He’s a purist – the kind of chef who won’t offer mild, medium, or hot versions of his dishes, convinced that to adjust the spice is to tamper with authenticity. He is Chef Kumar Mahadevan, owner of Abhi’s Indian Restaurant at North Strathfield that has been awarded One Chef’s Hat at the recently announced 2026 Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide Awards.
Mahadevan himself, regarded as the ‘Guru of Indian cuisine’ by many in the culinary circles of Sydney, was awarded the Legend Award. With this new accolade, he joins the likes of celebrated chefs Bill Granger, who won the Legend Award last year, and Maggie Beer (2019).
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“I am truly feeling on top of the world,” he tells Indian Link, expressing his delight at the recognition. “This award feels like the Kohinoor diamond in my professional journey as a chef. It’s the highest award professional chefs in Australia would strive for. It’s not something I have consciously strived for. Rather I have tried to stay consistent with my work.”
Mahadevan, who migrated to Australia in 1985 with a degree from Madras Catering College, has certainly worked his way up. After struggling with highly demanding jobs for the initial years, he opened Abhi’s in the early 1990s, and followed it up in 2003 with the multi-award-winning Aki’s in Woolloomooloo (now closed), thus pioneering fine Indian dining in Sydney.
Mahadevan is appreciative of the evolution of Indian dining in Sydney. From specially created cocktails that go with Indian food to wine pairings with subcontinental flavours, Mahadevan agrees that more and more restaurants are innovating with menus and offerings.
Yet, he is set on not going too far with experimentation. “Creativity is growing, certainly. Yet my advice is – be innovative, but do not move away from the original flavours. I say fusion is confusion,” Mahadevan insists.
Which is why Mahadevan and his wife Suba continue to travel to India to seek out authentic recipes and real flavours. “I make at least four to five trips back to India ever year and try to explore different states and cuisines each time. This has helped me to appreciate the depth and meaning of our food and flavours. I have visited everywhere from ordinary homes to fishermen and picked up ideas and tricks from palace chefs to aunties and housewives,” he explains.
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In his restaurant, Mahadevan says he’d rather have a limited menu instead of compromising on the taste and recipe. “I am not going to create a ‘hotch-potch’. The idea is to offer food preparations which are individually made, instead of in big batches. And luckily for me, my customers definitely know their food!”
He does however appreciate the growing sub-continental food corridors in suburbs like Pendle Hill, Wenworthville and of course, Little India in Harris Park with its mushrooming gol-guppa stalls. “All of these are appealing to a different market segment.”
The market in Sydney is definitely ready for this food explosion, he feels, adding that there’s room for the entire spectrum – from hatted restaurants to the market-style fresh jalebi carts. “One end is art, and the other a Bollywood commercial pot-boiler. Depends what you are in the mood for!”
For now, Chef Kumar Mahadevan is focusing all his attention on his own restaurant. “I have always done the braver thing… and have a lot more still to do at Abhi’s,” he says.
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