Progressive, Indian: Chef Sujan Sarkar Is Shaping The Future Of Indian Haute Cuisine
One of the most exciting voices to emerge in modern Indian gastronomy in recent years, 2025 James Beard Awards semifinalist Chef Sujan Sarkar is reshaping how the world experiences Indian food, one Michelin-starred concept at a time. Based between Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and India, Chef Sarkar’s restaurants — like the Michelin-starred Indienne, BAAR BAAR, Nadu, Tiya, and Swadesi — each push the boundaries of what Indian cuisine can look, taste, and feel like, without losing sight of its cultural ethos.
Raised in the small town of Kalyani in West Bengal, Chef Sarkar’s early memories are rooted in home kitchens fragrant with mustard oil and the crackle of panch phoron. These formative experiences continue to inform his deeply personal approach to cooking, even as he works with global ingredients, cutting-edge techniques, and contemporary aesthetics. Trained in London and seasoned by a globe-spanning career, Sarkar brings a rare balance of technical finesse and cultural sensitivity to the plate, combining storytelling, nostalgia, and innovation with every dish.
Chef Sarkar calls his cuisine ‘progressive Indian’. This is not so much a buzzword as it is a set of core values — a philosophy that honours tradition while making space for innovation. Whether it’s reimagining tea and snack culture through Swadesi or presenting regional authenticity in a minimalist setting at Nadu, Sarkar’s concept-driven restaurants open up new conversations around Indian identity, both at home and abroad.
Last week, Chef Sarkar and I spoke candidly about his creative process, the emotional resonance of food, and what it means to build a culinary language that is both rooted in tradition and forward-looking.
You’ve spoken about cooking with your mother and aunt while growing up in Kalyani (a small town in West Bengal). What flavours or memories from that time continue to guide you today? Do Bengal’s rich culinary traditions still shape your work?
Absolutely. My earliest memories are tied to the aromas of mustard oil, the crackle of panch phoron (Bengal-style five spices), and the earthy complexity of kosha mangso (slow-cooked meat in a rich, spicy traditional Bengal-style gravy) and jhinge posto (ridge gourd cooked with poppy seeds). Those flavours are etched into me — not just in taste, but in feeling. Even when I’m cooking something progressive or far from home, I find myself returning to those foundational instincts. Bengal’s approach to balance — subtle heat, slight bitterness, and gentle sweetness — still guides how I think about composition on the plate. It’s less about replicating recipes and more about translating that emotional memory into new forms.
You describe your cuisine as ‘progressive Indian’. What does that mean in practice, and how do you navigate the balance between tradition and innovation in your kitchen?
Progressive Indian isn’t about fusion — it’s about evolution. It means introducing new ingredients and techniques while preserving the soul of traditional Indian flavors. The identity of Indian cuisine remains intact, but it’s presented in a way that feels fresh, relevant, and engaging. I’m constantly calibrating my food with time, while considering the seasons, the place, and the moment. Innovation comes not just from creativity, but from restraint — knowing when to push and when to honour what already works. It’s about keeping the experience exciting without losing the emotional depth that Indian food carries.
What’s your creative process when developing a dish? Do you begin with a story or with ingredients? Does your interest in design influence how you cook, plate, or tell stories through food?
It can begin anywhere — a memory, a place, an ingredient, even a fabric. Sometimes it’s a single spice or a regional dish I want to reinterpret. Other times, it’s a narrative I want to express through flavor and form. My interest in art and design definitely plays a role in how I present my dishes. I see the plate as a canvas — shape, texture, tone, even negative space — all matter. Like fashion, food is about identity. Every dish tells a story, not just of where I come from, but where I see Indian cuisine going.
With concept-driven restaurants like Swadesi, Nadu, Tiya, and Indienne, you seem to be building towards something more expansive than just another restaurant group. What connects these projects, and what broader cultural conversations are you hoping to spark?
Each concept explores a different facet of Indian identity — from nostalgia and regionality to global influence and cultural hybridity. What connects them is intention. I want each space to feel rooted yet relevant; personal yet universal. These aren’t just restaurants — they’re storytelling platforms that reflect a new India through food, design, hospitality, and creative ideas. Though each concept stands on its own, together they engage different demographics and speak to wider audiences.
Swadesi reimagines the Indian tea and snack culture for a new generation, bringing the charm of chai and nostalgia of street snacks into a modern café format. Nadu celebrates untampered regional Indian cooking in a refined, minimalistic space — a tribute to authenticity. Tiya is my take on a true California-Indian restaurant, where seasonal produce, bold creativity, and playful technique drive the experience. BAAR BAAR challenges stereotypes around Indian food and cocktail culture in NYC and LA, while Indienne is the most personal, a platform for sustainable Indian fine dining rooted in emotion and memory.
Together, these projects aim to shift how Indian cuisine is seen — not as one monolithic tradition, but as a diverse, evolving, and world-class expression of culture.
As Indian fine dining gains global visibility, where do you see Indienne positioned in this moment? What emerging trends are you seeing in Indian haute cuisine, and how do you think the world is evolving in its understanding of Indian food?
Indienne sits at the intersection of craftsmanship and imagination — a place where Indian flavors are treated with the same precision and creativity as any global fine dining tradition. There’s a growing movement of chefs who are no longer just translating Indian food for the West but elevating it on its own terms. I see more focus on regionality, seasonality, creativity, and sustainability through an Indian lens. The world is finally beginning to understand that Indian cuisine isn’t a monolith — it’s vast, sophisticated, endlessly inventive, and packed with flavours.
Follow Chef Sujan Sarkar here.
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