""We're cooking something that feels very natural to us," says Kumar, who grew up in Singapore and later in his career helped conceptualize Rick Bayless's Bar Sótano. "There's a lot of trading of complementary flavors that lends into those [coastal] cuisines because your environment shapes how you cook. Cooking with seafood is the next chapter for us and our team.""
""We're both foreigners who came to Chicago and made it our home. This is our way of giving back to the city.""
""We love to reel people in with familiarity," says Mohajir, who was born in Chennai, India, and raised in Doha, Qatar. "But Mariela really reflects the diversity of the team and where we're from.""
Kumar and Mohajir, acclaimed chefs from Chicago, are set to open Mariela, a restaurant that embodies their philosophy of blending culinary borders. Located in the historic Reliance Building, Mariela draws inspiration from coastal cuisines of Southeast Asia, the Americas, and Europe. The menu reflects their immigrant journeys and aims to resonate with both locals and tourists. Kumar emphasizes the naturalness of their cooking style, while Mohajir highlights the diversity of their team and the importance of familiarity in their dishes.
Read at Eater Chicago
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