From Indian restaurants to restaurateurs, the space is literally hopping. New Indian restaurants are popping up all over Chicago and the rest of the country. Many of which are the recipients of a much-coveted Michelin star or recognized by a James Beard nomination and/or award. It's amazing to me to see all of the progress especially as someone who grew up with parents who had to fill suitcases with spices on visits to India to get their hands on the ingredients they needed.
Let me be your guide as we navigate these amazing restaurants to not only try their food but to also meet the hard working proprietors and Chefs that make it all happen. Hear their stories, understand their food, and taste what makes it special. Keep your passports updated - I am also including travel to London and other destinations to visit Indian hot spots.
Each event is conducted in a small group, with a preset ticket price that includes dinner and a small curation fee. During dinner I will help answer any questions, walk you through the menu, and showcase ingredients and spices you can incorporate in your own cooking. You’ll have the benefit of my years of experience and take a deeper dive into the menu and ingredients. Be sure to subscribe to my website at the bottom of this page. All tours with tickets will be announced first here and then after 2 days if not filled will be advertised on social media. Subscribers to my website will have first dips - as it should be! xoxo
Next Stop: The Coach House. Chef Zubair Mohajir (2x James Beard Award and Jean Banchet Award-nominated chef)
Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025.
My first Curated Indian Restaurant Tour began at the highly-acclaimed River North sensation Indienne. Thank you to all who came and to many of you for sharing your photos from that night - many of which are included above.
My husband and I met Chef Sujan Sarkar in September 2022 on opening night as guests of our dear friends Munira and Paul. Even that night as harried as things were, I was struck by Chef’s humility and soft warmth. His culinary skills were a given. But, the kindness with which he greeted all of us despite everything else going on was not lost on any of us.
We sat in an alcove positioned to the back right of the restaurant when you enter - a semi-private alcove fitted with a table that seats fourteen. Ever since, I’ve wanted to host an event in that same space - at once private - at once public. You see, there is no curtain separating this recessed dining area from the restaurant and other diners and that in itself is the beauty of this perfectly positioned table. That wide, open arch to the restaurant made me feel like I was watching the backdrop to a live and moving art exhibit - the restaurant in motion - diners coming and going - the bar in the corner with shakers wildly flying and mixing drinks and Chef himself stepping out of the kitchen and silently observing as I saw him do a few times.
This visit, I ordered the Vegan menu to try some of the interesting variations including ‘Jackfruit Katsu’, ‘Avocado Kebab’, and ‘Chocolate Payasam’. I was particularly excited to receive Tandoori Roti versus Naan. It’s a nod to my mother who always orders this version of our bread when out. I like to explain that roti is whole wheat flour versus the white all-purpose used to make naan and because it is charred
in the Tandoori clay oven you don’t miss a beat on taste and experience. Just a tiny way to shave off some of the extra heaviness/calories of naan. Enjoy the naan, but for those of us who manage our bread and eat a lot of Indian food, this is the perfect little trick. Tandoori roti is also a treat for folks who forgo dairy - most don’t realize that naan - a leavened bread often has yogurt or eggs added to it depending on the recipe. Some of the other dishes that my fellow diners enjoyed included ‘Scallop Xec Xec’, ‘Chicken Katli’, ‘Lamb Nihari’, and ‘Mishti Doi’.
Thank you to Chef Sujan and his wonderful staff for ensuring a magical evening and huge congratulations to you and your staff for a well-deserved Michelin Star and James Beard nomination. We cannot wait to visit again.
Again, special thanks to fellow Les Dames d’Escoffier member Julie Chernoff and others for sharing some of her food photos from that night that are included above. Please sign up for my newsletter (below, in the footer!) for our next 'Tour by Anupy'. My team and I are already excitedly preparing for the next one. Seats will be limited and the first notification of restaurant and tickets will pop up right here on this page. You'll have 2 days to register and then after that I will open it up on social media. These dinners take quite a bit of work, but as you can see from the photos they are truly worth it. I believe that we in the Indian community need to support our community first and foremost. So, it's my pleasure to highlight these rockstar Chefs and their restaurants.
Our magical night included Brenda, Claudia, me, Emily, Rebecca, Vito, Chef, Julie, Kay, Laurice, Matt, Lauren, the husband.
