"Chai Pani forever changed Asheville’s dining scene when it began serving Indian street food dishes like chaat, pakora, sloppy jai, and uttapam back in 2009. The owner, who grew up in Ahmednagar, India, helped popularize Indian street food throughout the American South, and has since expanded with an Atlanta location and a retail shop Spicewalla (which you can find down the street). Be warned that there’s no reservation system and the line regularly creeps halfway down the block, so you’ll probably have to plan your day around getting a table, or at least an hour to secure takeout. It’ll wholeheartedly be worth it, though, especially when you taste the okra fries. " - laura hackett
Tim Robison
