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A legend is gone: Chefs pay tribute to Floyd Cardoz
Popular chef Floyd Cardoz, who was known for re-imagining Indian cuisine, died last week after testing positive for corono virus on March 18.
Legendary international chef and restaurateur Floyd Cardoz succumbed to Covid-19, on Wednesday. The Mumbai-born, New York-based chef had tested positive for coronavirus on March 18. The brain behind the famed NYC restaurants Tabla and Bombay Bread Bar, that later shut down, Cardoz was known for re-imagining Indian cuisine, artistically marrying Indian culinary traditions with global sensibilities.
The chef, 59, was in India in the first week of March to launch Bombay Sweet Shop, his latest venture in Mumbai. He already had two restaurants — Bombay Canteen and O Pedro — in the city. Chef Manish Mehrotra, who met him at the launch, says he couldn’t have imagined that it was their last meeting.
“We met in the afternoon. He seemed perfectly fine. He flew back to the US after the launch. I used to meet him so often at events and I ate frequently at his restaurants. When I was opening Indian Accent in New York, he was very helpful. He introduced me to his suppliers. I will remember him as the pioneer of modern Indian food. He was the first one to boldly experiment with Indian food in the US. He was a true Indian-international chef, loved by the likes of Daniel Boulud and David Chang,” says Mehrotra.
Disturbed by Floyd’s demise, chef Ranveer Brar says, “I don’t know what to say. It’s numbing. I always held him in awe. When I was living in the US, Tabla was the place to be. If you had anything to do with modern Indian food, the first thing you did was to seek an audience with chef Floyd. For me or any other Indian chef who has worked in the US between 2000-2010, he’ll always be the godfather of modern Indian cuisine.”
Chef Sanjeev Kapoor says that we have lost a shining star of Indian cuisine who put our food on the world map. “Floyd Cardoz was the torch bearer of fine Indian cuisine across the globe. He will be missed immensely,” says Kapoor.
Chef Vikas Khanna remembers him as a chef who uninhibitedly carved the path for culinary innovations. “He was a legend, a friend, a visionary,” says Khanna.
Chef Ritu Dalmia met him whilst he was setting up Bombay Canteen in 2015. “It will remain a cherished meeting. A common friend — author Faith Willinger — introduced us. We had lunch at Gajalee and had a great time. He was supremely talented. He was a brilliant man. It’s such a saddening loss,” says Dalmia.
Chef Nishant Choubey recalls meeting Floyd last year in Mumbai. “His zest for food was so inspiring. ‘Stick with whatever food you love but never miss what locals eat,’ he would say. He had such positive energy. And he added that dose of avant-garde to Indian cuisine! He’ll always be immortal,” he says.
