By Keerthi Ramesh
Avtar Singh Walia, owner of a Michelin-starred restaurant, has been recognized as Top Restaurant Owner for 2025 by the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP). He was honored at IAOTP’s annual awards gala in December at the Bellagio Hotel in Las Vegas for his leadership, dedication and commitment to the industry.
Walia’s restaurant Tamarind Tribeca is located in New York City at 99 Hudson St. The two-level Art Deco space seats about 175 guests and has become a culinary institution, widely credited with reshaping perceptions of Indian cuisine and fine dining in the United States.
Only a handful of members are chosen in each discipline for this distinction and these selected few are distinguished based on their professional accomplishments, academic achievements, leadership abilities, experience in the field, other affiliations and contributions to their communities. All the nominated honorees are invited to the IAOTP annual gala at the end of the year to recognize and honor their achievements.
While simply being recognized by the IAOTP is a struggle for an immigrant owned restaurant, being included and accepted by the association is an honour in itself. With close to four decades of experience in the industry under his belt, Walia has proven himself as a dedicated leader who made people acquire a taste for the Indian culture.
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Avtar Singh Walia graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Arts with honors from Guru Gobind Singh College in India. His expertise includes sales, business development and business management, which helped him in running a successful business as a visionary owner. He started professional career as a warehouse manager for Gucci in the late 1970’s and later dived into different career paths from working as a captain at the city’s Tandoor restaurant, bartending and managed Akhbar restaurant on Park Avenue until he began dreaming of opening his own fine dining establishment.
Walia realized his calling when he became a co-owner a highly respected Dawat restaurant. Although as a co-owner he was only a small part of the restaurant’s success and fame in bringing India’s traditional taste into the limelight of New York’s unique characteristic flavor, fifteen years later he opened Tamarind Tribeca, as the sole owner using his experience, passion and imagination into launching a world class dining establishment. Under his leadership and hard work, the restaurant was awarded one star from the prestigious Michelin institution.
Through his career, Walia has received many awards and he has been recognized worldwide for his accomplishments like the Top Business Owners by Marquis Who’s Who, and a feature in TIP (Top Industry Professionals) Magazine.
Stephanie Cirami, the president of the International Association of Top Professionals (IAOTP), shared her excitement about the selection, saying, “Choosing Mr. Walia for this honor was an easy decision for our panel. He is truly an inspirational and influential visionary and a respected thought leader. We look forward to meeting him in person and celebrating his remarkable achievements at this year’s gala.”
Reflecting on his journey, Walia credits his success to perseverance, a strong work ethic, and the guidance of his previous mentors who supported him along the way. He adds that he hopes his journey will inspire and encourage others who are considering a career in the industry.