Farzi Cafe’s first US outlet has now opened doors in The Bellevue, with bold flavors, luxe atmosphere and deliciously unique takes on Indian cuisine.
Our Bureau
Bellevue, WA
The much popular bistro Farzi café has now opened doors in Bellevue, the first in the US. Farzi Café in Bellevue is Zorawar Kalra’s latest efforts to “make Indian cuisine a mainstream cuisine across the U.S.” As part of those efforts, Kalra is planning to open restaurants in various locations throughout the country, coast to coast. Zorawar Kalra is the son of the legendary chef, Jiggs Kalra known as the ‘czar of the Indian cuisine’.
Kalra, who now oversees more than 2 dozen restaurants in 11 countries, is often referred to as the ‘Prince of Indian Cuisine.’ Kalra also had a stint as a guest judge on “MasterChef India.” Farzi Café London is even recognized in the renowned Michelin Guide. He is the managing director and founder of an impressive array of popular Indian establishments under the umbrella of Massive Restuarants.
Opening restaurants in 11 different countries and trying to change the perception of Indian food around the world could pose some challenges. But Kalra cites the ability to attract and retain key team players as a crucial success factor for his business.
“One of the biggest challenges I face is retaining top talent, which is a constant priority for me,” Kalra noted. “I often invest many hours each week, sometimes even within a single day, working closely with my associates to keep their spirits high and mitigate the relentless pressures of talent poaching in our industry.”
To make sure his first foray into the United States went off without a hitch, Kalra made sure that his core team from New Delhi and London were on hand for the opening, including Chef Gaurav Chawla and head of beverage R&D globally, Engjell Shala.
Chef Chawla has plenty of history with Farzi, opening up the first Farzi Café in New Delhi 14 years ago. With his stop in Bellevue, Chawla plans to put down some roots and continue to run the kitchen here while he works with Kalra to open other ventures throughout the US.
