From Eater · Bettina Makalintal · · 1m 10s
Chicago’s Most Exciting New Restaurant Uses 900-Year-Old Recipes
Chicago chef Zubair Mohajir’s restaurant Muhājir serves food from ancient spice routes with live-fire cooking.
In brief
Chicago chef Zubair Mohajir’s restaurant Muhājir serves food from ancient spice routes with live-fire cooking. Chicago chef Zubair Mohajir’s restaurant Muhājir uses 900-year-old spice route recipes cooked over live fire. Originally reported by Eater.
Muhājir’s Story
Zubair Mohajir’s restaurant traces historical spice routes to tell the story of global migration.
“Muhājir is such a personal story for me, because my last name is Mohajir, and the meaning of “muhājir” in Arabic and Urdu is “one who migrates.””
Muhājir’s Origin
The restaurant’s name comes from the Arabic and Urdu word for ‘one who migrates’.
“When the partition [of India and Pakistan] happened, the Muslims that were moved from India to Pakistan were named Muhājirs because they were migrated.”
Spice Route History
Muhājir’s food follows spice routes from Portugal through the Mediterranean to southern India.
“At Muhājir, it’s all about riding the spice road that runs from Portugal through the Mediterranean, through the Levantine [region], and then hits out of Basra, Iraq, into the Persian Gulf, and the first landmass it comes across is southern India, where I’m from.”
Live Fire Cooking
The restaurant uses live fire to cook dishes, inspired by the chef’s childhood in India.
“I remember growing up in my grandmother’s house back home in India, and it’s not like there were gas stoves everywhere.”
927-Year-Old Duck Dish
A duck dish uses a 927-year-old recipe with cumin, coriander, cardamom, and toasted pine nuts.
“We do a duck that is inspired by a 927-year-old recipe we found from southern Spain that is influenced by Roman garums, Muslim origins, and Jewish origins.”
Bobo Bar
The bar Bobo celebrates the chef’s partner Jacob Dela Cruz’s Tagalog background.
“Jacob’s father is an amazing person and his name is Bho, and “bobo” in Tagalog means “silly” or “stupid,” as a term of endearment.”
Muhājir’s Experience
The restaurant has been running for a year with guests as its main investors.
“We don’t have investors who are private equity firms; our investors are our guests.”
Home for the Chef
The chef says Muhājir is the home he’s been working toward for his entire career.
“I plan to be old in this place. Things have been so crazy and wild and amazing, but slowly, every day, I sit more and more in that moment where I’m like, ‘This is home.’”
What matters most
Chicago chef Zubair Mohajir’s restaurant Muhājir uses 900-year-old spice route recipes cooked over live fire.
