Saffron Nola was born from a vision shared by husband-and-wife team, Arvinder Vilkhu and Pardeep Vilkhu, to marry their Indian heritage with New Orleans flavors and traditions. Arvinder Vilkhu grew up in India to a family of engineers. Deciding to pursue his own path to work in food and beverage management for hotels and restaurants, leading him to New Orleans in 1984. Arvinder worked in hotels and private clubs for several years, while Pardeep, a psychologist by profession, established her practice.
The couple enjoyed cooking for friends, preparing the dishes of India, incorporating local, seasonal Louisiana ingredients. Friends started asking them to cater meals and parties, which led to the Vilkhus establishing Saffron Caterers. They continued to work their “day jobs” while catering nights and weekends, and their reputation grew. It took another 26 years for the Vilkhus to take the leap to a brick-and-mortar space.
In 2017, they opened Saffron Nola on Magazine Street. The restaurant has garnered plenty of critical and public attention and, again this year, Arvinder and Ashwin are co-nominees for The James Beard Award Best Chef South. Finalists will be announced April 2. Arvinder told us he always wanted to cook but had a solid career in front of the house hospitality management. At Saffron Nola, he delivers hands-on hospitality and great food. Arvinder’s son, Ashwin Vilkhu, serves as co-executive chef with his father, Pardeep is Vice President & Director of Operations, and daughter, Pranita, oversees finances and human resources. The family enjoys working together and delivering an exceptional experience.
Ashwin Vilkhu and Arvinder Vilkhu
During a recent visit to Saffron Nola, we tasted several dishes. A few we recommend include Truffle Naan, Tandoori Squash, and Crab Pudha (all starters), Our mains were Tamarind Shrimp with black pepper sauce and basmati rice, and Lambchops with tamarind-black pepper sauce. We hear the Curried Seafood Gumbo is excellent, and plan to make a return visit soon. Saffron Nola’s wine and cocktail list is impressive with many options to pair with the spices of the dishes. Ashwin Vilkhu spent several years working in the beverage end of the business with Diageo and developed the beverage program, now managed by Colin Williams. At a time when restaurant wine lists are shrinking, it’s nice to see one that over-delivers on quality and value.
Saffron Nola Lamb Chops in dark rum – Photo: Sam Hanna
The Vilkhu family is about to take another leap. Across the street from Saffron Nola, they plan to open their second restaurant, Kingsway, later this year. Despite it being Super Bowl week and in pre-opening mode for a new restaurant, Arvinder Vilkhu took some time to sit down with us for a prerecorded conversation on The Connected Table Live. Listen on your preferred podcast channel.
Saffron Nola is located at 4128 Magazine Street in New Orleans. Dinner service starts at 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. Takeout is available 5-8 p.m. www.saffronnola.com
Meanwhile, let us tantalize your palate with a few more dishes from Saffron Nola.
Curried Seafood Gumbo- Photo: Sara Essex Bradley
Saffron Nola Shrimp Curry – Photo: Sam Hanna
Listen to our podcast with Arvinder Vilkhu, Saffron Nola, here: