"The Sudra, with locations in North and Northeast Portland, will open a sprawling restaurant in downtown Beaverton with cardamom-infused Old Fashioneds, lentil kofta, and — potentially — tikka masala fries. Sudra owner Sanjay Chandrasekaran opened the first Sudra in 2013, a representation of the food he grew up with as an Indian-American kid in New Mexico: plates of lentil kofta and pakora come with black bean masala and pickled Anaheim chiles, for instance. The restaurant’s menu includes a number of thali plates, small plates like tamarind curry beets, and kati rolls filled with Indo-Chinese spicy eggplant. Currently, Chandrasekaran runs two Sudra locations: One in a building on the corner of Mississippi and Fremont, and another on NE 28th. This location will be his largest, a little under 2,000 square feet, with a larger kitchen for expanding the menu. “Out there, there just aren’t as many vegan options, so I can go out of the box that I’ve been staying in right now,” he says. That could include dishes like masala burgers or tikka masala fries. The restaurant — like his others — will rely mainly on counter service, but he says an additional person will wander the restaurant space with a handheld POS, to add on cocktails, additional orders, etc. That way, customers won’t have to get back in line for more food. The restaurant is slated to open in May 2021, depending on the pace of construction." - Brooke Jackson-Glidden
