the entryway that greets each guest to the details woven throughout the space.
Khanna says his vision is to honor the roots of Indian cuisine while embracing innovation. “This cuisine doesn’t belong to us, we inherited it,” he said, crediting everyone from street vendors to home cooks as custodians of the cuisine.” You need to find a way to bring them on and to celebrate it, and you also need to add layers to it. You also want to make sure that this is interesting enough and unforgettable.”
Across town, Chef Vijay Kumar of Semma is also redefining Indian dining. Named the Best New York City Restaurant 2025 by the New York Times, Semma specializes in regional southern Indian dishes such as dosa and biryani.
“The food is a humble food. And definitely, we don’t want to give away authenticity. We want to be completely true to ourselves in terms of spices, spicy, everything, just like how we cook back home,” says Kumar, “But if you ask me, can your food be beautiful? Why not?”
Bungalow is located at 24 First Ave., New York, NY 10009. Semma can be found at 60 Greenwich Ave., New York, NY 10011.