1 week Ago
Hello, Eaters! You may have seen my recent story about Star of India reopening in a new space at 1000 S. Main St., Suite 102 in Salt Lake City’s Ballpark neighborhood.
Here is the short version of what happened: Last summer, a break-in at Star of India’s old location on North Temple forced the Indian restaurant to shut down , and in late March, they were able to open their doors again. Last week, I paid a visit to the new location, to chat with owner Paramjit Kaur, learn more about the type of cuisine they feature at Star of India and, of course, eat some delicious food. Kaur told me she was born in India, and came to the United States with her family when she was 11.
When she was 15, she started working with her father, Avtar Singh, who opened Star of India in Salt Lake City in 1990 and taught Kaur the ropes of the restaurant business. (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The saag paneer at Star of India in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 3, 2025. Star of India specializes in northern Indian food, Kaur said, particularly from the state of Punjab, where Kaur’s extended family lives.
Traditional Punjabi-style foods on the menu includes dishes like bhindi masala (made with okra), chicken curry and tandoori chicken. Or, Kaur also recommends trying one of the following combinations: aloo paratha (whole-wheat bread filled with spiced potatoes, onions, and cilantro), plain yogurt and butter; or roti (Indian whole-wheat bread), plain yogurt and saag paneer, which is a creamy spinach sauce with spices, along with cubes of cooked cottage cheese. Star of India makes its own yogurt in-house, by the way, and all the food is made from scratch, too.
I’ll make sure to try one of Kaur’s combinations the next time I visit Star of India. For this visit, I tried a variation on an old favorite, which you can read about in the “Dish of the Week” section of this newsletter. Live deliciously, Kolbie (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) Tables are set at Star of India in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 3, 2025.
Food News • Two local chefs and longtime friends, Romina Rasmussen and Ali Sabbah (owner of Mazza ), are collaborating on a special bao (steamed Chinese bun) at Rasmussen’s bao shop, Xiao Bao Bao (216 E. 500 South). Sabbah cooked up the Middle Eastern-influenced filling, a blend of ground lamb, onion, herbs, butter and pine nuts, and Rasmussen turned it into a bao, which you can order throughout the month of April, she said.
• The Salt Republic , inside the Hyatt Regency Salt Lake City at 170 S. West Temple, has a new seasonal menu for spring, according to a news release. The dinner menu includes lighter flavors like sweet corn soup and mountain berry salad, as well as hearty options like the fire-grilled elk and wagyu pastrami smash burger.
Lunch options include the burrata toast with pickled cherry pepper relish, and beet salad with whipped chevre and candied pecans. Reservations are available via Tock . • Cosmica , a new “Italian diner” across the street from TF Brewing at 945 S.
300 West in Salt Lake City, opened about two weeks ago. More information about the menu will be released on Instagram, so follow @cosmica.slc .
In the meantime, Cosmica is open Wednesday through Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sundays starting at noon.
• Junah is another restaurant that has opened in the same neighborhood as Cosmica, at 916 S. Jefferson St., Suite B.
This spot serves Italian-Japanese cuisine in a gorgeous space. Follow @junah_slc on Instagram for updates. Booze (and Drink!) News (Edge Steakhouse) The Black Diamond, a cocktail made at Park City's Edge Steakhouse with High West double rye, fresh blood orange juice and other ingredients, is the winner of the 2025 Canyons Village Cocktail Contest.
• A winner in the 2025 Canyons Village Cocktail Contest has been declared, and that establishment is Edge Steakhouse , at 3000 Canyons Resort Drive in Park City. The winning cocktail was The Black Diamond, pictured above, which “won Park City’s heart (and taste buds!) during the month of March,” a news release said. The Black Diamond is made with High West double rye; Toadstool Notom “Amaro”; fresh blood orange juice, lemon and lime juice; demerara sugar syrup; black walnut bitters; and fee foam (a vegan egg white substitute).
The Black Diamond can still be ordered at Edge Steakhouse. Dish of the Week (Bethany Baker | The Salt Lake Tribune) The lamb shahi korma at Star of India in Salt Lake City on Thursday, April 3, 2025. The chicken shahi korma is my go-to dish at Star of India, and it had been so long since I had it that I had to order at least something close, so I went with the lamb shahi korma this time.
My tiny venture into the unknown paid off, with tender chunks of lamb simmered in a rich sauce made with tomatoes, heavy cream, onions, garlic and ginger. To top off this medley of flavor, golden raisins and sliced almonds were sprinkled on top, providing little pops of sweetness and a subtle crunch. Order the lamb shahi korma with a side of Star of India’s popular garlic naan, sprinkled with herbs, to round out your meal.
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