Paneer-Stuffed Ravioli and Tandoori Chilean Sea Bass Head to Randolph Restaurant Row
In 2023, Singh and his business partner, Agnes Singh, opened a second location in Chicago proper along Milwaukee Avenue. Vikram Singh calls Wicker Park a bridge toward what he wants to accomplish along Randolph Restaurant Row where the third location of Kama is pegged for an August opening at 812 W. Randolph Street in West Loop. Vikram Singh guesses 90 percent of Chicago hasn't dined at Kama. A restaurant in a high-profile location to grow the brand excites him.
'Sometimes you could fool yourself, because your core customers are so loyal and sometimes forgiving,' he adds. 'You do not know how good you are until you get into a new place where people have not heard of you much, and then you get to see the reactions.'
Regional Indian cooking has received much attention recently, with restaurants like Nadu in Lincoln Park and, particularly, Southern Indian fare from the Indian state of Kerala (Thattu in Avondale, which opened in 2022, has seemingly ignited a trend). Kama has long served dishes like Keralan fish fry, and while Singh's excited to see restaurants serve up more variety, he doesn't seek the same attention for serving regional dishes.
'We've been doing regional Indian for the last 10 years,' Singh says, adding: 'It would have been so easy for me to just stick to my Punjabi stuff, right?'
Kama's forte is contemporary Indian cuisine, fusion cooking that blends South Asian flavors and spices with European American fare. Ravioli stuffed with paneer comes in a thick tikka sauce. Sticky tamarind baby back ribs were popular in La Grange. Singh has kept traditional North Indian staples on his menus, items familiar to most Americans, including rogan josh, samosa, and naan. But the experience with two locations has him hungry to showcase more of his experimental dishes to a West Loop customer base that he feels will be receptive. Singh gushes about a scallop dish that he says crosses Indian and Italian cultures with bell peppers, romanesco, and makhani sauce.
Singh is also proud of his restaurant's cocktail program, which often features elaborate garnishes or fun presentations. Agnes Singh handles the beverage with highlights like Purple Rain, made with Japanese Gin Butterfly, lemongrass, lavender, grapefruit tonic, and Campari foam. Singh sought to open in West Loop before Kama's Chicago debut in Wicker Park, but real estate priced him out. Now that they've secured a lease, they'll have a larger kitchen to test out new items with an upcoming weekend brunch menu featuring with shrimp and grits, plus fried chicken served with Indian-spiced hot honey.
There aren't many South Asian restaurants in West Loop, with ROOP Chicago — also along Randolph Street — being one of the only options. Spicing up the ambience for the neighborhood is also important to Singh. Don't expect to hear tabla and sitars on the sound system. Singh prefers modern artists like Indian rapper Hanumankind.
'I love Indian hip-hop,' Singh says. 'And I know I'm a guy who's much too old to be listening to hip-hop, by the way.'
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