This Indian Restaurant Voted Best In America

An Indian street food restaurant named Chai Pani, situated in North Carolina has been voted America’s best restaurant at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago.

The awards were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 as COVID-19 induced lockdowns forced closure of several US restaurants.

“After a very challenging few years for our industry, we are so thrilled to have gathered as a community to celebrate and recognise some of our country’s greatest culinary and food media talent,” said Kris Moon, president and Chief Operating Officer, James Beard Foundation.

Indian-origin Chintan Pandya of Dhamaka restaurant in New York City, also won the Best Chef award at the ceremony.

Chai Pani

Chai Pani, a popular Indian food restaurant is known for its street food items like Bhel Puri, Sweet Potato Chaat, Chicken pakoras, Sev Potato Dahi Puri, and Green Mango Chaat, Aloo Tikki Chaat. It also serves fusion wraps and burgers ole Vada Pav, Crispy masala Fish Roll, and Keema Pav. Among other things, they offer a variety of South Indian dishes, North Indian thalis, bowls and dessert.

During the award ceremony, Chai Pani Co-founder Meherwan Irani said that the restaurants can transform the world.

Addressing the gathering he said, “Restaurants are so much greater than the sum of what’s inside the four walls. A restaurant has the power to transform the people that work there, transform the people that come in, transform the communities we are in, transform society. Restaurants can transform the world.”

The Outstanding Restaurant category is designated to the restaurant that “demonstrates consistent excellence in food, atmosphere, hospitality, and operations, while contributing positively to its broader community.”

Although the name, ‘Chai Pani’, literally means “tea and water”, it is used as a phrase for going out for a cup of tea, a tasty bite, a snack, or “a little something”.

“Some of the best food of any country is its street food, and Chai Pani features chaat - crunchy, spicy, sweet, tangy, brightly flavoured Indian street snacks. And because there's nothing more comforting and delicious in any culture than a home cooked meal, Chai Pani also brings you thalis - traditional family meals highlighting India's amazing culinary diversity,” the restaurant’s website said.

The restaurant was established by Irani, and his wife Molly, in 2009. The family-run business has now spread across seven locations, including in Decatur in Georgia, Charlotte in North Carolina, and Atlanta in Georgia.

The James Beard Restaurant and Chef Awards ceremony was hosted by Kwame Onwuachi, actor, chef, author, and executive producer at Food and Wine Magazine on June 13, at the Lyric Opera of Chicago. During the event, which was open to the public, awards were presented for the Restaurant and Chef categories, along with the Humanitarian of the Year and Lifetime Achievement awards.

“Congratulations to all of our 2022 James Beard Award winners, and thank you to our outstanding partners, including our presenting partner Capital One and our proud hosts at Choose Chicago and the Illinois Restaurant Assocation, for making this past weekend’s ceremonies possible,” Moon said.