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    Progressive Indian Restaurant Opening in Short North

    A new restaurant opening in Short North this fall is out to change the perceptions of Indian cuisine. ROOH will open its doors at 685 N. High St. in October.

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    Part-owner Bhavesh Kishinchand says that five to ten years ago just as everyone thought of Chinese food as a generally take-out only option, but now the cuisine is seeing more upscale eateries, so ROOH hopes to do for Indian with a full-service, fine-dining approach.

    Short North will be the third stateside location for ROOH, which also has spots in San Francisco and Chicago, as well as an eatery in New Delhi, India.

    Kishinchand’s Columbus roots brought ROOH to the Short North. He’s watched the city and local restaurant industry grow – and was intrigued by the city’s test-market reputation.

    Kishinchand says that while there are a lot of traditional Indian options in Columbus that cater more to Indians, ROOH aims for a menu that caters to everybody. There will be familiar eats – ribs, scallops, steaks – but with new flavors.

    The menu will see dishes from all parts of India, not just the north or south as is common, according to Kishinchand. ROOH will incorporate flavors, spices and textures from across the country, inspired by Chef Sujan Sarkar’s reimagining of the dishes he grew up with.

    Their signature dish, though, is one that anyone who’s been to an Indian restaurant will recognize. ROOH’s Butter Chicken has a few twists, with roasted red peppers and butter powder, and is cooked in a Tandoori oven delivered straight from India.

    “All of our naan is going to be made to order in a traditional tandoor,” adds Kishinchand.

    Ideally diners will have the chance to nosh on several dishes while at ROOH.

    “We encourage, and basically recommend, that you dine family style,” Kishinchand says.

    ROOH will also offer an extensive wine list, a mix of local and Indian beers, and a signature cocktail program.

    ROOH crafts a menu of nine cocktails based on Indian medicine and separated into six flavor profiles: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. There are one to two cocktails per profile, like the sweet Kumaon Cup with vodka, melon fig syrup and honey, or the Malabar Old Fashioned, a bitter drink, with bourbon, coco-almond, coffee, bitters and maple.

    ROOH is taking over the former home of Westies which closed earlier this year. With 4,500 square feet, it will seat 135 with its bar and private dining room for 12.

    ROOH is aiming for a mid-October opening. Hours will start out dinner only, opening at 4 p.m. for happy hour, and they’ll stay open until 10 p.m. weekdays and 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Sunday hours are 5 – 10 p.m. Kishinchand says they’ll measure demand on adding lunch hours, but plan to add brunch, hopefully in the spring.

    For more information, visit roohcolumbus.com.

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    Susan Post
    Susan Post
    Susan is the editor of The Metropreneur and associate editor of Columbus Underground, and also covers small business and entrepreneurial news and the food scene in Central Ohio.Susan holds a degree in Communication with a minor in Professional Writing from The Ohio State University. She sits on the board of the Central Ohio Pro Chapter of the Society of Professional Journalists and loves coffee, whiskey, cooking and spending time with friends and family.
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