Rickshaw Pakistani & Indian Street Eats will open over the weekend in Irving Park | Eater Chicago
"Chef Faraz Sardharia, who has operated Tandoor Char House for the past 13 years, is debuting a new Pakistani & Indian street-eats concept in Irving Park at 4304 N. Pulaski Road, opening Saturday, February 15. Sardharia calls it a “mission-driven restaurant.” For him there are three main reasons: first, he wants to open a more affordable restaurant whose menu of burgers, tacos, pastas, samosas, and a South Asian version of rotisserie chicken can appeal to a wider customer base and hopefully introduce more Chicagoans to South Asian flavors. Second, he plans to host activations partnering with nonprofits that help the unhoused — he mentions Shower Up Chicago, sits on the board of Chi-Care and was active in feeding migrants as they were being bused from Texas — and he sees the restaurant as a base for mobile health clinics to help the most vulnerable. “Obviously we hope to pay our bills with this business and then some,” Sardharia says. “But I’m pledging to give back to the community personally, with hopes of this business doing well and giving back in the forms of warm meals and a place for the unhoused to come and grab a meal.” Third, he will seek halal certification through HMS; while acknowledging that halal certification can be controversial, he notes that many Muslim customers want reassurance and that certification is a smart business decision. The location is around the corner from the Muslim Community Center: “This is kind of my way of giving back to our Muslim community as well,” Sardharia says. “We’re making sure that if people are going to pray around there during Ramadan we’ll have some dining options after.” Despite rising business costs, Sardharia frames the project as a way to combine affordability, community service, and broader exposure to South Asian flavors." - Ashok Selvam
