The rise of high -end Indian restaurants in the United States

The executive chef Vikas Khanna hundreds of thousands of dinner over the past twenty years – he saw directly the amount of Indian cuisine that has evolved in the United States

Khanna, a famous Indian restaurant globally, created Junoon, his upscale Indian restaurant in New York City, more than a decade ago to go deeper in developed Indian food, and eventually got the Michelin star of the restaurant-one of the first Indian restaurants to be distinguished.

As an immigrant in America after 11/11, Khanna said that his superiors early in his career were hesitant in branching and experimenting deeply with broad Indian kitchen fabric. Instead, hold on what he knew in the American painting: stereotypes and flavors such as chicken butter and Tika Masala.

But when the American chef Anthony Bourdan Junon first visited, Khanna said he had received an invitation to wake up in his career.

“I do not understand why you want to camouflage your food to satisfy the Western world,” Khanna told CNBC. “He used to say,” You need to take care of the kitchen. “This became the basis of the Bang in several ways.”

Khanna said that Banglu, the next and very common project in New York, is one of the increasing number of high -end Indian restaurants that appeared in the United States, what was previously the menus and buffet lists, and it has turned into a business segment aimed at competing with the Italian and French cuisine as they get increasing interest.

According to Jimmy Rayzavi, the Khana’s business partner in Bungalow, reservations are sold to the restaurant within 30 to 90 seconds of going directly, as the average number of night waiting lists has reached more than 1,000 people. Rizvi said the restaurant opened less than two years ago, but it is constantly serving from 300 to 400 dinner every night, becoming the 10 best restaurants in New York City on the hidden platform.

“I definitely think that there is an increasingly cognitive base; there is more awareness with Indian food,” Rosvi, who owns the Gupshup Restaurant, told CNBC. “There are different cuisine inside the Indian cuisine … that people are aware.”

Despite the total economic pressure with Economic inflation and Returning in consumer spending, Portoin said that customer visits to beautiful food restaurants in July increased by 5 % on an annual basis.

“One of the bright points across the landscape in the restaurant now is to eat good food,” he said. “It is evidence that the American consumer again wants these unique and distinctive experiences outside the home.”

Along with that, Portoin said that younger consumers, such as the Zil Z and Millennials, have an increasing interest in global dishes with “searching for flavors”. This opens the door to explore food such as Indian food.

According to Datassential Market Research Company, new Indian restaurant openings in December 2024, 115, an increase of only 54 in September 2018. Currently, the company calculates 154 high -end restaurants in the United States in the United States compared to 101 in January 2018.

CEO, CEO of Risy Pablo Rivero, told CNBC that he has also seen a request for advanced Indian restaurants over the past few years.

“Modern Indian restaurants are redefining the category with ambitious lists and innovative formats – the dinner request appears on these high experiences, any signs of slowdown,” Revo said. “It is a clear sign that dinner is eager to explore innovative and innovative expressions of Indian cuisine at the highest level.”

While the increasing American interest in international cuisine was launched, the Indian American population reflects this growth. According to Pio Research CenterThe Indian population in the United States has increased by about 3.1 million, as it has grown about 174 % since 2000.

This population also witnessed a rise in wealth, as they achieved family income in the family by more than $ 151,000 in 2023, compared to an average of more than $ 105,000 for American -Asian families in general, according to PEW.

Lotrton, supported by LVMHShe announced that she had a minority share for an unknown amount in Dishoom, which represents the first external investment for the restaurant group. The company Dishoom adds to its growing list of restaurant investments, including the Japanese Kobe Beef Chain series Kisshokichi and the Spanish informal food brand Goiko.

The new deal It is said The restaurant is estimated at about $ 400 million. LT Catterton and Dishoom did not respond to CNBC requests for comment.

Ronnie Mazmard, with the SEMMA prize -winning James Bird restaurant, said he witnessed a direct increase in investor interest, as high -end Indian restaurants have flourished over the past few years.

Mazumdar told CNBC, but even these talks are “ongoing talks” with external investors, but the company that has “ongoing conversations” with external investors, but even these talks are making a major change when the group entered for the first time to the restaurant scene.

“I don’t think anyone who saw the Indian cuisine is an applicable option so far,” Mazumdar said. “There are people who have consistent dialogues with those who do not think five years ago they had thought about an idea,” Oh, it might be an interesting business model. “

Mazumdar said the scene “turns quickly” with more investors noting.

“I will not call this trend,” he added. “To take one of the oldest foods in the world – I think it is inevitable. It’s a matter of time.”

The American Indian Restaurants Association has identified excessive regional flavors as one of the best in 2025 Indian restaurant trends While drilling chefs in hundreds of local cuisine that forms the Indian subcontinent.

Both Mazumdar and OneGolOGITICICICICICICITIS CHEF ChINTAN PANDYA, including Semma, asserted regional cuisine, instead of model northwest lists for decades of past decades.

“I think we see a very interesting pattern as there is a feeling of curiosity towards knowing what is going on around the community through the lens of food,” said Mazumdar. “I don’t think this is the case 20 years ago.”

Semma, for example, ranked first in the New York Times 2025 The best restaurant menuExplore the southern India kitchen, specifically the state of Tamil Nadu.

“I think one of the extended reasons you do, especially with a wonderful work with a crazy or something, is what wanders in the path because it touches this as the nerve of Indian foods cooked in India,” said Pandia. “This is the complete belief, the standard, or the vision of our company, where we will touch and cook the actual Indian food that we like to eat.”

Avtar Walia, the owner of Tamarind in Tribeca, was in the American restaurant scene decades ago. When he immigrated to America for the first time in the seventies, he could not know why Indian restaurants were not at the same level as Italian and French restaurants.

By adding more regional dishes and classic Indian street foods, Walia said he started seeing Indian restaurants – including his own restaurants – changes from typical buffets to elegant and elegant eating.

“For 47 years, I still follow the same style. Every month, month and a half, I have changed my lunch menu,” said Wali. “We take one of the areas … so that people can try different dishes and authentic dishes, and they do not have to go anywhere else. This works very well for me.”

The governor estimated that nearly 95 % of his customers are regular, as his restaurant became an essential element in Wall Street commercial meetings.

For Bungalow, the lines outside the restaurant continue to get longer.

Ratan’s famous famous chairs like members of the Ambani billionaire family in India and Bollywood stars, in addition Amazon founder Jeff BezosWho visited the restaurant last year.

Khanna said: “When he came, he continued to say:” I know why every Indian in Seattle on the phones at 8 am to receive the reservation, because this is not only a visit to a restaurant – it is a pilgrimage in the homeland. “