Following success in the East, a restaurant owner is bringing her cuisine to Chicagoland.
Restaurateur Aanal Kotak has opened her concept The Secret Kitchen at 1411 W Schaumburg Road in Schaumburg, marking her U.S. market debut. Additionally, she announced another location will debut in downtown Chicago sometime this year or next year. Kotak has not pinned down an address downtown yet.
Kotak, originally from India, had a passion for cooking from a young age. She originally studied fashion, with the dream of opening her own restaurant. Her original location opened in India in 2017, now expanding to operating more than 12 outlets.
“Food should be an experience, a journey that brings people together and celebrates the flavors of the world. At The Secret Kitchen, we fuse tradition with creativity to bring you a dining experience that transcends borders,” Kotak said in a statement on her website.
The Secret Kitchen locations serve a range of plates, including Indian street food, vegetarian options and desserts. On their main plate menu, the butter chicken Delhi style and kadhai prawns curry tossed in wok are popular options.
With a restaurant and catering company in Australia, Kotak has also expanded to North America prior to opening the Schaumburg location, her largest location being in Toronto, Canada. She sees the value in opening in the U.S. as there has been high demand, and now she aims to bring another location to downtown Chicago in the near future.
The new Schaumburg location joins the plaza with Little Sicily Pizzeria & Bakery, and Out Cold Burgers & Fries. This is on the west side of the suburb, in a relatively residential area.
Kotak hopes to announce her Chicago location soon, and more information on The Secret Kitchen can be found on their website.
