Top Chef Masters Winner Floyd Cardoz Dead at 59 After Testing Positive for Coronavirus

The food world is mourning the loss of one talented chef.

Top Chef Masters winner Floyd Cardoz has died after testing positive for Coronavirus, his family confirmed to Indian publication Scroll.in. He was 59.

“It is with deep sorrow that we inform you of the passing away of Chef Floyd Cardoz (59 years), Co-Founder, Hunger Inc. Hospitality, on March 25, 2020 in New Jersey, USA,” Hunger Inc said in a statement. “He is survived by his mother Beryl, wife Barkha and sons Justin and Peter.”

The statement continued, “Floyd tested positive for Covid 19, in USA, on March 18th and was being treated for the same at Mountainside Medical Centre, New Jersey, USA.” 

In his last Instagram post, Floyd gave followers a glimpse into his health struggles while posting a photo from the hospital room. “I was feeling feverish and hence as a precautionary measure, admitted myself into hospital in New York. I was hugely anxious about my state of health and my post was highly irresponsible causing panic in several quarters,” he wrote. “I returned to New York on March 8th via Frankfurt.” Soon after, he would test positive for the Coronavirus.

Floyd competed on season three of Bravo’s show Top Chef Masters in 2011 where he ultimately came in first place thanks to his incredible cooking skills. His final dish on the show was a variation of upma.

Soon after his death was announced, many familiar faces from Bravo couldn’t help but share their fondest memories with the chef. 

“I am beyond saddened to wake up today and hear the news of my dear friend @floydcardoz’s passing. Floyd made us all so proud. Nobody who lived in NY in the early aughts could forget how delicious and packed Tabla always was,” judge Padma Lakshmi wrote on Instagram. “He had an impish smile, an innate need to make those around him happy, and a delicious touch. This is a huge loss, not only for the professional food world, but for Indians everywhere. My heart goes out to his wife Barkha and their whole family. RIP.”

Fellow judge Tom Colicchio added on Twitter, “Horible news. Thought are with Floyd’s family, rest peacefully my friend.”

Floyd served as the co-owner of the Bombay Canteen and O Pedro restaurants. His fame rose in the mid-1990s when he ran a restaurant called Tabla in New York. 

“Bravo and the Top Chef family are deeply saddened by the passing of Chef Floyd Cardoz. Floyd was a talented chef who competed and won Top Chef Masters. He was thoughtful, kind and his smile illuminated a room,” Bravo said in a statement via Us Weekly. “He was an inspiration to chefs around the world and we offer our deepest sympathy to his family and friends.”