Image 1 of 2
Image 2 of 2
Aug 29, Sujan Sarkar & Sahil Sethi, Indienne and Sifr, Chicago
Sujan Sarkar is the chef and partner behind celebrated modern Indian restaurant brands BAAR BAAR (NYC, LA) and the one Michelin star Indienne (Chicago). He has also conceptualized and developed several other concepts over the course of his decades-long career, from modern Middle Eastern restaurant Sifr (Chicago), progressive Indian Rooh (SF, Palo Alto) and modern Indian eatery Feringhee (Chandler, AZ) in the U.S. as well as Trèsind (Dubai) and India’s first artisanal cocktail bar, Ek Bar (New Delhi). His latest restaurant is a traditional Punjabi eatery in New York City called Gulaabo. Prior to this, Sarkar has cooked in some of the most reputed kitchens in London, Dubai, and Bombay and continues to explore, understand, and reimagine the future of Indian cuisine. He was voted Times of India’s “Chef of the Year" in 2016; more recently, Indienne was named one of Esquire Magazine's "Best New Restaurants in America" (2022), Robb Report’s “Best of the Best: 10 Best New Restaurants in America” (2023), Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants in America” (2023), and Yelp’s “25 Best New Restaurants” (2023). In 2023, Indienne received a Michelin star – just one year after opening – making it the first-ever starred Indian restaurant in the Chicago area. In 2024, Sarkar was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in the “Best Chef: Great Lakes” category and Indienne was also named Chicago’s “Best New Restaurant” by the Jean Banchet Awards, an awards ceremony that celebrates Chicago’s best local culinary talent. Sujan has also cooked for the James Beard Foundation, Cannes Lions Festival, among other prestigious organizations around the world.
A Jean Banchet Award-nominee, Sahil Sethi is an internationally renowned Chef with strong Indian roots and unparalleled experience within the hotel and restaurant industries.
Originally from Faridabad, India, Chef Sahil’s influence began young, indulging in his favorite recipes created by his Mom and Aunt and learning to cook and source ingredients at the local farmers market with his Father. Eager to fuel his passion for food and feeding people, Chef Sahil began his career in hotel management before pursuing an Accelerated Culinary Arts Certification from The Culinary Institute of America, California in 2013.
After graduating, Chef Sahil began working with Chef Gary Rhodes at his restaurant Rhodes 44 in The St. Regis Abu Dhabi before becoming part of the property’s pre-opening team for The Terrace on the Corniche where he dove deep into Levantine and Middle Eastern cuisines. Even while continuing to grow his culinary expertise, Chef Sahil was constantly thinking about his next move. Intrigued by Noma, named the world’s number one restaurant multiple years, Chef Sahil applied to become a part of their team and was accepted for a 3-month-long role. During this time, he learned about foraging ingredients and breaking them down using culinary science. The experience taught him a new meaning of being a cook and understanding the science behind the craft.
Chef Sahil took what he learned at Noma and in the Noma Fermentation Lab back home to India after finishing his tenure in Abu Dhabi and applied his new skills and technique to untouched native ingredients. He picked up a new position as Junior Sous Chef at Olive Bar & Kitchen in Delhi which led to his transition from hotels to stand-alone restaurants. In 2016, he briefly moved his career to San Francisco where he was part of the pre-opening team as Sous Chef for ROOH – a progressive Indian restaurant – before returning back to India where he joined the opening team of The Grammar Room as Chef Manager.
In May 2018, Chef Sahil participated in a collaborative dinner for the Chefs World Tour Series in the Netherlands before moving his career back to America to serve as Chef de Cuisine of the pre-opening team of Punjab Grill, Now Rania (1 michelin star) in Washington D.C. He arrived in Chicago in 2019 where he helped open ROOH Chicago as Head Chef and then opened Bar Goa and Bar Goa at Time Out Market Chicago where he led kitchen operations. In 2020, Chef
Sahil was nominated for Best Chef de Cuisine by the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence for his work at ROOH Chicago.
In 2023, Chef Sahil reunited with his mentor Chef Sujan Sarkar for the opening of the sifr, a modern Middle Eastern concept inspired by his work and travels in the Middle East. He is also the Culinary Director for Indienne (1 Michelin Star Indian restaurant)
Chef Sahil is passionate about fighting child hunger. He is the co-founder of No Kid Starves, an organization dedicated to making sure no kid goes to sleep hungry.
Sujan Sarkar is the chef and partner behind celebrated modern Indian restaurant brands BAAR BAAR (NYC, LA) and the one Michelin star Indienne (Chicago). He has also conceptualized and developed several other concepts over the course of his decades-long career, from modern Middle Eastern restaurant Sifr (Chicago), progressive Indian Rooh (SF, Palo Alto) and modern Indian eatery Feringhee (Chandler, AZ) in the U.S. as well as Trèsind (Dubai) and India’s first artisanal cocktail bar, Ek Bar (New Delhi). His latest restaurant is a traditional Punjabi eatery in New York City called Gulaabo. Prior to this, Sarkar has cooked in some of the most reputed kitchens in London, Dubai, and Bombay and continues to explore, understand, and reimagine the future of Indian cuisine. He was voted Times of India’s “Chef of the Year" in 2016; more recently, Indienne was named one of Esquire Magazine's "Best New Restaurants in America" (2022), Robb Report’s “Best of the Best: 10 Best New Restaurants in America” (2023), Bon Appetit’s “Best New Restaurants in America” (2023), and Yelp’s “25 Best New Restaurants” (2023). In 2023, Indienne received a Michelin star – just one year after opening – making it the first-ever starred Indian restaurant in the Chicago area. In 2024, Sarkar was named a semifinalist for a James Beard Award in the “Best Chef: Great Lakes” category and Indienne was also named Chicago’s “Best New Restaurant” by the Jean Banchet Awards, an awards ceremony that celebrates Chicago’s best local culinary talent. Sujan has also cooked for the James Beard Foundation, Cannes Lions Festival, among other prestigious organizations around the world.
A Jean Banchet Award-nominee, Sahil Sethi is an internationally renowned Chef with strong Indian roots and unparalleled experience within the hotel and restaurant industries.
Originally from Faridabad, India, Chef Sahil’s influence began young, indulging in his favorite recipes created by his Mom and Aunt and learning to cook and source ingredients at the local farmers market with his Father. Eager to fuel his passion for food and feeding people, Chef Sahil began his career in hotel management before pursuing an Accelerated Culinary Arts Certification from The Culinary Institute of America, California in 2013.
After graduating, Chef Sahil began working with Chef Gary Rhodes at his restaurant Rhodes 44 in The St. Regis Abu Dhabi before becoming part of the property’s pre-opening team for The Terrace on the Corniche where he dove deep into Levantine and Middle Eastern cuisines. Even while continuing to grow his culinary expertise, Chef Sahil was constantly thinking about his next move. Intrigued by Noma, named the world’s number one restaurant multiple years, Chef Sahil applied to become a part of their team and was accepted for a 3-month-long role. During this time, he learned about foraging ingredients and breaking them down using culinary science. The experience taught him a new meaning of being a cook and understanding the science behind the craft.
Chef Sahil took what he learned at Noma and in the Noma Fermentation Lab back home to India after finishing his tenure in Abu Dhabi and applied his new skills and technique to untouched native ingredients. He picked up a new position as Junior Sous Chef at Olive Bar & Kitchen in Delhi which led to his transition from hotels to stand-alone restaurants. In 2016, he briefly moved his career to San Francisco where he was part of the pre-opening team as Sous Chef for ROOH – a progressive Indian restaurant – before returning back to India where he joined the opening team of The Grammar Room as Chef Manager.
In May 2018, Chef Sahil participated in a collaborative dinner for the Chefs World Tour Series in the Netherlands before moving his career back to America to serve as Chef de Cuisine of the pre-opening team of Punjab Grill, Now Rania (1 michelin star) in Washington D.C. He arrived in Chicago in 2019 where he helped open ROOH Chicago as Head Chef and then opened Bar Goa and Bar Goa at Time Out Market Chicago where he led kitchen operations. In 2020, Chef
Sahil was nominated for Best Chef de Cuisine by the Jean Banchet Awards for Culinary Excellence for his work at ROOH Chicago.
In 2023, Chef Sahil reunited with his mentor Chef Sujan Sarkar for the opening of the sifr, a modern Middle Eastern concept inspired by his work and travels in the Middle East. He is also the Culinary Director for Indienne (1 Michelin Star Indian restaurant)
Chef Sahil is passionate about fighting child hunger. He is the co-founder of No Kid Starves, an organization dedicated to making sure no kid goes to sleep hungry.