Culinary graduate competing on Bravo’s Top Chef

Update | Friday, April 2, 2021

Columbus State graduate Avishar Barua is one of 15 contestants competing on the 18th season of Top Chef. The first episode of the Bravo network series aired April 1. New episodes will air each Thursday at 8 p.m. Watch the first episode. 

Avishar Barua graduated from Columbus State in 2013. He started his career at 1808 American Bistro and Veritas in Delaware, Ohio, then worked at New York’s Mission Chinese and WD-50. 

Now back in Columbus, Barua blends his Midwestern upbringing and Bangladeshi roots into his cuisine at Middle West Service Bar. It was named one of the “best new restaurants of 2017” by Columbus Monthly and was listed as one of the “Top 10 New Restaurants” by Columbus Underground.

Barua was one of three culinary experts honored at the annual Taste the Future in 2018. See a 30-second video produced by Columbus State at this link.

(Pictured, Avishar Barua at Middle West Service Bar in Columbus.)

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