The Secret Kitchen brings royal Indian cuisine to Schaumburg
A celebrity chef from India has tabbed Schaumburg as the location for her first restaurant in America.
Chef Aanal Kotak’s The Secret Kitchen opens Sunday, April 19, at 1411 W. Schaumburg Road.
Kotak, who has 10 restaurants in India, Australia and Canada, said in a news release that The Secret Kitchen reimagines the traditions of India’s royal kitchens for the contemporary table.
“The Secret Kitchen’s roots are inspired by my grandmothers, who excelled at royal Indian cooking,” she said in the release. “It’s about time that the world experiences this side of exquisite Indian cuisine with a modern touch.”
The modern fine-dining restaurant will feature royal Indian cuisine reconstructed from historical sources and built on spice blends that Kotak handcrafts herself.
The menu, which serves vegetarian, vegan and nonvegetarian diners, is organized into narrative chapters — The First Plate, The Main Plate, The Comfort Plate and The Dessert Bar.
Signature offerings of the Schaumburg location will include avocado dahi puri, featuring crispy puri shells filled with avocado, chilled yogurt and housemade chutneys; tandoor ke phool, a cauliflower and broccoli dish with spicy garlic, cashew and fresh mint finished in clarified butter; ragda fondue samosa chaat; nalli gosht ki nihari and mutton rogan josh; and TSKfied Butter Chicken Delhi Style — Kotak’s signature take on the classic dish.
The design of the Schaumburg restaurant certainly lives up to what they describe as “maximalist vision.” The lobby features jewel-green marble floors and a floor-to-ceiling hand-carved wood bas-relief mural. A gold throne with a stained-glass butterfly wing back is sure to become a selfie staple.
The main dining room features crimson velvet seating, sage green origami lotus ceiling panels, and a brass-and-emerald-glass room divider that casts green-tinted light. Flamingos recur throughout the space as a design motif along with neon wall sculptures, three-dimensional art pieces and figures along the divider shelf.
Kotak, who won Gujarat’s Youngest Cooking Expert competition at 19, has been named restaurateur of the year and woman chef of the year by the Food Connoisseurs India Convention, India’s largest food and beverage industry honors. She’s also appeared as a guest judge on “MasterChef India.”
In addition to her restaurants, which span multiple brands including The Secret Kitchen, Akshada, Southak and The Baking Couture, Kotak operates a retail line of handmade spices, ready-to-cook mixtures and bakery premixes.
She also leads Swabhiman Abhiyan, a mentorship and financial support initiative for aspiring women in the culinary field.
Restaurant hours will be noon to midnight Friday and Saturday and noon to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday. Reservations can be made on their website or by calling (630) 635-2854.