Chef of the Year

Manav Tuli, Chaat

The humble chef behind one of Hong Kong’s most exciting openings in 2020 is not one to rest on his much-decorated laurels. Prior to moving to Asia, Tuli was based in London, where he took fine Indian restaurants Tamarind and Chutney Mary to new heights; in Hong Kong, the sheer volume of enquiries for a table at Chaat is testament to the impact he’s made on the dining scene in the past 18 months. In 2021, he turned things up a notch by introducing diners—already curious about discovering more about the diversity of

Indian cuisine—to the nuances of the continent through an exciting series of fortnightly Friday curry feasts, where he would be able to educate palates in a direct way. Tuli has also been committed to community, supporting initiatives such as Help India Breathe, Eat Give Revive, and even hosting a Cook For India charity dinner at Chaat to support India during its heartwrenching 2021 Covid outbreak that affected millions. “I believe there is no better way to do this than through the universal language of food,” he says.