New Indian Restaurant Opens Downtown
Turmeric Indian Cafe quietly opened earlier this month.
Site of Turmeric Indian Cafe & Bar, 1014 N. Van Buren St. Photo taken Nov. 17, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
Turmeric Indian Cafe & Bar quietly opened in Yankee Hill earlier this month, bringing a menu of traditional Indian and fusion dishes to the former site of Mykonos Gyro & Cafe.
The new restaurant, 1014 N. Van Buren St., named for the bright orange root with powerful health benefits, is the latest venture from restaurateur Paramjit Kaur, who also operates Royal India.
The restaurant made steady progress toward opening since its February announcement. A revamped outdoor patio with sunflower-colored paint and bright umbrellas was visible to passersby. But it was only last week that the shades were pulled from the windows to reveal the refreshed interior, which sports fresh paint and remodeled bar and seating areas.
Turmeric also recently posted a sidewalk-facing sign and huge, floor-to-ceiling menus for passersby to peruse.
“Finally, we are open,” states a chalkboard sign inside the restaurant’s vestibule.
The posted menu includes a wide selection of Indian dishes with separate lists for vegetarian and non-vegetarian offerings — there’s plenty of both.
Vegetarian starters include vegetable and chili paneer-stuffed samosas, aloo tikki chaat, dahi puri and more. The non-vegetarian list features chicken and fish pakoras, meat-stuffed samosas and spicy meatballs.
From the tandoor, Turmeric offers marinated bone-in chicken, chicken tikka, creamy malai chicken, marinated fish, lamb boti kebabs and roasted paneer with onion and bell pepper.
Entrees include rich curries and stews with a choice of meat or vegetables, butter chicken and a variety of fragrant biryanis, as well as vegetarian options such as paneer tikka masala, dal makhani, chana masala, aloo gobi and more.
For those who are still warming up to Indian cuisine, Turmeric’s fusion menu features approachable dishes like burgers, pasta alfredo, lasagna, chicken tikka pizza and palak paneer lasagna.
Guests can also choose from a variety of rice dishes and flavored naan.
The restaurant also holds a liquor license, though drinks are not listed on the sidewalk-facing menu.
Turmeric Indian Cafe & Bar is open Sunday, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday though Saturday from 11 a.m. to midnight. The restaurant is closed on Tuesdays.
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