Co-owners Mike Kathrani and Tina Vora announce the forthcoming opening and chef appointment for Tamasha Modern Indian, opening soon in North Hills. These trailblazing serial entrepreneurs – Vora originally hailing from Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India, and Kathrani from Mumbai, India – boast successful careers in Raleigh’s Research Triangle Park, and are the creative forces behind Tamasha. “We have long wanted to celebrate the richness of regional Indian cuisine and introduce a world-class Indian restaurant to our community,” explained Kathrani, who has a studied passion for the diverse cuisine of his homeland. Similarly, Vora brings artistic expertise to the project as both an interior and fashion designer, and is responsible for the luxe, modern, sophisticated design planned for Tamasha.
To fulfill their vision for North Carolina’s most elevated Indian restaurant yet, they recruited Chef Bhavin Chhatwani, a seasoned culinary professional with a wealth of exceptional experience in Indian cuisine from around the globe. Originally from the vibrant city of Udaipur, Rajasthan, in Western India, Chef Bhavin Chhatwani embarked on a culinary journey that led him to Raleigh in the summer of 2023.
Most notably in the United States, Chhatwani’s remarkable career took him to San Francisco’s Taj Campton Place as a Senior Sous Chef, the world’s only Two MICHELIN Starred Indian restaurant at that time. There, he worked alongside Chef Srijith Gopinanthan, an experience that left an indelible mark on his culinary style when he was just 26 years old. Following his tenure at Taj Campton Place, Chhatwani briefly assumed the leadership at Rooh in Chicago, a “MICHELIN Recommended” progressive Indian restaurant and cocktail bar.
In India, Chef Chhatwani’s crowning achievement was his tenure leading the team at Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad, India, where their specialty restaurant, “Adaa,” was recognized as one of the country’s top restaurants. Condé Nast Traveler distinguished it as a “Best Restaurant Award” Winner, and Elite Traveler named it to their prestigious “Top 100 Restaurant List in the World.”
Additional achievements for Chhatwani include his participation as a featured chef at the Global Entrepreneur Summit for the Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which hosted over 2000 delegates from 150 countries and garnered international acclaim. And in Qatar, he had the honor of showcasing his talent at The Flavors of MO Festival – a culinary festival at the Mandarin Oriental. Throughout his career, Chef Chhatwani has curated dining experiences for star-studded luminaries including actress Priyanka Chopra, Ranveer Singh, Deepika Padukone, renowned designer Sabyasachi Mukherjee, business magnate Mukesh Ambani and his family, IPL teams, and a multitude of prominent celebrities and politicians.
Since arriving in Raleigh, Chhatwani has already begun to garner attention, winning the Midtown Farmer’s Market’s Iron Chef Competition in September. No doubt, he and co-owners Mike Kathrani and Tina Vora will bring national prominence to Tamasha Modern Indian in Raleigh.
Tamasha Modern Indian is slated to open this winter in the Park District of North Hills on the ground floor of the new Advance Auto Parts Tower.
