Jason Sandford
Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.
As usual, Bold Life this month is packed with some delicious takes on Asheville restaurants by writer Mackensy Lunsford.
Here’s her take on the out-of-the-gate success of Chai Pani, the Indian street food restaurant on Battery Park in Asheville:
To explain: the local social media network was, pardon the pun, all a-twitter about Chai Pani while the restaurant was still in the planning stages. Tech-savvy folks from within the restaurant utilized Twitter heavily to get the word out, and suddenly wired foodies from all over Asheville were re-tweeting opening dates and menu details. The viral marketing campaign was a huge success, as Chai Pani’s opening day was so crowded that the restaurant, somewhat blushingly thankful, ran out of food and had to close up earlier than expected to prepare for the next wave of hungry, curious customers to come.
And come they did, lured by both the buzz and the incredibly, almost ridiculously, affordable Indian menu — there isn’t a single option on that menu that costs over $10. Beyond affordable, the menu is creative. It stretches the fare beyond samosas and dal. The idea centers on Indian street food, the result full of funky goodness and chaat (little bites, essentially) that tend to occasionally nod to our locale. Take the green tomato pakoras — a riff on a deep-fried southern staple seasoned with cumin and other decidedly far eastern spices and served with raita and sweet tomato jam to make a new kind of fusion. No wonder the staff’s t-shirts are printed with the phrase, “Namaste y’all.”
Here’s Lunsford on Kathmandu Cafe:
Manoj and Sushila Lama, owners of Himalayan Imports, had decided to bring a taste of their culture to the mountains of Western North Carolina. A very short time later, prayer flags went up over the front door. On Christmas Eve, before Sugo’s sign had even been taken down, a banner reading Kathmandu was raised, and the restaurant was open to the public.
On my first trip to the restaurant, a mere two weeks after its opening, it was clear that Kathmandu was still working out the kinks, but the food was very, very tasty. The Bheda Poleko, marinated lamb baked in a clay oven, arrived sizzling on a platter with an assortment of fresh vegetables that beat the stuffing out of the usual mixed veggie hodgepodge. The Chai is the real deal there, too, and decidedly chock full of caffeine.
And finally, here’s part of a Q&A that Lunsford did with Brian Canipelli, the chef and owner of one of Cucina 24:
What is your idea of perfect happiness? A day off when I’m not thinking about work.
What is your greatest fear? For my intentions to not be understood. For people to think that I’m trying to reinvent Italian food, and that’s not at all what I’m trying to do.
What is your inspiration? It sounds cliché, but I’m inspired by the seasons.
What is your guiltiest pleasure? Fast food cheeseburgers.
What is the quality you most like in a person? Honesty and humbleness.
What is the quality you least like in a person? Dishonesty and pride.
Which talent would you most like to have? I wish I was handier as far as home repairs.
What is your current state of mind? Stressed — it’s January.
