Tejal Rao
Tejal Rao | |
|---|---|
| Born | London, England |
| Occupation(s) | Writer, recipe developer, restaurant critic |
| Years active | 2012–present |
| Known for | Lead restaurant critic at The New York Times; editor of The Veggie newsletter |
Tejal Rao (born ) is a Los Angeles-based writer, recipe developer, and restaurant critic.[1] She holds the position of one of the two lead restaurant critics at The New York Times.[2] In 2018, Rao was appointed as the first restaurant critic from California for The New York Times.[1] By 2021, she took on the role of editor for the subscription cooking newsletter The Veggie published by The New York Times.[3]
Early life and education
Originally from London, Rao's childhood included time spent in Kuwait, Sudan, and France before her family settled in Cobb County, Georgia.[4] Her mother hails from Uganda, while her father is of Indian descent.
She completed her undergraduate studies with a BA in literature at Emerson College.[4]
Career
Rao began her career as a food critic at The Village Voice in 2012. The following year, she earned the James Beard Foundation’s Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award for her contributions there.
In 2014, she advanced to become food editor and restaurant critic at Bloomberg. Her work at Bloomberg earned her the Craig Claiborne Award once again in 2016. That same year marked her entry into The New York Times as a staff writer for the food section and a monthly columnist for the magazine. Two years later, in 2018, she was named the publication’s inaugural California restaurant critic to better serve its expanding audience in that region.
Rao took on the role of writer for The New York Times vegetarian recipe newsletter The Veggie in 2021. Although not a vegetarian herself, she has a passion for preparing vegetarian meals.
In June 2025, The New York Times elevated Rao to one of two chief restaurant critics, marking a move toward national restaurant coverage and ending the practice of anonymous criticism.
Her bylines also appear in respected outlets such as The Atlantic, Edible, and Gourmet.
Personal life
In December 2020, Rao contracted COVID-19, resulting in temporary anosmia. She successfully restored her sense of smell over two months through smell therapy. She currently lives in Los Angeles.[5]
Awards and honors
- 2012 – Featured on Forbes 30 under 30 list for Food & Wine
- 2013 – Received James Beard Foundation Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award for notable pieces including "Bangkok Pop" and "The Sweet Taste of Success"
- 2016 – Awarded James Beard Foundation Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award for articles like "A Health Food Restaurant So Cool It Will Have You Happily Eating Seeds"
- 2019 – Honored with the Vilcek Prize for Creative Promise in Culinary Arts
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