Inside Chopped Judge Maneet Chauhan's Chaatable Restaurant

Take a tour of Maneet Chauhan's new Nashville restaurant — and steal some ideas for your own kitchen!

From: Food Network Magazine

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Let's Chaat

Chopped Judge Maneet Chauhan and her husband, Vivek, always wanted to design a restaurant around savory Indian street snacks called chaat. “It’s very nostalgic for us,” Vivek explains. “We grew up eating street food between meals and hiding it from our parents!” Since the couple moved to Nashville four years ago, they have seen the city grow into a serious food destination, and they were excited by the idea of sharing this type of Indian food with the locals. When they found a location in Nashville’s Sylvan Heights neighborhood, they knew it was time.

A World of Color

“We pictured flashes of color, bright textiles and dishes beyond tikka masala,” Maneet says. To give the restaurant an authentic Indian look, Maneet and her designer, London Parfitt, commissioned intricately carved wood panels and arches from Nashville-based Elemental Arthouse.

Faux Stained Glass

The stained-glass windows look real but the color comes from lighting gels and special paper that Maneet and London sourced from Plaza Art. They spent a whole day gluing it to the glass.

A Touch of Bollywood

Maneet and Vivek created a collage with Bollywood movie posters on the walls.

Umbrella Lighting

“The space was so white, we just wanted to fill it with color,” Maneet says. She and Vivek love the elaborately embroidered parasols used in India, so they ordered dozens to hang from the ceiling as light shades.

Beep-Beep!

To make the entry feel welcoming, Maneet created this fun host desk, built to look like an Indian truck. Drivers in India often decorate their vehicles with colorful trinkets or marigolds.

Bangle Wall

This wall is decorated with 20,000 bangle bracelets that Maneet had shipped from India.

Photo Gallery

Maneet and Vivek put together this gallery wall that incorporates Indian landscapes, pictures of precious objects and a photo of a dress similar to the one Maneet wore on their wedding day.