A year after debuting their acclaimed Indian restaurant LUFU NOLA, chefs Sarthak Samantray, Aman Kota, and Sachin Darade are broadening their culinary footprint in New Orleans. The trio has launched a new venture, Ding Tea Downtown, a Taiwanese bubble tea shop in the Central Business District (CBD), and is set to unveil a seafood-focused eatery, Cajun Flames, in the French Quarter.
Cajun Flames will open its doors at 1117 Decatur Street, the previous location of Saint John, which closed earlier this spring. Chef Eric Cook, former owner of Saint John, is relocating his restaurant to a downtown address, with a planned opening in early fall 2024. Ding Tea Downtown, situated at 337 Baronne Street, began service in mid-July, offering a variety of milk and fruit teas, souffle slushies, coffee, and croffles—pressed croissant waffles with toppings such as banana Nutella, Biscoff, mango graham cracker, and takoyaki.
In an Instagram announcement, the chefs expressed their excitement about Cajun Flames, stating: “We have portrayed our story about Indian cuisine with LUFU, and it is time for us to move forward the best way possible. We are starting our new venture with Cajun Flames and need all the love and support to portray our story of New Orleans.”
The expansion marks a significant development for Samantray, Kota, and Darade, who have quickly made a name for themselves since the 2023 opening of LUFU NOLA. After operating as a pop-up and vendor at the now-closed Pythian Market, LUFU NOLA swiftly garnered acclaim as one of the city’s premier new dining destinations, earning a 2023 Eater Award for New Orleans’s pop-up-turned-restaurant of the year. “We love sharing this part of us with the city,” Samantray remarked to Eater following the restaurant’s opening.
While specifics about Cajun Flames’ menu remain under wraps, the new restaurant is expected to cater to the tourist-heavy French Quarter with a focus on oysters and fried seafood. The anticipated opening is slated for September 2024.
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