Anytime that restaurateur/entrepreneur/mentor Lavanya Mahate announces a new venture, I pay attention. Her Saffron Valley Indian restaurants – there are four locations now, plus a grab and go counter on the U of U campus – have been favorites of mine ever since she opened the original Saffron Valley in 2011. 

Lavanya Mahate

Like so many talented restaurateurs and chefs, Lavanya learned to cook from her mother. She says, “As a young girl of six, I used to watch my mom , with some help from Kanthama, our kitchen help, cook for our large extended family, every single day. Every day was a weekend kind of day, starting out with an early trip to the local open air market around 8 am, much like today’s farmers market where Kanthama would purchase fresh vegetables, meats or seafood for whatever they were planning to cook that day.”

Mini Poppadamns

“I learned to cook my first dishes from Kanthama, including a sweet semolina pudding, rice kheer, how to make a basic spice blend from scratch and how to make a curry using that particular spice blend. I truly believe that these early childhood lessons in cooking ignited my passion for food. And well, 30 years later I find myself catapulted into the role of an owner/operator of restaurants that help me share this passion with other foodies. It was meant to be.”

In addition to her duties as a restaurateur, Lavanya also founded the RISE Culinary Institute, a non-profit organization that provides free culinary training to refugee and immigrant women from low-income families.

Lavanya’s latest venture is called Central by Saffron Valley. Located in the space that was formerly Stanza – but totally refurbished – Central is “a love letter to India’s golden age of railway travel.” It’s a train-themed eatery that captures the vibrant essence of “chai steaming on platforms, tiffins passed between train windows, and stories shared across compartments.”  Says Lavanya of Central, “It’s not just a restaurant. It’s a journey — and every guest is part of the story.”

The decor and ambiance of Central is dazzling – from the bar near the entrance to the private dining spaces, train-themed dining rooms, and beyond. It’s a feast of vibrant colors and imaginative design – a truly eye-popping eatery where the decor does justice to the restaurant’s bold and bright flavors. 

Vegetable Samosas

A great starter to snack on while perusing the menu at Central is Mini Poppadams & Chutney ($8) – a colorful vegan starter of crisp mini poppadams served with mint and mango chutneys for dipping. We also really liked sharing the Vegetable Samosas ($9), golden fried pastries stuffed with spiced potato, also served with chutneys.

Chicken 65

Another hearty street food-style starter is Chicken 65 ($16), which is crispy, fried boneless South Indian spiced chicken with chilies and curry leaves. Additional tempting starters include Railway Veggie Cutlets ($12) – golden beet and veggie patties with tangy chutneys; Cauliflower Manchurian ($15), crispy cauliflower in a spicy Indo-Chinese garlic-chili sauce; and Tandoori Cheese Broccoli ($15), which is charred broccoli in spiced yogurt with a cheesy drizzle to finish. 

A Trio of Curries

For my money, the Saffron Valley restaurants – and now, Central – serve up some of the best curries in town. There’s a wide range of curries at Central, including lentil-potato dumplings in cashew-cream curry called Vegan Malai Kofta ($19); traditional Saag Paneer ($19); Kolhapuri Sabzi ($19) – a vegan dish of vegetables in a fiery coconut-ginger curry; Malabar Fish Curry ($25) with tamarind, coconut and curry leaves; Chicken Tikka Masala ($20), and more. 

Old Delhi Butter Chicken

Of all the curries I’ve tried at Saffron Valley and Central, my favorite is the sumptuous Old Delhi Butter Chicken ($21). This is uber-tender boneless chicken slowly simmered in a heavenly, silky garam masala curry sauce that I like to order extra spicy. 

Naan & Dips

Of course, curries at Central all come with perfectly cooked basmati rice as an accompaniment. But you’ll also want to order some of Central’s homemade breads: Classic Naan ($3), Garlic Naan ($4), Garlic Cheese Naan ($6), Chili Cheese Naan ($6), Sweet Nutty Naan ($6), or the Bread Flight ($13), which is a choice of any three naans cooked in the tandoor. We opted for Naan & Dips ($13) from the menu, which is tandoor-charred naan served with beet hummus, cucumber raita, and kachumber salsa.

Central by Saffron Valley has a beautiful bar area, where guests might want to enjoy a cocktail, beer or glass of wine before or after dinner. Signature train-themed Central cocktails include a Lost Property Negroni ($14) – there is a “lost property” room feature in the dining room; Old Fashioned Railway ($15); Smuggler’s Signal ($14); Fire Signal Margarita ($14), and many more. A minor complaint during our visit was that we were seated for half an hour before we were able to get any drinks delivered to our table. That’s because apparently the only service employee on the Friday night we dined at Central who was old enough to serve alcohol was also the bartender. Might want to tighten up that service aspect a bit. 

Chicken Tikka Dosa

There’s a section of the Central menu showcasing “spiced favorites from the griddles and coasts of South India.” These include Asparagus Uthappam ($16), a vegetarian savory rice pancake with asparagus, onion and chilies; Classic Masala Dosa ($16), which is a crisp rice-lentil crepe with turmeric spiced potatoes, chutneys and sambar; as well as a yummy Chicken Tikka Dosa ($18) – tandoori-charred chicken wrapped in golden dosa with cooling chutney alongside. 

Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani

The “Biryani Express” portion of the menu tempts guests at Central with a trio of biryans – fragrant rice that is slow-steamed in sealed pots and layered with “flavor and history.” I loved my Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani ($21) – charred tandoori chicken  with masala rice, fried onions, saffron, and a hard-cooked egg, served with yogurt raita. Other biryani options include Nawabi Lamb Biryani ($24) – slow-braised lamb sealed with spiced rice and caramelized onions; and Saffron Fruit & Nut Biryani ($19), a gluten-free, vegetarian biryani of veggies with saffron basmati, raisins and cashews. 

Kids in particular will enjoy seeing the robot that putters around the restaurant. Don’t worry, no servers were displaced by the robot. It only serves as a mechanized cart for bussing and delivering dishes; actual humans still have to serve the dishes and place used ones onto the robotic cart. It does play “Happy Birthday” however, potentially putting a talented tenor out of a job… 

Tiffin

During lunch, Central serves “Signature Trackside Bowls” ($18-$21) as well as Tiffin Carrier Meals ($28/Tiffin for 1; $38/Tiffin for 2). Tiffins are inspired by India’s dabbawalas, and are a complete lunch set stacked in a carrier. If you’ve seen writer/director Ritesh Batra’s lovely film, The Lunchbox, then you are familiar with the tiffin lunches. Each tiffin at Central includes a salad, starter, curry of the day, Bombay potatoes, basmati rice, naan, and a dessert. 

With Central by Saffron Valley, Lavanya Mahate has yet another hit on her hands. I love this new train-themed eatery and urge anyone with even the slightest interest in authentic Indian cuisine to pack your bags and get on board! 

Photos by Ted Scheffler 

Culinary quote of the week: “I was far too embarrassed to share the experience of Indian food at school. As a kid, you’re desperate to fit in, to assimilate in some way, and everything about me stood out..” – Sanjeev Bhaskar