"Bar Asha, a modern South Asian bar from the team behind the now-closed Indian vegan restaurant the Sudra, reopened on Friday, August 30 with an all-new menu and cocktails. The first iteration of the bar opened in June after the Sudra suddenly closed in April, but paused operations in July to rework the menu. The newest iteration is a collaboration between owner Sanjay Chandrasekaran, Deepak Saxena (Desi PDX, Masala Lab), and Ben Preacher (Wilder, The Garrison St Johns). Naureen Huq (Expatriate, Kann/Sousoul) will head up the cocktail offerings. Although Asha will still offer a bevy of vegan options like sambal cauliflower, red lentil vada, and potato samosa chaat, it will also serve meat and dairy dishes like pork belly skewers and burrata chaat for the first time — like the Sudra, the initial menu at Bar Asha was entirely vegan. Chandrasekaran says the shift was partially motivated by growing vegan options at omnivore restaurants, in addition to the many vegan-focused restaurants across the city. “It’s just getting harder and harder to exist as a solely vegan place,” he says. While the Sudra menu was ever-growing, and tended to offer something for everyone, Asha’s offerings are slimmed down and will change with the seasons. “We’re trying to make everything very intentional,” Chandrasekaran says." - Rebecca Roland
