Q: Tell us a little bit about yourself and what first drew you to the kitchen.
I’m Surabhi, a self-taught chef from Dehradun in India, a beautiful valley nestled in the foothills of the Himalayas. I am the founder of Sebzee by Su, a plant-forward supper club in Dubai where I celebrate the beauty, diversity, and creativity of vegetarian cuisine. I am also the reigning World Vegetarian Champion, a title that has been an incredible milestone in my journey as a chef and a storyteller through food.
My journey has taken me across six countries and many cultures, experiences that have deeply influenced the way I look at ingredients, flavours, and hospitality. While my travels have broadened my perspective, my roots remain firmly connected to the lessons I learned growing up in India, especially those from my grandmother’s kitchen.
I hold a Master’s degree in English Literature, but my true education began much earlier, in my grandmother’s kitchen. I have been cooking from a very young age, and she was my first teacher. She was an exceptional cook, passionate, deeply wise, and someone who treated every vegetable and every ingredient with the utmost love, patience, and care. Watching her cook taught me that food is so much more than nourishment, it is an expression of love, respect, generosity, and connections.
Those early memories continue to shape the way I cook today, with seasonality, mindfulness, and a deep appreciation for every ingredient that finds its way onto the plate. Through Sebzee, my supper club, my aim is to share my philosophy with the world, that plant-forward cuisine can be soulful, artistic, nourishing, and capable of creating unforgettable experiences.
Q: Your menus often read like stories rather than recipes. Where do you usually begin when creating a new experience; an ingredient, a memory, or an emotion?
I usually begin with a story, a memory, or an emotion rather than just an ingredient. For me, food is a language of memories and experiences, and every menu is an opportunity to take my guests on a journey. It could be a flavour from my childhood, a lesson I learned from my grandmother’s kitchen, or an ingredient that inspires me because of its seasonality and potential.
I don’t see dishes as isolated recipes, I see them as chapters in a larger story. When I create a menu for my supper Sebzee, I think about how each course connects with the next, how it evokes a feeling, and how it reflects my philosophy of celebrating plants, sustainability, and the beauty of simple ingredients treated with care. The most memorable dishes, for me, are the ones that create an emotional connection, where a guest doesn’t just remember what they ate, but how it made them feel.
Q: Your latest menu, SUFRA, brings together Indian roots with Mediterranean influences gathered through years of travelling. Was there a particular memory or moment that inspired this menu?
The inspiration for SUFRA began with a memory that is connected to the very first dish on the menu, the Mushroom Galouti Kebab.
I have a very vivid memory of visiting Lucknow and experiencing the legendary Tunday Kebab. What stayed with me was not just the dish itself, but the depth and intensity of flavour. Even though the kebab I ate was vegetarian, it was incredibly rich, complex, and beautifully composed. I remember thinking that I wanted to create something that could evoke that same sense of wonder and give my guests a similar experience.
While developing SUFRA, I knew I wanted to begin the evening with that memory, a tribute to the joy of discovering new cultures and cuisines with my family. Creating this Mushroom Galouti Kebab has been a journey of many trials, countless iterations, and years of refining the recipe to reach the version it is today.
I’m especially excited about this dish because it carries the soul of a traditional galouti but is presented in a way that guests may not expect. It is my interpretation of a cherished memory, transformed through my own culinary lens.
Q: You recently won the 2025 World Food Championship as Best Vegetarian Chef, congratulations! What was that moment like, and what does this achievement mean to you personally?
Winning the 2025 World Food Championship as the Best Vegetarian Chef was an incredibly emotional and unforgettable moment for me. As a self-taught chef, this recognition represented years of passion, perseverance, experimentation, and my deep belief in the power of plant-forward cuisine.
What made the experience truly special was that I was able to stand by my truth and my philosophy in front of more than 400 teams and chefs from around the world. I had the opportunity to give a voice to vegetarian and plant-forward cuisine on one of the biggest culinary stages, a competition traditionally known for showcasing meat-centric cooking. To be able to demonstrate that plants can create dishes with depth, creativity, complexity, and soul was incredibly meaningful to me.
I think every creative person has moments of self-doubt, and I have always been my biggest critic. This achievement gave me a renewed sense of confidence and reinforced my belief that I am on the right path. It showed me that staying authentic to my vision and continuing to champion plant-forward food can create an impact far beyond my own kitchen.
Beyond the award itself, what made the moment even more special was having my family there to share it with me. Being able to create this moment for my children, for my country, India, and for the city I call home, Dubai, was deeply emotional. It was a privilege to represent both cultures and showcase how Indian culinary traditions, Dubai’s global spirit, and a sustainable approach to food can come together on an international platform.
Q: Competing on an international stage comes with its own challenges. What was the biggest lesson or takeaway you brought home from the championship?
The biggest lesson I brought home from the championship was the importance of trusting my own voice and staying true to my culinary identity. Competing on a global platform, alongside incredibly talented chefs from around the world, was both humbling and inspiring. It pushed me beyond my comfort zone and challenged me to think creatively under immense pressure.
I learned that preparation, resilience, and adaptability are just as important as technical skill. In a competition environment, where every decision matters and there are so many unknowns, you have to trust the years of experience, intuition, and passion that brought you there.
Most importantly, the championship reinforced my belief that there is a place for plant-forward cuisine on the world stage. I walked away with an even stronger conviction that food does not need to rely on meat to be exciting, luxurious, or memorable. With the right techniques, respect for ingredients, and a strong story behind each dish, plants can create extraordinary culinary experiences.
Q: How did your experience at the World Food Championship influence or shape your latest menu, SUFRA?
The World Food Championships has had a profound influence on SUFRA because the journey towards the competition transformed me as a chef. I spent almost an entire year preparing for that moment. I completely immersed myself in learning, reading extensively, studying techniques, watching countless videos, and practicing. I wanted to arrive at the championship having given it everything I had.
I never took that responsibility lightly. I knew I was not only representing myself, but also carrying the stories of my country, Indian cuisine, and the city I call home, Dubai. I wanted to put my best foot forward and honour that opportunity with the dedication and hard work it deserved.
That year of preparation changed me. The hours of practice, experimentation, and learning introduced me to new techniques and gave me a deeper understanding of flavour, presentation, and culinary precision. SUFRA is, in many ways, a reflection of that journey, it represents how I have grown not only as a chef, but also as a creative person.
While the essence of my food remains unchanged, it continues to come from my heart and from the teachings of my grandmother, you will also see my evolution in this menu. I hope every guest feels that story on the plate.
Q: Many people still think vegetarian dining means compromise. Have you noticed more curiosity from non-vegetarian guests, and do you enjoy challenging those expectations?
Absolutely. One of the most rewarding parts of my journey has been seeing the shift in perception around vegetarian and plant-forward dining. Many guests who come to my supper are not necessarily vegetarian, and I love that because it allows me to challenge the idea that vegetarian food means something is missing.
I believe great food is not defined by whether it contains meat or not, it is defined by flavour, creativity, technique, and the emotions it evokes. My aim has always been to create dishes that stand on their own, where the vegetable is not a substitute or an afterthought, but the true hero of the plate.
I often see the biggest reactions from guests who are used to eating meat because they arrive with a certain expectation and leave pleasantly surprised. When someone tells me, “I didn’t expect vegetarian food to be like this,” that is the moment I know I have achieved what I set out to do. And we've had non vegetarian guests come back to my supper repeatedly.
I don’t want to convince people to give up anything, I simply want to open their minds to the possibilities of plant-forward cuisine. Food is about curiosity and discovery, and if a dish can create joy, surprise, and a memorable experience, then it has done its job.
Q: Do you feel the plant-forward dining scene is changing? What excites you most about where vegetarian cuisine is headed?
I truly believe this is one of the most exciting times for plant-forward cuisine. There is a noticeable shift in the way people think about food today. Guests are becoming more curious and more open to exploring experiences that are rooted in sustainability, seasonality, zero waste, and a lower environmental impact.
What excites me most is that people are no longer approaching plant-forward dining with the mindset of “what is missing?” Instead, they are beginning to ask, “what is possible?” There is a growing appreciation for vegetables, grains, legumes, and forgotten ingredients, and for the creativity that goes into transforming them into something memorable.
I feel incredibly grateful to witness this change through Sebzee by Su. The fact that my supper experiences have been sold out and waitlisted is a testament to the love and curiosity people have for plant-forward cuisine. It brings me immense joy to see guests embrace a dining experience that does not rely on meat, yet leaves them feeling surprised, satisfied, and inspired.
For me, the future of plant-forward cuisine is not about convincing people to give something up, it is about offering them something so beautiful, flavourful, and meaningful that they are excited to be part of the journey. I believe we are entering a time where conscious dining and exceptional culinary experiences can come together, and that is a very exciting space to be in.
Q: Your philosophy celebrates humble ingredients and familiar flavours in unexpected ways. Is there one ingredient you think deserves far more appreciation than it gets?
I think lentils deserve far more appreciation than they often receive. They have been a cornerstone of Indian cuisine for generations, but I believe the world is only beginning to discover their incredible potential.
What fascinates me about lentils is their versatility. When cooked and treated with the right techniques, they can develop such depth of flavour and texture that they can almost take on a “meaty” quality. They can be transformed into so many different experiences, from kebabs and croquettes to salads, soups, stews, and comforting shorbas.
Beyond their versatility, lentils are also incredibly nourishing. They are naturally rich in protein, sustainable, and accessible, making them an ingredient with so much relevance for the future of food. I would love to see more chefs and home cooks experiment with lentils in creative ways, not just as a humble staple, but as an ingredient capable of creating refined, exciting, and memorable dishes.
For me, lentils represent everything I love about plant-forward cooking: taking something familiar, respecting its roots, and revealing possibilities that people may never have imagined.
Q: If you could cook one meal for anyone in the world, past or present, who would you invite to your table, and what would you serve them?
If I could cook one meal for anyone in the world, past or present, I would invite my grandmother to my table. I lost her more than 20 years ago, but her presence continues to live through everything I do in the kitchen.
It would bring me immense joy to have her sit at my table and show her that I have never forgotten the lessons she gave me or the love for cooking that she instilled in me. I would want her to see the journey I have taken, from the little girl who would sit in her kitchen, watch her cook, and admire her deeply, to the chef I have become today.
I would serve her a meal that represents my journey, flavours from my childhood, influences from my travels, and the plant-forward philosophy I have built my work around.
More than anything, I would want to see the pride in her eyes. To be able to tell her, “Everything I have created began with what I learned from you,” would be the greatest gift.
Q: Looking back at all the tables you’ve hosted, is there a guest reaction or moment that has stayed with you long after the dinner ended?
There have been several beautiful moments and heartfelt reactions from guests over the years, but one memory that will always remain very close to my heart comes from the World Food Championship.
After the competition concluded and I was announced as the World Vegetarian Champion, I went backstage, still processing the enormity of the moment. A few minutes later, one of the judges who had evaluated my dish came backstage looking for me. He told me that in his more than 20 years of judging culinary competitions, he had never gone backstage to personally meet a contestant.
He said that my food had moved him so deeply that he felt compelled to come and congratulate me personally. That moment meant more to me than I can express because it was a reminder that as much as food is about technique or presentation, it is also about creating an emotional connection.
To have my cooking, my story, and my philosophy resonate with someone who had judged thousands of dishes over decades was incredibly special. I will always treasure that memory because it reaffirmed why I cook, for the hope that through my food, I can make people feel something.
Q: Finally, what’s next for you and sebzee by su? Is there anything exciting your guests can look forward to?
The next chapter for Sebzee by Su is about taking this experience beyond my home and sharing it with a much wider audience. My dream is to bring my supper club to different events, venues, and spaces, so that more people can experience my food and discover the beauty of plant-forward cuisine.
At the heart of everything I do is the desire to make people fall in love with plants and to showcase Indian cuisine in a way that is artistic, soulful, nourishing, and deeply rooted in our traditions. I want to take my interpretation of Indian food to the world and show people the incredible depth, diversity, and elegance that Indian flavours have to offer.
In the long term, my dream is to create a space of my own, a place that is not just a restaurant, but a community space where everyone feels welcome, included, and connected. A place where people come together around food, stories, and shared experiences.
Until that dream becomes a reality, I want to continue taking Sebzee by Su to as many places as possible, creating bespoke dining experiences, collaborating with like-minded people, and bringing soulful, meaningful food to people across cities and cultures.
