Top Chef dies of coronavirus complications
NEW YORK — Chef Floyd Cardoz, who competed on “Top Chef,” won “Top Chef Masters” and operated successful restaurants in India and New York, died Wednesday of complications from the coronavirus, his company said in a statement. He was 59.
Cardoz had travelled from Mumbai to New York through Frankfurt, Germany, on March 8. He was admitted a week ago 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 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.
The Indian-American 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 flavours and spices of his homeland with Western techniques.
Padma Lakshmi, host of the Bravo series “Top Chef,” 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.
In 2011, Cardoz 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.