Fans of Mt. Everest and Red Hot Chilli Pepper restaurants in Evanston might have a new favorite in Glenview. The owner of the two restaurants recently opened his sixth restaurant, The Clove, at 1827 Waukegan Road, Glenview. It will feature guest chef nights and a rotating menu of entertainment.
The new restaurant, which had a ribbon cutting Aug. 15, combines two concepts: an Indian-Nepali menu prepared in one kitchen, and an Indo-Chinese menu prepared in another kitchen. Ramakant Kharel, the restaurant’s owner, also anticipates using a third kitchen as a place to exhibit the staff’s cooking skills, similar to what a hibachi chef might do.
For Kharel, The Clove is a culmination of his 25 years as a restaurant owner, with that career keeping him close to the Chicago suburbs, while also allowing him to expand to Toronto, Canada.
“I always wanted to open this type of concept,” Kharel told Pioneer Press. By having two kitchens, he anticipates being able to offer his customers classic Indian food that they might be accustomed to, while also giving them a chance to try out Indo-Chinese food, a blend of Indian and Chinese flavors, that they might not know so well.
Kharel calls Indo-Chinese “something of a hidden treasure.” He anticipates it will be more popular with patrons with South Asian palates, but notes it isn’t too different from Indian-Nepali food.
Kharel said he hopes it will attract South Asian customers who live far from his Evanston restaurant Red Hot Chilli Pepper.
Indo-Chinese items include Kungpao chicken, orange chicken, hot and sour soup, fried rice and other dishes. The Indian-Nepali menu has typical food items found in most Indian restaurants, including butter chicken, paneer tikka masala, chicken curry and palak paneer.
On a limited scale, the restaurant also serves an all-you-can-eat buffet. Kharel plans to limit it to a weekly lunch service on Tuesdays because of the high cost associated with operating a buffet. He said he hopes a buffet will entice patrons to try new menu items.
Every month, the restaurant will offer a specialized dinner service prepared at the demonstration kitchen, Kharel said. He anticipates planning to roll out the event in September, putting an $80 price tag on an evening with a five course dinner and two beer or wine drinks.
