Chef
Suresh Sundas
- Discipline
- Chef
- Based in
- Washington DC, Washington DC, United States
- Venue
- Daru · Restaurant
i. Biography
Suresh Sundas took charge as chef at Daru in Washington, DC, in 2022, and the work has since moved into wider view. Years in busy kitchens shaped the pace and discipline behind that role, and the 2025 RAMMY Award for Rising Culinary Star of the Year placed his name among the city’s watched cooks. The recognition tracks with what the plate already shows: tight execution, control, and a considered sense of where the food comes from and where it sits in the room.
Coming Up
Those early shifts set the groundwork for a later post at Rasika West End in Washington, D.C, where he served as chef. The move from those formative kitchens to his current positions reads as accumulation rather than sudden ascent: today, Suresh is chef of Daru (since 2022) and chef of Tapori (since 2025), balancing both with the steady pace that comes from years of repetition, refinement, and close attention.
Where They Are Now
Since 2022, Sundas has served as chef at Daru in Washington, DC, a position that places his hand on the restaurant’s day-to-day cooking. Since 2025, he has also served as chef at Tapori in Washington, DC, extending that same point of view into a second kitchen. Together, the two roles mark the current phase of his career: active, accountable, and increasingly visible in the city’s dining landscape.
Signature
Suresh's signature dishes include Wagyu Buckwheat Momos, Chapli Kebab, Vada Pav, and Aloo Masala Dosa. The list runs from dumpling work to street-food references and spiced grill fare, which points to a kitchen language grounded in familiar forms but not limited by them. In Sundas’s hands, those dishes carry both comfort and precision, with tradition kept legible rather than frozen in place.
In Their Words “Acclaim or not, Sundas sees it as his mission to grant Nepali food a place beside the Indian cuisine that’s more familiar to many D.C. Locals.” “We decided to use buckwheat flour because beef is a fatty meat and all of it is absorbed by the buckwheat.”
Honors
Suresh's honors include James Beard Foundation Award, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic finalist (2026).
Profile updated July 2026
FAQ
Asked of Suresh
Where did Suresh Sundas work before?
Suresh Sundas's earlier career included Indian restaurants across the mid-Atlantic region and Rasika West End.
What recognition has Suresh Sundas received?
James Beard Foundation Award, Best Chef: Mid-Atlantic finalist (2026).
