Inside the Kitchen: Seven Questions with Chef Sujan Sarkar of Indienne

Sujan Sarkar is the chef and owner behind Chicago’s Michelin-starred Indienne. This modern Indian restaurant reflects his years of training, from his native India to London, San Francisco, and ultimately the Windy City, where he now oversees four restaurants, including Sifr, Swadesi, and Nadu. Here, Sarkar reflects on the one food that stands above all else for him, his goals as a chef, where he yearns to eat, and more.

Ari Bendersky

5 Minute read

23 Jul 2025

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Credit: Neil John Burger

Sujan Sarkar is the chef and owner behind Chicago’s Michelin-starred Indienne. This modern Indian restaurant reflects his years of training, from his native India to London, San Francisco, and ultimately the Windy City, where he now oversees four restaurants, including Sifr, Swadesi, and Nadu. Here, Sarkar reflects on the one food that stands above all else for him, his goals as a chef, where he yearns to eat, and more.

What Is Your Deserted Island Meal?

Biryani. Calcutta biryani. I’m from Calcutta. It’s so simple but so complex. You see yellow rice, there’s masala. It’s unique. I’m from there and grew up eating it.

What’s Your Most Poignant Food Memory?

Eating at Pujol. When I was doing Indian, I was thinking, “Am I doing the right thing?” But when I went to Pujol, you see different cuisines done so simply, but so good. It’s so special. When you see someone taking a cuisine that is simple and rustic… I will eat there 20 times. I have never talked about a fine dining tasting menu like this.

What Does Fine Dining Mean to You?

Progressive, and it should be exciting. And service, of course, and hospitality.

What Are Your Restaurant Goals or Dreams?

My goal is to create opportunities for the next chefs. I can think about what I want to make better, and I still work in other kitchens. I want to open restaurants with chefs who I see are ready. One chef can only run one restaurant. Sometimes you feel responsible for the people who are good and deserve an opportunity. I don’t want them to go through the same struggles as me. I want to support them. That’s my goal: to open honest restaurants backed by people who deserve this opportunity. I opened Tiya in San Francisco with my brother, who is better than me in some ways. He worked with me for six years. I gave him creative freedom, but we run the business. That’s why we opened Sifr, Swadesi Cafe, and Nadu.

What’s On Your Restaurant Bucket List to Visit?

I have never been to Noma. A lot of my chefs worked there. Also Enigma in Barcelona. I’m always excited to see how things are going. There’s a Thai restaurant run by Indian chefs [Abhiraj Khatwani and Mohamad Orfali] in Dubai called MANĀO. It was voted the best restaurant in MENA (Middle East and North Africa). It’s honest food and non-alcoholic pairings.

What Is Your Food/Cooking Philosophy?

Simple and flavorful food that’s progressive at the same time. It should be exciting as well. Otherwise it’s very boring.

What's Your Comfort Food?

My comfort food is khichdi. It’s normally lentils, rice, some vegetables, and some spices like turmeric. It’s like a porridge. I add millet because my sugar level is higher. When I was a kid, we would have this for breakfast. In India, it’s super comfort food—it’s nutritious. It’s so hearty.

The Chef

At Indienne and beyond, Chef Sujan Sarkar blends tradition, technique, and mentorship—shaping a modern Indian culinary movement rooted in authenticity, creativity, and collaboration across borders and generations.

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