Of the five Chicago chefs on the James Beard Foundation’s list of semifinalists for best chef in the Great Lakes region, Zubair Mohajir (@zubairmohajir) was the most unexpected, if only because he only opened his first restaurant in 2021. “It’s kind of surreal,” Mohajir says. “It’s definitely humbling. I wasn’t expecting it.” But he’s no rookie. After growing up in India, along with some time in Qatar, he moved with his family to the Chicago region when he was in seventh grade. He pivoted to cooking after a frustrating career in finance, working his way through prestigious kitchens in California and Thailand. For his first permanent restaurant in Chicago, he didn’t open a single concept, but two: Wazwan (@wazwanchicago) and The Coach House by Wazwan (@wazwan_coach_house). Both offer a menu rooted in the cooking of southern India, albeit with plenty of global detours. Two of the main dishes, the Chettinad chicken masala and the inaloban, show Wazwan at its best, writes Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger (@nkindelsperger). “The former is so intricately spiced, it’s tempting to wonder which spice didn’t end up in the mix,” he says. Not sure where to start? “Visit Wazwan first,” Kindelsperger advises. Find out why in his latest review by tapping the link in our bio. ? Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
March 1, 2023
Of the five Chicago chefs on the James Beard Foundation’s list of semifinalists for best chef in the Great Lakes region, Zubair Mohajir (@zubairmohajir) was the most unexpected, if only because he only opened his first restaurant in 2021. “It’s kind of surreal,” Mohajir says. “It’s definitely humbling. I wasn’t expecting it.”
But he’s no rookie. After growing up in India, along with some time in Qatar, he moved with his family to the Chicago region when he was in seventh grade. He pivoted to cooking after a frustrating career in finance, working his way through prestigious kitchens in California and Thailand.
For his first permanent restaurant in Chicago, he didn’t open a single concept, but two: Wazwan (@wazwanchicago) and The Coach House by Wazwan (@wazwan_coach_house). Both offer a menu rooted in the cooking of southern India, albeit with plenty of global detours.
Two of the main dishes, the Chettinad chicken masala and the inaloban, show Wazwan at its best, writes Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger (@nkindelsperger). “The former is so intricately spiced, it’s tempting to wonder which spice didn’t end up in the mix,” he says.
Not sure where to start? “Visit Wazwan first,” Kindelsperger advises. Find out why in his latest review by tapping the link in our bio.
? Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
But he’s no rookie. After growing up in India, along with some time in Qatar, he moved with his family to the Chicago region when he was in seventh grade. He pivoted to cooking after a frustrating career in finance, working his way through prestigious kitchens in California and Thailand.
For his first permanent restaurant in Chicago, he didn’t open a single concept, but two: Wazwan (@wazwanchicago) and The Coach House by Wazwan (@wazwan_coach_house). Both offer a menu rooted in the cooking of southern India, albeit with plenty of global detours.
Two of the main dishes, the Chettinad chicken masala and the inaloban, show Wazwan at its best, writes Tribune food critic Nick Kindelsperger (@nkindelsperger). “The former is so intricately spiced, it’s tempting to wonder which spice didn’t end up in the mix,” he says.
Not sure where to start? “Visit Wazwan first,” Kindelsperger advises. Find out why in his latest review by tapping the link in our bio.
? Terrence Antonio James / Chicago Tribune
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