In pictures: India’s top 10 chefs at Food Superstars – our very own ‘Food Oscars’

India’s Top 30 chefs were awarded at an invite-only event in the presence of prominent chefs and industry stalwarts from across the country at Food Superstars on March 19 in Delhi. Below are the Top 10…

#1 MANISH MEHROTRA: The idea behind Food Superstars is to inspire a new generation of chefs. No one does that better than Manish Mehrotra – mentor to some of the best young chefs around the world. “Cooking is a good thing, but how far you can share your knowledge with others is even more important,” said the humble chef best known for modern Indian cuisine. The man behind Indian Accent in Delhi and NYC is flanked here by Vir Sanghvi (left) and Sameer Sain, CEO of Everstone Group (right), the co-founders of Culinary Culture

#2 REGI MATHEW: It took a Malayali chef like Regi to serve home-style Kerala food on the national plate. Over a couple of decades, he opened around 80-90 restaurants before launching the renowned restaurant Kappa Chakka Kandhari in Chennai

#3 HIMANSHU SAINI: Delhi boy Himanshu is considered to be one of the youngest tastemakers of modern Indian cuisine. He started off at Delhi’s Indian Accent and left for Dubai, where he is corporate chef of Tresind (including the Mumbai outlet)

#4 PRATEEK SADHU: He canned his plans of becoming a commercial pilot and is now flying high in the culinary world. Born in Kashmir, Prateek is currently chef and co-founder of the ingredient-driven Mumbai restaurant Masque, where he helps define modern Indian cuisine by using food from the Himalayas in novel ways

#5 SAURABH UDINIA: Chef by profession, foodie by heart and a diehard Manchester United fan, Saurabh is currently based in Singapore and hopes to put Indian flavours on the global culinary map. A feat not impossible given how he reinvented simple dishes at Masala Library and Farzi Cafe

#6 RITU DALMIA: Kolkata-born Ritu is considered to be one of the finest Italian chefs in the country. She has run some top restaurants for nearly three decades, like Diva Restaurants (Italian and European fine-dining) in Delhi and Goa, Cittamani Milano and Spica in Milan, and Motodo Pizzeria in Mumbai

#7 MANU CHANDRA: A Delhi boy in Bangalore for over a decade, Manu spent a considerable time abroad and returned to India to launch gastro-pubs like Monkey Bar and resto-bars like Toast and Toast (blame the G&T revolution on him!). He usually saves his smiles, but he wore a big one on stage

#8 NOORESHA KABLY: Nooresha has managed what was once thought impossible. Without the backing of a hotel chain, she has created India’s best modern Japanese restaurant. Izumi Mumbai has set the bar for Japanese cuisine in the city and beyond

#9 NAREN THIMMAIAH: He’s the man who quietly worked to make Taj’s institutional restaurant Karavalli what it is today. He is as much a fixture of the hotel as is its iconic coastal cuisine restaurant, having been there for almost 30 years

#10 HUSSAIN SHAHZAD: “Walked into a room full of my food heroes, chefs who honed my craft, peers who inspire on a daily basis and palates that I use as a benchmark while cooking. Was a kickass feeling to be amongst them all and bag number 10,” shared the executive chef of O Pedro and The Bombay Canteen. Hussain briefly honed his skills at the famed New York restaurant Eleven Madison Park