New downtown Asheville restaurant, Chai Pani, set to open Wednesday

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Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

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Here’s the press release:

Chai Pani, a new Indian restaurant in downtown Asheville is scheduled to open on Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009 at 11:00am.

Introducing the fun, fresh, & lighter side of Indian food to downtown Asheville!
Chai Pani features a combination of Chaat (Indian savory street food), Thali (Indian small plates & comfort food) & Tandoori (flavorful char-grilled meats & breads) served in a casual, easy & affordable setting with an emphasis on fresh, local and natural ingredients.

Some of the most delicious fast food to take root worldwide is chaat, brightly flavored, multi-textured snacks originally served by street vendors in northern India. Chaat is as fast and cheap as any American fast food, but it’s made often without meat or deep-frying, so it has the added appeal of being good for you. But the real reason to seek it out is that it’s flat-out delicious. Chaat has a small palate of flavors and ingredients to work from—crunchy, crispy, sour, sweet, spicy—but it’s interesting to see how they are mixed into different combinations. Most chaat is a blend of some kind of crispy starch (wheat flour, garbanzo bean flour) or soft dumplings made from lentil or garbanzo batter combined with potatoes, garbanzo beans and sometimes sprouted beans. Spicy and sweet sauces—typically a green mint and/or cilantro sauce and a tamarind and/or date sauce—as well as yogurt are the classic accompaniments.

A thali is a selection of different Indian dishes, usually served in small bowls on a round tray with contents varying from one regional cuisine to another. It’s the Indian equivalent of home-cooked comfort food. A thali is structured as a complete meal and eating one is like taking a crash course in the diversity of Indian cuisines as each region has its own distinct spice palette.

Chai Pani sources produce & meats from local & regional farms. Meats are all natural, humanely raised & free of chemicals or additives.

Chai Pani will be open 7 days a week, 11am – 10pm Sunday to Friday & 11am – 11pm on Friday-Sat.
Address: 22 Battery Park Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Phone: 828-254-4003. Fax: 828-254-4043
Email: [email protected]. Web: www.chaipani.net.

Jason Sandford

Jason Sandford is a reporter, writer, blogger and photographer interested in all things Asheville.

  • 1

1 Comment

  1. Jarrod September 25, 2009

    As they totally sold out of food during their first two days, I was able to eat lunch there today. It was wonderful. The food was fresh and delicious and the wait staff was very friendly. It’s nice to see a new restaurant start off so well, and the owners are an extremely nice couple.

    Reply

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