When I first heard about Rookh — a restaurant merging Italian and Indian cuisine in Bryant — I was a tad skeptical. Indian pizza, and Indian cooking that draws on global influences, is having a moment nationally, but combining two culinary powerhouses is risky. I’m a convert after eating at Rookh on a recent Friday night. The restaurant offers Central Arkansas something creative, boldly flavorful and carefully executed.
Rookh took over the old Luigi’s spot, a long-running Italian joint in Bryant, at the end of 2023. Pulling into the beige, nondescript strip mall off Interstate 30, I would not have guessed the caliber of cooking inside. The interior could use a refresh; it’s mostly untouched from its prior owner. The early 2000s decor — dark brown faux marbled tabletops and stone floor — probably worked for a strip mall Italian place, but it does a disservice to this kind of innovative modern dining. Still, these details faded a bit once the food arrived, served with a high level of culinary skill, plating and composition.
Rookh’s menu offers familiar dishes like pastas, pizza and burgers infused with Indian spices and sauces. It’s also expanding into fine-dining staples like lamb shanks, steaks and stuffed pastas. There are classic Italian dishes like Margherita pizza and spaghetti in red sauce for diners wary of fusion, plus a full bar with cocktails, mocktails and local brews from Ozark Beer Company and Flyway Brewing. I dined with my partner, Joe, and our friends Brett and Bailey, and we munched on a complimentary basket of masala-spiced popcorn while perusing the options.
After getting some personal recommendations from Jagruti Shah, wife of Rookh’s owner Abhay Shah (who also owns Taj Mahal in Little Rock and Conway), we started with the Avocado Tart Chaat, a delicious spin on a classic street food dish that blends chickpeas, potatoes and tomatoes with guacamole and a hint of sweetness from yogurt and pomegranate seeds served in two columns atop a crunchy wafer. It was one of my favorite bites of the night.
Beef Seekh Lasagna Rolls Credit: Courtesy of Rookh
The entrees shortly followed. The Beef Seekh Lasagna Rolls — a showstopper — is served as two thick cylinders of noodle set in a moat of vibrant beetroot-infused tomato sauce. The meat, marinated for 24 hours with garlic, ginger, onions and a blend of Indian spices, was, in Brett’s words, “crazy delicious.” It also tinted his lips a ruby red color.
Joe and I opted for all meatless dishes (Rookh’s owners are vegetarian and serve a plethora of thoughtful veggie options), starting with the paneer burger. Paneer cheese is a popular sandwich filling in Indian cooking (and a staple at McDonald’s India, believe it or not). Rookh marinates and grills its paneer in thick slabs, serving it with lettuce, tomato, melted Amul processed cheese and a sweet tamarind aioli on a brioche bun. It had a nice chew and subtle spiced flavor.
We also split the mirchi pasta (Hindi for “chili” or “hot”), penne in a tomato-based cream sauce with quite a kick (which Jagruti Shah warned us about). The dish was rich, addictive and generously portioned, but arguably needed another component (maybe a vegetable side or topping) to lighten it up and to stand on its own as an entree.
Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza Credit: Courtesy of Rookh
Next, we tucked into two 14-inch tikka masala pizzas — one with chicken, the other with paneer. The base is a house-made makhani sauce — the creamy tomato and onion blend common in butter chicken — and finished with mozzarella, veggies and a drizzle of more makhani sauce on top. The crust blew me away: hand-tossed and perfectly charred. The pizzas were delicious but so flavor-forward that I couldn’t imagine downing more than a slice or two (or perhaps the five-course meal was wearing on me).
Rookh also serves remarkable desserts, so leave room. I sampled a ras malai mousse, a lightly sweet, creamy mousse served in a gorgeous purple and white chocolate cup, garnished with crushed pistachios. It was almost too beautiful to eat.
Mouuse-E-Ras Malai Credit: Courtesy of Rookh
I had a chance to speak with owner Abhay Shah, who explained that the original plan was to open a “pure” Italian restaurant, and the fusion concept was actually his son’s last-minute idea. Shah (who has owned an Italian chain restaurant in the past) stayed up all night two days before opening to test new dishes, which were such a hit with the staff and his family, he delayed the opening to pivot to the new menu. “I dreamed it, and the next morning, I came in, and everyone loved it, so we put it on the menu,” he explained.
The Indian-Italian combination sounds novel but in fact dates to as far back as the 1980s, with San Francisco’s Zante being the first U.S. restaurant to serve Indian pizza. However, L.A.’s Pijja Palace has gotten more credit for it recently (and serves wings and Indian pasta as well). Rookh also seems to draw inspiration from progressive fine dining spots like San Francisco’s ROOH, which blends Indian cuisine with other traditions, from French to Mexican.
Since eating at Rookh, I’ve puzzled over how to describe the place. The food is at its best when it draws in more high-end and progressive influences, but Shah seems to be straddling the line into casual dining by offering comfort food, like the meat lover’s pizza and spaghetti in marinara sauce, for example. Shah says he doesn’t want to overwhelm people with new flavors, but I think his commitment to accessibility risks diluting the concept.
Rookh launched a menu refresh early this month with more fine-dining staples, offering oven-baked salmon and strip steak as well as a vegetable lasagna. I think this is a wise move. Rookh should go all-in on its strengths and ditch basic food Arkansans can eat elsewhere. At the risk of belaboring the point, I also hope they elevate the decor (dimmer lighting, tablecloths and some wall decor would pull the eye away from the dated furnishings) to match the artistry of the food. With a more luxurious space, Rookh could become an elite dining destination — not just for Bryant, but for Central Arkansas as a whole.
Dining and Cooking