Chai Pani restaurant's new downtown location opens with more to offer in venue, on menu

ASHEVILLE - Since 2009, 22 Battery Park Avenue has been the original home to Chai Pani since the Indian street food restaurant opened downtown.

On May 21, Chai Pani officially opened the doors to Asheville diners at its new location, expected to be bigger and better than before, at 24 Banks Ave.

Chef-restaurateur Meherwan Irani, who co-founded the eatery with his wife, Molly, said the transitional period has been “incredibly nostalgic” as the team ― which includes many original staff members ― share stories and photos from the early years to now.

“It feels rejoiceful that this little, original restaurant at 22 Battery Park Avenue gave us so much and brought us so much happiness and joy ― and to so many people ― that there’s a real sense of pride, he said.

“You kind of forget how homegrown Chai Pani was, how little we knew, how little we had and all of the things that we did back then that felt so new and cool, now, in retrospect, are dated,” Irani said of the 2022 James Beard Award winner for Outstanding Restaurant.

New beginning for Botiwalla

Irani said he might have felt bittersweet about the move if not for the building staying within the Chai Pani Restaurant Group.

The Battery Park Avenue storefront will be repurposed as Botiwalla, another CPRG Indian street food concept specializing in grilled meals, making it the second to open in Asheville.

Botiwalla opened at 697 Haywood Road in West Asheville last August and has locations in Charlotte and Atlanta, Georgia.

Chai Pani also is in Decatur, Georgia. And the restaurant group owns Spicewalla, an Asheville-based spice company.

Irani said renovation to Botiwalla’s downtown location will begin this week and the eatery, which offers a patio, is expected to open in a couple of months.

He said Botiwalla’s quick, counter-service style will be a good fit for downtown, especially for lunchtime crowds, specifically downtown workers, with limited time.

Chai Pani deluxe

Chai Pani's new home in downtown’s South Slope brewing district, in CPRG’s now defunct Buxton Hall BBQ that closed in November, is less than a mile away, is nearly triple the size at about 10,000 square feet, and offers two floors for guests.

Irani described the new Chai Pani as a “showstopper.”

“You’ll see Chai Pani’s evolution from where it started to where it is now and it’s something I’m excited about,” Irani said.

Constructed in the 1920s, Irani said historic features of the building were preserved, such as the murals on the original brick walls, which will complement the new, modern design.

Irani described the style as “Bollywood wedding meets Bombay Gymkhana” which marries the bright, festive, over-the-top Bollywood wedding and marigolds with sporting memorabilia like at the traditional, upscale sports club in India.

“It’s a look we haven’t done in any of our restaurants yet,” Irani said.

Irani aims to recreate the essence of his former bar, MG Road, by creating a lively waiting room-meets-bar on the mezzanine, “MG Mini.”

The rich, bright cherry red colors, low ceilings and light settings will be familiar to MG Road fans.

“It’s like a tropical jungle went bananas in there,” Irani said.

Irani said MG Mini will be useful on Fridays and Saturdays, peak customer traffic days. Guest waiting for their tables may enjoy a drink, play traditional Indian games and eat pani puri ― a bite-sized, deep-fried shell filled with crunchy bits and dunked in tamarind and mint water.

Another new addition will be the expanded gift shop at the restaurant’s entrance which will sell branded merchandise and apparel, imported goods from India and more.

Chai Pani’s new menu

Chai Pani’s new hours will include lunch service from 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. and dinner from 5-9:30 p.m. daily. The restaurant will remain open until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

Most of Chai Pani’s menu will transfer to the new space but with more Indian dishes, and a few menu nods to Buxton Hall BBQ.

“The menu at Chai Pani is just the tip of the iceberg of Indian street food. We just weren’t in the position of adding anything new because of how small the space and kitchen was,” Irani said.

Kati rolls will no longer be served but won’t be far ― diners can get their fill at Botiwalla.

Chai Pani now has a grill and can smoke foods, so expect grilled kababs and skewers.

Irani said a traditional crispy, fried snack stack called Sabudana Vada was reinvented as a crispy tater and tapioca tots. The dish is seasoned with green chilies, curry leaves, cumin and ginger and served with Maggi hot and sweet ketchup.

Other menu highlights include:

• Kale Pakora Chaat. Kale fritters are prepared as a chaat with sweet yogurt, tamarind chutney, green chutney, sour grape, melon seeds and green mango powder.

• Bihari Kabab. Chargrilled sirloin marinated with green papaya, red chili, yogurt, poppyseed and aromatic masalas, and served with tamarind-mint chutney, onion laccha and lime.

• Pav Pudding. Desi-style bread pudding soaked in cardamom-saffron milk, with rabdi and seasonal fruit.

Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-friendly options are available.

“For all the folks that have waiting in line to go to Chai Pani and been disappointed at times because they couldn’t get in, well, this one’s for you,” Irani said. “With this restaurant, we’ll hopefully be able to eliminate the wait, seat twice as many people and we’ll be able to give a far more fun experience than we could in the old space. I’m excited for customers to get the best of us.”

Chai Pani

Where: 32 Banks Ave., Asheville.

Hours: 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. lunch, daily.

5-9:30 p.m. dinner Sunday-Thursday.

5-10 p.m. dinner on Friday and Saturday.

Info: For more, visit chaipani.com and @chaipani on Instagram.

Stories you may have missed:

• Chai Pani restaurant to relocate, second Botiwalla coming to Asheville: What to know

• Asheville James Beard Award-winning restaurant announces closure, reopening dates

• Historic Flat Iron Hotel, Luminosa restaurant open in downtown Asheville

Tiana Kennell is the food and dining reporter for the Asheville Citizen Times, part of the USA Today Network. Email her at tkennell@citizentimes.com or follow her on Instagram @PrincessOfPage. Please support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Chai Pani restaurant reopens with new address, expanded menu, more