Tamasha Modern Indian is a special occasion restaurant, from the custom design by cofounder and co-owner Tina Vora to the dress code politely requesting “business casual attire elegance” and “footwear opulence” (closed-toe shoes for men, dress shoes or chic sandals for women). Although the restaurant is located in Raleigh’s North Hills in a modern business/residential complex, the floor-to-ceiling windows, dark interior tones, and metal and hanging glass sculptures transport diners to the high-end urban spaces of Central Asia and the Middle East.
The dining room is busy and intimate, but muted lighting and careful acoustics offer a sense of privacy; you can also request an olive green velvet booth set against the floor-to-ceiling windows topped with golden canopy arches. Make no mistake, though: Tamasha is a place to see and be seen.
Executive chef Bhavin Chhatwani informs a menu that truly encompasses CEO Mike Kathrani’s vision of modern Indian food: Karala pork belly bao cooked for 12 hours; the Oyster 65, fried oysters with teff grain curd rice and a pickled mustard and horseradish tartar sauce; yellowtail red snapper curry with green mango, grapefruit, and swiss chard. Most of the menu is this unexpected, and then there are playful touches like the TFC (Tamasha fried chicken) made with buttermilk, chilies, and lemon sour cream, and the familiar favorites butter chicken and garlic naan. Lamb dishes are sprinkled throughout, as well as a refreshing number of vegetarian options: a vegetable kebab small plate with kidney beans, and the mushrooms paradise with saffron millet risotto and the option to add winter black truffle among them.
By-the-glass wines hone in on Italy with some fun surprises, such as the Pike Road chardonnay from Oklahoma. Spirits like Don Julio tequila and Empress gin make appearances in citrus-forward cocktails; three of the four beers available at Tamasha Modern Indian are brewed in Raleigh.
