Tamasha Modern Indian opened in February 2024 near Cucciolo Terrazza + Woodhouse Spa in North Hills with all the trimmings of an upscale dining experience. The restaurant is headed by entrepreneurial co-owners Mike Kathrani and Tina Vora who brought on Chef Bhavin Chhatwani to bring a variety of Indian cuisines and flavors to Raleigh.
“It’s Indian food through my eyes, the way I see it, the way I perceive it,” Chhatwani told RALtoday. Because of the diversity of Indian cuisines — you might find two distinct cooking styles just 50 miles apart in India — Chhatwani said he doesn’t want to limit himself to just one type of Indian food.
The restaurant executes a flavorful + balanced menu with features like fried oysters, lamb shanks, and additional unique dishes playing with Indian flavors.
Chhatwani shared that Indian food is all about balance, and it’s a misconception that all Indian dishes are hot and spicy. With a sizable collection of spices in the restaurant’s repertoire, Kathrani said he wants to create a page on Tamasha’s website explaining each spice for unfamiliar diners.
Chhatwani is no newcomer to the culinary scene — he has worked in restaurants + hotels all across India before bringing his talents to the US. Notably, Chhatwani has worked at two Michelin-starred restaurants, one of which is Taj Campton Place in San Francisco, the only Indian-influenced restaurant in the US to have earned this honor.
In addition to choice fare prepared by a world-class chef, the space is luxurious and thoughtfully designed by co-owner Vora. The intimate space is decorated with comfortable velvet seats at marble tables, glimmering gold hanging features, and a huge wall of wine in the private dining room with a large dining table made from a single piece of wood.
According to Kathrani, no aspect of the dining experience is going unnoticed, with dry ice enhanced cocktails, a top-notch wine program, specialty tasting menus, and complimentary high-end water.
Chhatwani, Kathrani, and Vora are ready for their grand performance — the meaning of the word Tamasha — for a singular Indian dining experience in the Triangle.
