Hemant Mathur

Executive Chef/Owner

Jaipur-born Hemant Mathur is the COO/Managing Executive Chef of six distinctive regional Indian restaurants located in New York City – Chola, Chote Nawab, Dhaba, Haldi, Kokum and Malai Marke. During his 30-year career, Mathur has earned numerous accolades and esteemed recognition, including the designation of tandoor master and being called the Yo-Yo Ma of tandoor cooking.

Significantly, he was the first Indian chef in the U.S. to be awarded a Michelin star. Previously, Mathur served as the executive chef of one-Michelin starred Tulsi in Manhattan from its opening through 2014, and was the opening executive chef at one-Michelin starred Dévi in New York, where he helmed the kitchen for six years. Among his many accomplishments are appearing as a featured chef at The James Beard House, being a highlighted chef at the 2005 “Worlds of Flavor” conference at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone, California, and serving as a chef participant at The Epcot International Food & Wine Festival in Florida. His talents have been appreciated beyond the U.S., as well.

He has been the celebrated destination catering chef at special occasion events in Mexico and the Caribbean; and early in his career worked at prestigious hotels in India and Germany, and served as a private chef for British financier Sir James Goldsmith in Mexico. Mathur graduated from culinary school in India in 1983 and is fluent in Hindi, Rajasthani, English, Spanish and German.