An Indian street food restaurant named ‘Chai Pani’ in Asheville, North Carolina has been named America’s most Outstanding Restaurant at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago
Chai Pani in Asheville, North Carolina has been voted as the Outstanding Restaurant in the US by James Beard Foundation. Instagram/@chaipani
An Indian street food restaurant named ‘Chai Pani’ has been voted the best restaurant in the United States.
The Asheville eatery in North Carolina has been named America’s most Outstanding Restaurant at the James Beard Foundation Awards in Chicago, Bloomberg reported.
The awards were cancelled in 2020 and 2021 as COVID-19 induced lockdowns forced closure of several US restaurants.
“We are delighted to finally be back in Chicago celebrating the 2022 Restaurant and Chef Awards and bringing attention to our industry that still needs support,” said Clare Reichenbach, CEO of the James Beard Foundation.
“Tonight, as we recognize outstanding food and beverage professionals, we also honor our entire industry–and the incredible resilience, fortitude, talent, and leadership so many have shown over the past two years.”
Indian-origin Chintan Pandya of Dhamaka restaurant in New York City, also won the Best Chef award at the ceremony.
Chai Pani the Outstanding Restaurant
A popular Indian food joint in Asheville, Chai Pani 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.
The restaurant 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.
“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,” Chai Pani co-founder Meherwan Irani said during the award ceremony.