Share
In November 2023, Chef Sujan Sarkar’s Chicago restaurant Indienne received the Michelin Star, adding this chef with his roots in Bengal one of the few Indians to win the accolade while operating an Indian cuisine restaurant in the USA. The Michelin Guide recognises that Chef Sujan Sarkar’s menu at Indienne has managed to represent the traditions of age-old Indian dishes with rare finesse and presentation. But while his win at Indienne is immense, it is a culmination of a long journey Chef Sujan Sarkar has undertaken over nearly two decades.
From San Francisco and Chicago to London, Dubai, Delhi and Mumbai, Chef Sujan Sarkar might give you the feeling he’s a global chef constantly on the move—but his roots are firmly embedded in the grand idea of taking Indian food to the next level while keeping its historical and traditional integrity intact. A difficult and uphill task, yes, but going by his career and achievements, it is one that Chef Sujan Sarkar is quite adept at. In conversation with Slurrp, the chef talked about this entire journey, his Michelin win and so much more. Read on to know more.
On Indienne Winning The Michelin Star
When it comes to the big win that is still being talked about, Chef Sujan Sarkar says that it was “a special moment” for his entire team at Indienne. “We are the first Indian restaurant in Chicago to win this honour,” he says. “It’s really special and there is a lot of gratitude. This marks another milestone, as we continue to see how to raise the bar higher from here.”
What most people don’t realise is, however, that while winning Michelin Stars is difficult, maintaining and holding on to them requires consistent hard work too—and Chef Sujan Sarkar’s team is ready for it. “We plan to do what we’ve always done, before we got the Star too,” he explains. “Of course, it’s a great responsibility to retain the rating but what we strive for is to upgrade ourselves. Keep raising the level of our offering and bettering ourselves with more innovation, more finesse but without tinkering with our philosophy.”
Progressive Indian Cuisine And The Chef’s Take On It
Apart from being constantly on the move, Chef Sujan Sarkar is supposed to be the pioneer of Progressive Indian cuisine. But if you are wondering what this take on Indian food represents, he is perhaps the best person to ask. “It’s just classic Indian flavours and dishes reinterpreted through a contemporary, progressive lens,” he explains. “So, we retain the flavours that make the original cuisine special, while exploring through ingredients, technique, presentation. I think bringing innovative and different concepts that mainstream an elevated version of Indian cuisine to the world has defined the last decade of my career which started with EK BAR in New Delhi. In US from an Indian gastro bar (Baar Baar) to an affordable fine-dining restaurant (Indienne) to ones like ROOH, Feringhee and more – which all have the same underlying thread connecting them but also have different offerings.”
On His Bengali Roots And How It Shaped Him
Like every chef emerging from the city of Kolkata or anywhere in Bengal, Chef Sujan Sarkar believes his initial years did shape his vision of food. “I grew up eating so much regional food, absorbing its flavours and textures, many of which are still etched in my memory,” he says. “Bengali food has incredible variety in ingredients – even the sheer range of the humble fish or simple vegetable is mind boggling. I think being exposed to that was a blessing because the knowledge base itself is so expanded. The possibilities are limitless, and I learnt so much just by way of consuming these firsthand. So, my ingredient-focussed approach and ability to see the possibilities in reimagining Indian cuisine definitely have some roots in my Bengali heritage.”
On The Future Of Indian Food
Chef Sujan Sarkar believes that the future of Indian cuisine is very bright. "Of course, it will continue to grow in its native land and abroad it will simply explode,” he insists. “There is a broader acceptability and curiosity about the reimagining of Indian food today and it's really well-received globally. We also have such a wide range of ingredients and regional flavours to work with, that the possibilities are limitless. We’re going to see even more modern Indian restaurants opening up across the world as the demand for this cuisine grows.”
In 2024, he believes that the global focus will be “on Indian ingredients and integrating them into different cuisines and more focus on Indian food that goes beyond North India.” Of course, the Indian palate itself has come a long way and Chef Sujan Sarkar believes this will also play a huge role. “There’s always more to explore! That’s what keeps a chef’s job exciting and challenging too,” he says. “Certainly, palates have become more evolved as diners travel and the world comes closer together. This has sped up the demand for new styles of Indian cuisine and fostered a better understanding of what we are trying to do with our Progressive Indian take on it. It has also been really well accepted and the more we learn and explore the more, I’m sure, our diners will too.”
Keeping this in mind, Chef Sujan Sarkar and his team are now working on a number of new projects that are likely to make quite an impact in 2024. “I have some new projects that I am excited about – Butter Chicken Social in San Francisco (open now) and Swadesi Café (opening doors in January),” he says. “The former is the ultimate Indo-American comfort food in a drive-thru setting and the latter is a reimagination of Indian coffee house cultures with a unique take on snacks, chai, coffee and wines.”
