""I believe in naan-violence," he says with a twinkle in his eye. "I tear up my naan and eat it." After nearly 37 years of running San Francisco's oldest Indian restaurant, Dey has truly lived the ups and downs of the industry. He has served dignitaries and survived downtown's sluggish recovery; he has witnessed the elevation of Indian cuisine in San Francisco and led the city's first week devoted to it; he's even gone viral for his Instagram videos."
"Located just two blocks from Union Square, New Delhi Restaurant was packed during last week's Dreamforce conference. Diners sipped mango martinis and feasted on tandoori chicken, chili cheese pakoras, tamarind eggplant and chicken tikka masala in the elaborate dining room reminiscent of a royal banquet hall. When a dinner reservation for eight morphed into 13, Dey gracefully accommodated them and soon had the whole table laughing uproariously."
"Dey, now 68, has been in the restaurant business since he was 14 growing up in Kolkata, India. It all started when he admitted to his mom that he had started smoking. "She told my dad, and I was in trouble," he said. "So he told me to go get a job for smoking money." From his first job at 14 chopping vegetables at Kolkata's Park Hotel, Dey went on to study hotel management and cook at hotels across India."
Ranjan Dey has led San Francisco's New Delhi Restaurant for nearly 37 years, blending humor and hospitality. The restaurant, two blocks from Union Square, draws conference crowds with dishes such as tandoori chicken, chili cheese pakoras, tamarind eggplant and chicken tikka masala in an ornate dining room. Dey has served dignitaries, weathered downtown's slow recovery, helped elevate Indian cuisine locally, organized the city's first week devoted to Indian food, and gained viral attention on social media. His culinary career began at 14 in Kolkata, followed by hotel management training, cooking across India, and opening earlier restaurants abroad.
Read at SFGATE
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