From
The Asian Reporter, V30, #05 (April 6, 2020), page 11.
Chef Floyd Cardoz dies at age 59 of
coronavirus complications
By Leanne Italie
The Associated Press
NEW YORK — Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on "Top Chef," won
"Top Chef Masters," and operated successful restaurants in both
India and New York, died March 25, 2020 of complications from
the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59
years old.
Cardoz had travelled from Mumbai to New York through
Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8. He was admitted to Mountainside
Medical Center in Montclair, New Jersey, with a fever and
subsequently tested positive for COVID-19, the statement said.
The committed advocate of making the food industry more
sustainable began his hospitality training in his native Mumbai,
formerly known as Bombay. He later moved to Switzerland, where
he honed his skills in French, Italian, and Indian cuisine
before moving on to the kitchens of New York City.
He was a partner in Bombay Sweet Shop, O Pedro, and The
Bombay Canteen in India at the time of his death.
An Indian American, he partnered with famed restaurateur
Danny Meyer’s Union Square Hospitality Group to open Tabla in
1997. The Manhattan spot was praised by critics. It closed in
2010.
Cardoz’s death was mourned by famous friends in both the
restaurant and television industries.
"Love you so much @floydcardoz," Meyer tweeted, calling him a
"beautiful human being."
The two worked together for 17 years. At Tabla, they
celebrated Cardoz’s new Indian cuisine that melded the sensual
flavors and spices of his homeland with western techniques.
Padma Lakshmi, host of the Bravo cooking competition series
"Top Chef," praised the success of Tabla and offered condolences
to Cardoz’s loved ones, including his wife and business partner,
Barkha.
"He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around
him happy, and a delicious touch," Lakshmi tweeted.
The Twitter account for "Top Chef" offered condolences and
called Cardoz an "inspiration to chefs around the world."
In 2011, Cardoz competed in and won Season 3 of "Top Chef
Masters." He used his $110,000 in winnings to support the Young
Scientist Cancer Research Fund at New York’s Mount Sinai School
of Medicine.
The now-independent foundation, referred to as the Young
Scientist Foundation, enables high school and college students
to work alongside accomplished researchers to develop new
treatments for diseases, according to a spokesperson for
Cardoz’s company. It was a central focus of his charity work.
In addition to Tabla, Cardoz and Meyer partnered in 2012 on
North End Grill, a Battery Park City staple that was a downtown
Manhattan favorite until its closing in 2018. In addition to his
work with Meyer, Cardoz partnered with Sameer Seth and Yash
Bhanage in Hunger Inc. Hospitality starting in 2015.
Cardoz was a four-time James Beard Award nominee. He was the
author of two cookbooks, Once Spice, Two Spice and
Flavorwalla. In 2008, he launched a line of ready-to-cook
entrees in collaboration with the online grocer Fresh Direct.
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