Raaga

Ginger Mint Naan? Something new, fresh, intriguing from cooking style steeped in tradition? Yep.

Chef Paddy Rawal creates an impression much like his carefully crafted Indian fare: colorful, spicy, crisp. He radiates the kind of energy and enthusiasm you might expect from a a veteran of Bollywood producing turned chef dynamo.

Paddy arrived in Santa Fe via Lansing, Michigan. As the story goes, he visited friends over the 2010 New Year’s holiday, and within days had signed a lease on the site formerly known as Mauka, and before that, Kasasoba. It’s great to be back in that cozy little abode, especially to see it packed on a daily basis.

Personally, one of my favorite things about Raaga is represented entirely by the chef’s special in the lunch buffet one day when I was there. Paddy explained to me that he had arrived in the kitchen early that morning, surveyed what he had that was fresh, and concocted an improvised vegetarian curry just for that day. I’ve never associated that kind of spontaneity and an emphasis on using fresh local ingredients with Indian food before. Thank you, Lansing, for sharing your culinary treasure.