KENTWOOD, Mich. (WOOD) — An Indian restaurant in Kentwood has reopened with a new name, a refreshed menu and a renovated interior.
Rasa Indian Cuisine officially opened last month at 2222 44th St. SE near Breton Road SE. Formerly, the restaurant was known as Curry Leaf, but a new management team has made a series of changes.
“We had to have something that denoted a change, denoted something new,” said partner Bobby Singh. “It’s not the same Curry Leaf that (people) have been going to for, like, 10 years now.”
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Singh is new to the restaurant. He runs Rasa Indian Cuisine alongside Pradeep Reddy, who also owned the spot when it was Curry Leaf.
Rasa has a smaller menu, Singh told News 8 — and that was an intentional choice.
“We made the menu smaller so we can focus on quality and focus on taste and product,” Singh said. “Some of the stuff, when it comes to a restaurant, it is not as authentic as it is back in India. … So we brought the number of items down so we could focus on it more being authentic, rather than just serving everything, which was not authentic.”
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The new restaurant has a special focus on biryani, which Singh describes as “a delicacy.” Biryani is a rice dish that typically features a protein like lamb, goat or chicken, though it can also be made vegetarian or vegan. Traditionally, dum biryani is cooked overnight with steam. That process allows for a special transfer of flavors, Singh explained.
“The aroma is different,” he said. “I mean, you can feel the difference in it.”
Rasa plans to offer dum biryani every Saturday and Sunday, Singh said. It’s part of the restaurant’s effort to “go back to the roots” of the dishes it serves.
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Besides the biryani, Singh recommends trying an appetizer called chicken majestic, which features fried pieces of chicken in a white sauce.
Rasa Indian Cuisine also offers popular dishes like butter chicken, chicken tikka masala and dosa, which is like a savory crepe.
The inside of the restaurant, which Rasa shares with Afghan restaurant Rumi’s Garden, was overhauled, too, with changes to the tables, chairs, lighting, reception area and buffet setup.
“When somebody walks in, somebody who’s been a patron for a long time, they feel that change,” Singh said.
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He hopes the community can recognize Rasa’s authenticity.
“That’s what we are focusing on, something that has been missing in a lot of American Indian restaurants,” Singh said. “We are not taking any shortcuts to make those dishes. If something needs to be marinated for 24 hours, we are making sure it’s not 23, it’s 24.”
That increases the restaurant’s costs, he continued, but it’s all worth it.
“The experience that it brings out, the memories that you get from having the same food that you used to have back in India is awesome,” he said.
Singh says one review stands out: When a customer tried Rasa’s biryani, they were reminded of a biryani they had 16 years ago.
“That makes your day,” Singh said.
Dining and Cooking