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GET OUT
THE CHANDLER ARIZONAN | WWW.CHANDLERNEWS.COM | JULY 24, 2022
New Chandler restaurant enhances Indian cuisine BY SRIANTHI PERERA GetOut Contributor
F
eringhee Modern Indian Cuisine has just opened its doors to reveal rich aromas, flavors and tastes near the Chandler Fashion Center. Consider an average dinner: The Dum Jackfruit Biryani comes in a pot sealed with a crust of dough, which is cut by the server to release a tantalizing whiff of spicy yellow basmati rice nestling underneath. The cover prevents the air from leaking, retains moisture and helps the rice to absorb the flavors of jackfruit and spices while steaming. The basmati and the jackfruit are layered and slow-cooked to perfection. The dish pairs deliciously with Old Delhi Butter Chicken and a raita – or yogurt – mixed with dabs of avocado and sprinkles of boondi (balled chickpea flour sweetened and fried). Feringhee (translates to “foreigner”) is the brainchild of Madhavi Reddy, who has created an elegant restaurant to showcase food from the diverse regions of India. The dishes are traditional but served with contemporary flair to elevate it from mere street food or offerings from sidewalk cafes. “In the US there’s not much appreciation for Indian cuisine – there are fine dining in other cuisines, but not Indian cuisine,” she said. “I went a little above and beyond.” Initial research in the Valley indicated a paucity of such establishments. “We thought we have to bring Phoenix up to that level. That was the interest for me to create one,” she said. “It wasn’t an easy journey for me; it was hard.” The pandemic took its toll on planning and executing her intricately developed business; the restaurant took more than three years to come to fruition. Reddy teamed with Sujan Sarkar, a creator of two modern Indian restaurant
Top: Rich aromas and tasty dishes await visitors to Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine in Chandler. (Jill McNamara Photography) Bottom: Madhavi Reddy owns Feringhee Modern Indian Cuisine near Chandler Fashion Center. (David Minton/GetOut Staff Photographer) brands, and Karan Mittal, a young chef hailing from Delhi and with international experience and culinary honors. Feringhee’s menu features sharing
plates, such (fava bean small plates with Bengal
as Masala Ricotta Kulcha and gooseberry pickle); such as Tandoori Shrimp kasundi (a dipping sauce
with mustard seeds and dried mango), lime caviar and mint chutney; and large plates such as Goan Swordfish and Kashmiri Lamb Shank. The well-stocked bar includes dozens of spirits, 65 types of wine and 20 varieties of beer, some of which are brewed locally and others as far away as India or Belgium. The cocktails are handcrafted using regional ingredients of India. Patrons are encouraged to savor, sip and linger. “We start from sharing plates and enjoying the atmosphere. It’s not just ‘eat your dinner and go,’” Reddy said. With a lot of specialized ingredients that are locally sourced, Feringhee prefers its diners to make advanced reservations. Currently, it is only open for dinner, from Tuesdays to Sundays, and weekends have been busy. Reservations will help to avoid turning away walk-in customers, with the extra time useful to plan resources, and the overall experience would be better for guests, Reddy said. “We want people to have a journey of whatever the cuisine we have, that’s the goal,” she said. “It needs some experience, that means it needs planning.” Because of the restaurant’s desirable location near the Price Corridor and its many corporate offices, lunch may be introduced at a later date. There is also a plan to hold musical evenings. Reddy, a Chandler resident, has been in the United States for more than 20 years. Her first foray into the restaurant industry was with Pastries n Chaat, an Indian bakery and restaurant serving casual fare, once a chain concept with six outlets across the Valley, and now operating only in Tempe. Feringhee’s location was one of the Pastries n Chaat outlets. In 2020, Reddy also established a grocery store, Saffron, with branches in Scottsdale and Phoenix and Peoria to come.
see INDIAN page 37
