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Padma Lakshmi defends Indian eatery after TikTok critique
Lakshmi sharply criticized Meg Radice and Audrey Jongen — the duo behind the popular account The VIP List — for their negative commentary on Semma
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Malvika Choudhary - Mon, 07, Apr 2025
- 16:43 EDT
- 146
Padma Lakshmi / Instagram
Indian American television host and food personality Padma Lakshmi has publicly defended a Michelin-starred South Indian restaurant in New York City following a dismissive and controversial review from two social media personalities.
In a TikTok video posted on April 5, Lakshmi sharply criticized Meg Radice and Audrey Jongen — the duo behind the popular account The VIP List — for their negative commentary on Semma, currently the only Indian restaurant in New York City with a Michelin star.
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The pair, who boast over 600,000 followers, questioned the restaurant’s credentials in a now-viral video. “This is why I’ve lost faith in the Michelin system… here’s the real tea,” one said, adding she could “name 15 better Indian restaurants right now, including the biryani cart outside of [her] apartment.”
Their review went on to mock the food, claiming that all the sauces tasted the same and mispronouncing "tikka masala" as "tiki masala." The video concluded with, “Overall nothing was horrible but nothing was great either, and I truly do not get the hype. Go cry about it.”
Lakshmi responded forcefully, saying in her rebuttal, “I’m pretty sure Michelin doesn’t give a s**t about you, either, or what you think about anything, let alone food.” She urged the influencers to understand regional cuisines before offering critiques and called out the mislabeling: “There’s no tiki anything.”
The Top Chef alum also noted, “Semma isn’t made for you. It’s not, it’s made for us.” She suggested that even if the restaurant catered exclusively to South Asian diners, it would still be fully booked for the next decade.
In response to the growing backlash, Radice and Jongen defended their content, stating: “Here’s the thing about taste — it’s subjective. We all have it, and you don’t need a certification to know what you like (or don’t).” They characterized their videos as a mix of commentary and satire, adding, “If we don’t vibe with a place, that’s not a scandal. It’s just content.”
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