Sanjh's New Executive Chef Comes From the Restaurant That Invented Butter Chicken
Eater: How did you end up at Sanjh?
Sarabjit Singh Assi: The story starts in 2018, when one of the owners visited the ITC Hotel [in India], where I was working as the chef in charge. He promised me that when he opened an Indian restaurant in Dallas, I would be his first choice as chef. In 2023, I got that opportunity. We created a menu that isn't too modern and instead focused on the authenticity of the food. Before opening, I did research and development for the menu with the 14 chefs who work at Sanjh — I am blessed to have 14 chefs from India. Our pastry chef Rajat Sachdeva is crucial for us.
Chef Sarabjit Singh Assi at work in the kitchen. Sanjh Restaurant and Bar
Before opening the restaurant, we visited the 20 best restaurants in the United States, to see what was going on. I came to the conclusion that we need to stick to what we were doing in India. So we stick to the basics. People love curries here, that I know [laughs]. That's why we serve butter chicken, although it's different — it's coarse and not sweet, like we used to make at Daryaganj in Delhi, which is called the place where butter chicken was invented.
What makes the cuisine at Sanjh fine dining?
Being an Indian fine dining restaurant doesn't mean putting the dishes on a fancy plate, or anything like that. We need to create an experience. The dishes coming to your table need to have a story behind them and be a reflection of the chef who created them. The perception of Indian food is that it is spicy. Spicy does not mean hot; it means flavorful. It means that the experience for the guest includes telling them what we are serving, what state the dishes are coming from, how they are made, and who made them.
You serve a kori gassi with dosa, a Southern Indian dish that isn't typically served at Indian restaurants in North Texas. Tell me about why that is on your menu.
Primarily, we are a North Indian restaurant, but in Dallas, 30 to 40 percent of our diners are from South India. They do have the option of butter chicken, but we need to offer more to them. I am from Southern India and don't want to divide the country into parts on a menu. Dosa, a savory crepe, in ordinary restaurants is made from rice flour, but we make it with buckwheat. It's very light, not heavy like naan. In the kori gassi, we sear the chicken thigh and make a blend of spices. We use stone flour and black peppers of different varieties. Before opening the restaurant, we tried making this dish with spices from local vendors but came to the conclusion that it didn't taste exactly how we wanted. So we got a full container of spices from South India, and that is what we still use. After we put the spice blend on the chicken, we finish with coconut milk to bind it together.
The chicken we're using in the restaurant, and in the kori gassi, is free-range. I am careful about selecting the ingredients. Our fish is wild caught. The ingredients are what tell the story of the dishes.
Indian bread making techniques have taken over a whole room in Sanjh. Sanjh Restaurant and Bar
What is the best feedback you've received from diners?
When they say it reminds them of their mom or a home cooking thing, I feel proud. Any chef has a story of being close to their parents and learning to cook. For me, it was my mother, who taught me to cook and always critiqued me, telling me I wasn't good. That's what makes me a good chef. Being part of a Punjabi family — Punajbis start at breakfast when they talk about lunch, and at lunch they talk about dinner. Then at dinner they talk about what they want for breakfast. Punjabis are very particular about their food. Now, my mom is a little proud of me and thinks I'm cooking the right way.
When people come in now, either for the first time or returning, what is the one thing at Sanjh they have to try?
We make our own paneer, and I tell people they won't find a paneer like this. I am confident that what we are making is a work of art. Nothing can match it. We have bharwan paneer tikka that is in a different class. Our lamb chops, too, need to be tried. People tell us they're just like they had in India. We also offer a full chaat menu, which is particular for Delhi people. Chaat means 'to lick,' and it gives you a start and a craving to have more. I try to keep five per menu, and innovate. I am working on adding a kulle ki chaat, which is fruit-based and a very different thing.
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