Dubai : Dubai-based plant-forward chef and culinary storyteller Surabhi Suri is celebrating being crowned World Vegetarian Champion at the prestigious World Food Championships (WFC).
Currently the reigning Champion, she then competed against 400 other leading chefs from around the world to finish as second finalist overall at the competition’s prestigious Final Table.
One of the world’s largest and most respected culinary competitions, the World Food Championships, which took place in October 2025, saw Chef Suri compete amongst internationally celebrated chefs across a series of high-pressure rounds, marking a defining moment both for her career and for modern plant-forward cuisine on the global stage.
Known for her artistic approach to food and immersive dining experiences through her Dubai supper club concept Sebze, Chef Suri has built a growing reputation for presenting Indian cuisine through a contemporary, globally influenced lens rooted in storytelling, seasonality and emotion.
Her journey through the competition became particularly remarkable during the final stages, where contestants were required to cook non-vegetarian dishes, despite being a lifelong vegetarian chef known internationally for her plant-forward philosophy.
“Walking into the final rounds as a vegetarian chef was emotionally and creatively challenging,” said Chef Suri. “I have built my identity around plant-forward cooking, so suddenly having to work outside of that under immense pressure pushed me far beyond my comfort zone. But at the same time, it reminded me that cooking is ultimately about instinct, flavour, storytelling and emotion.”
One of the standout moments of the competition came during the opening round of the Final Table, where she secured first place with a bold interpretation of regional Indian cuisine featuring spinach khoba roti made with masa flour, pistachio-crusted carrot kofta and korma.
Created using limited ingredients sourced during the competition challenge, the dish highlighted both technical creativity and sustainability, with Chef Suri incorporating spinach oil residue into the roti itself as part of a zero-waste approach.
“I wanted the dish to feel deeply personal and proudly Indian, while still reflecting the modern perspective that shapes my cooking today,” she said. “Even in competition, every ingredient had to have purpose and every element on the plate needed to tell a story.”
Judges praised the dish for its originality, artistry, and depth of flavour, with Chef Suri’s performance helping bring Indian plant-forward cuisine into the international spotlight.
A self-taught chef, her culinary journey began at the age of 11 cooking alongside her grandmother, whose influence continues to shape her philosophy around food, hospitality and emotional connection.
Over the years she has developed a career spanning curated supper clubs, private dining experiences, luxury hospitality collaborations and international culinary projects. Her work has included collaborations with brands and hospitality groups including Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, Marriott and Westin, alongside curating a plant-forward menu for the Ambani wedding celebrations in Jamnagar.
Today, Chef Suri is increasingly recognised as one of the UAE’s most exciting culinary voices, blending Indian heritage with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences through highly visual, ingredient-led cooking.
“My food has always been about creating feeling,” said Suri. “I want people to experience vegetarian cuisine differently, not as something restrictive, but as something layered, soulful, expressive and limitless. For me, food should stay with people long after the meal is over.”
As plant-forward dining continues to gain momentum globally, Suri believes diners are increasingly searching for experiences that feel more personal, thoughtful and emotionally driven.
“People want more than just a meal now,” she said. “They want connection, storytelling, culture and something memorable. Food has become a way for people to experience the world differently, and I think that openness is creating space for chefs to push creativity in exciting new directions.”
