What is a Calicut lobster curry doing in Charlotte, North Carolina?

The Calicut mango lobster curry at the restaurant Zamindar’s Clubhouse | Photo Credit: Special arrangement “Indian diners tell me they finally have a place they are proud to bring their families and business clients to,” says Chef Vamshi Krishna Adi about his new fine-dining restaurant in the financial hub, Charlotte, North Carolina. Zamindar’s Clubhouse is bold, sophisticated, and wants to give the city something it has not seen before. Having already been around the block in New York City, Vamshi turns his attention to parts of the country where Indian food still means amorphous dollops of curry, and not gourmet plated venison shoulder, that was farm raised in green pastures. On an early morning call, we discuss food, family and spices. Chef Vamshi Krishna Adi hails from Hyderabad | Photo Credit: Special arrangement The American dreamVamshi’s story has the ups and downs of a Bollywood movie. Hailing from Hyderabad, he moved to the States in 2017. As he was working and interning in restaurants across America, the COVID 19 pandemic struck. Vamshi was marooned in California with no job, and an industry that had come to a standstill. Born into a middle-class Indian family and carrying the traditional responsibility of his sister’s wedding, he carried a weight on his shoulders. However, fate took him in the other direction. He saw a commercial spot available for rent in New York City.At just 25, Vamshi opened an Indian 30-seater restaurant called Gazab with his business partner. His family helped with a loan, and he convinced the landlord to give a young chef with no experience (and no citizenship) a lease. Vamshi was not out of the trenches yet. “It was bad in the beginning. We had only five or 10 guests a day. Eventually, I started studying marketing online, alongside cooking in the kitchen. I learnt how to promote a restaurant. I invited bloggers. I made changes to the menu. And after three months it was a big hit.”His second outing, a fine dining establishment called Ishq won him a recognition in the Michelin Bib Gourmand guide. “Promises of “modern Indian” often bring more flash than flavour, but that is not the case at this welcoming restaurant along Avenue A....The menu is teeming with ideas, and dishes arrive with all the right levels of spice, heat, depth, and nuance,” the guide says. Zamindar’s Clubhouse is one of the few fine dine Indian establishments in the city of Charlotte | Photo Credit: Special arrangement For his latest venture, he has the left the razzle dazzle of East Village in Manhattan and moved to New Bern Street in Charlotte.Venison meets varuval“Charlotte has one-tenth the population of New York. The clientele is very different. Here they have only heard of butter chicken and biryani.” Zamindar’s Clubhouse has grilled sea bass paturi, lemon chicken from Kasaul, steelhead salmon with coconut poriyal, ghee roast scallops and gongura gobi. Lahsooni oysters, a big hit, are grilled with Amul cheese and topped with sooji rusk crumbs.“Obviously, we have butter chicken also. But the menu has a selection of regional dishes. I want the restaurant to be the brand ambassador of Indian cuisine. And I want to introduce the city to finer Indian food that is different from their stereotypes of greasy and spicy.” The biryani is Vamshi’s mom’s recipe. “She makes the masala at home and ships it to me. You can take the boy out of Hyderabad, but cannot take Hyderabad out of the boy!”The cocktails employ Indian flavours cleverly. The Deccan Durbar has a turmeric pisco and mango shrub. Paan bourbon is the main ingredient in Raja Benaras. Desserts include gulab jamun creme brulee and kalakand chocolate tart.Zamindar’s Clubhouse is rooted and refined and knows the importance of presentation in this Instagram age. “New York is a big market. But my goal is to provide the experience to a second-tier city. We plan to expand to other smaller cities across the country and uplift the image of the cuisine. I want to be unique, even though it is a little risky,” concludes Vamshi.Zamindar’s Clubhouse is located on 155 New Bern St, Charlotte, North Carolina. It opens at 5 PM and is closed on Mondays Published - October 09, 2026 12:57 pm IST