"Salil Mehta, the acclaimed chef and restaurateur behind Southeast Asian hits including Laut in Union Square, Singapura in Gramercy Park, and buzzy newcomer Wau on the Upper West Side, has gone all-in on sweets for his latest opening. Mehta partnered with luxury car collector Abhi Malhotra to debut Sands of Persia, a dessert bar and hookah lounge, in Astoria, at 25-01 Steinway Street, near 25th Avenue." - Erika Adams