Growing up in India, chef and co-owner of Chimney Indian Kitchen + Bar Srikanth Reddy noticed a trend.

“Everyone used to have a chimney at home,” he said. “We used to cook on the charcoal and firewood… All the smells spread across the whole village and people knew you were cooking.”

It was this memory of traditional Indian cooking that led chefs and co-owners Jasbir Singh and Reddy to open up Chimney Indian Kitchen + Bar on Jan. 1. The pair, with a combined 35 years of experience, wanted to create a unique Indian food experience based around traditional dishes from all regions of India.

The restaurant, located at 306 W. Franklin St., offers a buffet during the day and a full menu as well.

“What we wanted to highlight is all the big really traditional and popular dishes from India,” Reddy said.

Singh was born and raised in Punjab, India, and has been working in the U.S. for 30 years. He believes creating healthy cuisine can improve, sometimes cure and strengthen the body. Reddy who has been in the restaurant business for close to five years.

Reddy said the two of them are always looking to take their skills to the next level.

“We have been in this business for a long time, but we always see there is a chance to improve our cooking,” he said.

Reddy said many people need guidance when it comes to ordering Indian food, and Chimney’s menu is designed to help make their choices easier.

“A lot of people know a few things like tikka masala and everything, but so many people get lost, and what happens is when you have a big menu, the quality of the food goes down,” Reddy said. “So we decided to not do an exhaustive menu, but to have a limited menu with a fine touch of modern spices to it.”

Chimney offers customers the ability to customize the level of spiciness in each dish. Customers are encouraged to experiment with the traditional tastes and spices.

“Every person is different: some people like it spicy, some don’t. Instead of making premade, everything is made to order and we can customize everything,” Reddy said.

Chimney Indian Kitchen + Bar is located at 306 W. Franklin St. Suite D in Chapel Hill.

Reporting by Emma James, 1893 Brand Studio

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