Chicagoans are lucky to have the incredible breadth of restaurants that they do, and on June 23 and 24, they got even luckier. That’s when New York’s Unapologetic Foods, the restaurant group behind Michelin-starred Semma, as well as Dhamaka, Adda, Masalawala & Sons, Naks, and Rowdy Rooster, joined forces with Michelin-starred Galit for two incredibly special one-of-a-kind menus.
Chef Chintan Pandya and his team were in town as part of The Unapologetic Experience, a multi-city tour celebrating the multifaceted brilliance of American food today, from Indian and Thai to Middle Eastern and Cantonese, and everything in between. Together with chef Zachary Engel and his team at Galit, they hosted two days of unforgettable meals: the first being a street eats celebration with lamb chapli kebab sandwiches and turkey shawarma arayes, and the second being a multi-course sit-down dinner with salatim featuring baingan bharta and hummus topped with housemade paneer, and a kesar pista pistachio tart with saffron ice cream. Here’s a look back at the culinary magic they created on both days.
For the first day’s event, the two chefs served their collaborative street eats menu out of a custom food truck parked in the front of Galit.
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Chefs Zachary Engel (left) and Chintan Pandya.
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A spread of dishes served from the truck.
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Chef Zachary Engel puts up an order from the truck.
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Diners took some reprieve from the summer heat and dined inside Galit after getting their orders from the truck.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
Trays made it easier to bring food indoors.
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Inside, guests could also order drinks.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
The Unapologetic Foods team brought their own mango lassi.
Photo by Lucy Hewett courtesy of Resy
Turkey shawarma arayes were also on the menu.
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And at the end, American Express card members also got to take home a special gift bag.
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Chef to Chef
Before service on night two, Galit chef Zachary Engel gave chef Chintan Pandya a tutorial on how to make the restaurant’s much-loved pita.
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The night started with passed small bites and complimentary glasses of wine.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
Sunlight filled the room as guests trickled in for dinner.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
And guests were eager to start their meal.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
Chef Chintan Pandya readies his papdi chaat in the kitchen, along with chefs from Dhamaka and Galit.
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Putting the final touches on the papdi chaat.
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Papdi chaat, ready to be served.
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Before the first course was served, both chefs sat down with Resy Editorial editor Deanna Ting for a conversation about cooking unapologetically, and bringing people together through food.
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Unapologetic Foods CEO Roni Mazumdar chats with diners.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
Diners try out the first course.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy. Must be 21 years of age or older to consume alcoholic beverages. Please drink responsibly.
The first course consisted of hummus and salatim with a variety of different dips and sides, all served with freshly housemade pita. The dips and sides included baingan bharta made with cold-smoked eggplant, labneh, wood-roasted cabbage, and pickles.
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Salil Sethi (fourth from left), the culinary director for Indienne & Sifr in Chicago and executive chef and co-owner Sujan Sarkar (second from right) of Indienne Chicago, Baar Baar, and Swadesi Cafe joined the Unapologetic Foods team for a photo-op at the dinner.
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Chefs from Galit prepare a signature dish from the restaurant: asparagus with pine nut torator, summer berries, melty green garlic, and za’atar.
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The finished asparagus dish.
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The chefs from Unapologetic Foods served a whole branzino topped with mint and green chile, to be eaten with tamarind rice.
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The Galit team describes this pastrami dish as “Armenia meets the Lower East Side.” It consists of pastrami with urfa Caesar, radicchio, and malawach.
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Dessert was a pistachio tart with saffron ice cream.
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The group gathers for a final shot together. From left to right: Unapologetic Foods CEO Roni Mazumdar; Dhamaka chef de cuisine Neel Kajale; Galit chef and co-owner Zachary Engel; Galit co-owner Andrés Clavero; Unapologetic Foods chef and partner Chintan Pandya; Unapologetic Foods executive assistant Andrew Rosenstein; and Dhamaka general manager Tsepak “Tina” Dolker.
Photo by Lucy Hewett for Resy
Following Chicago, The Unapologetic Experience continued onto Washington, D.C. with a visit to Tiger Fork and chef Simon Lam, who puts his own personal spin on Cantonese and Chinese cuisine.
Read more about the gospel of American food, according to Unapologetic Foods, and how for chef Zachary Engel, food brings us together.
Lucy Hewett is a Chicago-based photographer. Follow her on Instagram.
Stone Malick is a Los Angeles-based photographer and videographer. Follow him on Instagram. Follow Resy, too.
Resy Presents: The Unapologetic Experience
A multi-city tour celebrating the multifaceted brilliance of American food today, from Indian and Thai to Middle Eastern and Cantonese, and everything in between.
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